Oenothera mckelveyae
Oenothera macrocarpa
Mckelvey's beeblossom
bigfruit evening primrose, Missouri evening primrose, Ozark sundrop
ascending, branched below or just above ground, branched also proximal to inflorescences, 30–70(–120) cm.
moderately leafy, (1–)4–40(–60) cm.
in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 3–17 × 0.8–2 cm, blade oblanceolate, cauline 1–6.5 × 0.1–1.5 cm, sessile, blade narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic, margins conspicuously sinuate-dentate, often undulate.
cauline, (2.8–)3.7–12.5(–17) × (0.1–)0.4–3(–4.5) cm;
petiole (0.4–)1–4(–6) cm;
blade linear, lanceolate-elliptic, elliptic to oblanceolate or suborbiculate, margins entire or conspicuously or inconspicuously denticulate or serrulate, sometimes undulate, apex usually acute, sometimes obtuse or retuse (subsp. incana).
slender.
4-merous, zygomorphic, opening near sunset;
floral tube 2–3.5 mm;
sepals 6–12 mm;
petals white, fading dark pink to red, slightly unequal, elliptic-obovate, 7–11 mm, long-clawed;
stamens presented in lower 1/2 of flower, filaments 5–9 mm, lanate at very base, anthers 2–4 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile;
style 9–16 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.
usually 1 or 2, rarely more, opening per day near sunset, fading next morning, sometimes (subspp.
reflexed, lanceoloid to narrowly ovoid, narrowly 4-winged, 8–19 × 1.5–2 mm, tapering to a sterile stipe 3–9 mm.
papery in age, narrowly ellipsoid to lanceoloid, sometimes twisted (subsp. fremontii), winged, wings (2–)10–28(–34) mm wide, body (13–)25–70(–115) × 2–9 mm, dehiscent 1/4–1/3 their length;
pedicel 1–12(–25) mm.
(1 or)2–4, 2–3 × 1 mm, yellowish to reddish brown.
numerous, rarely as few as 8, in 1 row per locule, obovoid, (2–)3–5 × 1–2.3 mm.
and oklahomensis) lasting for 2 days, weakly scented;
buds with unequal free tips 1–11(–15) mm;
floral tube (21–)35–140(–160) mm;
sepals (20–)25–65(–75) mm;
petals bright yellow, fading orange, reddish orange or mostly unchanged, obovate to very broadly obovate, (17–)25–65(–68) mm, usually with terminal notch and/or tooth, margin sometimes erose;
filaments 13–40(–44) mm, anthers 10–24(–25) mm;
style (45–)55–192 mm, stigma usually exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.
= 14.
Oenothera mckelveyae
Oenothera macrocarpa
Oenothera mckelveyae, on the Rio Grande Plain, is found in an area bounded by from Dimmit and LaSalle counties east to Karnes and Refugio counties in the north, southward through south Texas, extending to northeastern Tamaulipas and adjacent Nuevo León. P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) found Oenothera mckelveyae to be self-incompatible.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 5 (4 in the flora).
Oenotheramacrocarpa is variable and has differentiated extensively in the Great Plains region. Each of the five distinctive subspecies occupies a different geographical and ecological situation. Only subsp. mexicana W. L. Wagner from Coahuila, Mexico, occurs outside of the flora area. In general, the subspecies are sharply distinct and each is characterized by a number of features, including pubescence, leaf features, flower and floral tube size, and size and morphology of the capsules and seeds. The five entities are treated as subspecies primarily because of their complete interfertility and extensive intergradation in any area of marginal contact. Intermediates are known between subsp. macrocarpa and subspp. fremontii and oklahomensis and between subspp. incana and oklahomensis. There is also some evidence that suggests past hybridization between subspp. fremontii and incana although there is no present contact between them. All subspecies are self-incompatible.
Oenothera alata Nuttall (1818) is an illegitimate name based on O. macrocarpa and pertains here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Herbs glabrous. | → 2 |
2. Leaf blades usually very broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, rarely oblanceolate or elliptic, 2–4.3 cm wide, margins usually entire, sometimes inconspicuously denticulate, usually flat, sometimes undulate. | subsp. incana |
2. Leaf blades usually elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, sometimes linear, (0.3–)0.8–2(–3) cm wide, margins usually conspicuously denticulate to serrulate, rarely subentire, usually undulate. | subsp. oklahomensis |
1. Herbs strigillose. | → 3 |
3. Bud free tips 1–2(–5) mm; petals (17–)25–33(–37) mm; floral tubes (21–)35–65(–80) mm; capsules often twisted, 13–30(–65) mm, wings 2–5(–9) mm wide. | subsp. fremontii |
3. Bud free tips (4–)5–11(–12) mm; petals (25–)31–65(–68) mm; floral tubes (50–)70–140(–160) mm; capsules not twisted, (28–)30–70(–115) mm, wings 10–28(–34) mm wide. | → 4 |
4. Leaves green or younger ones grayish green, moderately strigillose, rarely more densely strigillose, blades often lanceolate-elliptic to broadly elliptic, sometimes linear or lanceolate, 0.4–2.3(–3) cm wide; capsule wings (14–)18–28(–34) mm wide. | subsp. macrocarpa |
4. Leaves gray, densely strigillose, blades very broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, rarely oblanceolate or elliptic, 2–4.3 cm wide; capsule wings 10–15(–24) mm wide. | subsp. incana |
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