Oenothera perennis |
Oenothera psammophila |
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little evening-primrose, perennial evening-primrose, perennial sundrops, small sundrops |
St. Anthony dunes evening primrose |
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Habit | Herbs perennial, sparsely to moderately strigillose, glandular puberulent distally; from fibrous roots. | Herbs perennial, caulescent, glabrous, also with resinous exudate, especially on younger leaves; from woody taproot. |
Stems | usually erect to slightly decumbent, unbranched to few-branched distally, (3–)15–30(–75) cm. |
decumbent, usually branched, 10–30 cm, becoming woody and buried in sand. |
Leaves | in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 2–4 × 0.2–1.2 cm, petiole (0.2–)0.5–1.2(–2.5) cm, blade oblanceolate to obovate; cauline 3–7 × 0.2–1.2 cm, petiole 0.1–1 cm, blade oblanceolate to obovate, margins entire or weakly and remotely denticulate. |
(6–)8–9(–14.2) × (0.7–)1.5–2(–3.1) cm; petiole 3–9 cm; blade narrowly oblanceolate to oblanceolate, margins usually subentire or repand or remotely dentate, rarely serrate, apex acute. |
Inflorescences | nodding, flowers in axils of distalmost few nodes. |
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Flowers | opening near sunrise, nearly unscented; buds with free tips to 1 mm, connivent; floral tube 3–10 mm; sepals 2–4 mm; petals bright yellow, fading pale yellow, or orangish yellow to pale pink, 5–10 mm; filaments 3–4 mm, anthers 1–2 mm, pollen 40–70% fertile; style 3–4 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers at anthesis. |
1–3 per stem opening per day near sunset, with sweet scent; buds erect; floral tube 42–60 mm; sepals 22–28 mm; petals white, fading rose pink to rose, 23–40 mm; filaments 17–19 mm, anthers 13–16 mm; style 60–72(–88) mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis. |
Capsules | clavate, 4-angled or narrowly 4-winged, 5–10 × 2–3 mm, stipe 1–2 mm; sessile. |
somewhat curved and often somewhat twisted, lanceoloid-cylindrical, nearly cylindrical, (20–)30–47 × 7–8 mm, gradually tapering to apex, 6–8 mm, dehiscent nearly throughout their length, valve margins with a conspicuous, irregular, wavy ridge; pedicel 1–5 mm. |
Seeds | 0.7–0.8 × 0.2–0.3 mm. |
numerous, in 2 distinct rows per locule, narrowly obovoid, 2.5–3 × 1.2–1.4 mm, embryo 7/8 of seed volume, surface finely reticulate; seed collar with a broad membrane sealing cavity, margin entire. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Oenothera perennis |
Oenothera psammophila |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul(–Aug). | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Fields, open woods, boggy areas. | On barren areas of drifting sand at interface between outcrops of lava and sand dunes. |
Elevation | (0–)150–900(–1400) m. ((0–)500–3000(–4600) ft.) | 1500–1700 m. (4900–5600 ft.) |
Distribution |
CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NE; NH; NY; OH; PA; RI; SC; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SPM
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ID |
Discussion | Oenothera perennis, a PTH species that forms a ring of 14 chromosomes in meiosis, is self-compatible and autogamous (G. B. Straley 1977). It is disjunct in Nebraska from the rest of its range in eastern North America, occurring in Garfield, Holt, and Rock counties (R. Kaul, pers. comm.). It is introduced in British Columbia. Oenotherapumila Linnaeus is an illegitimate substitution based on O. perennis Linnaeus, while Kneiffia michauxii Spach is an illegitimate substitution based O. pumila, as is K. pumila Spach, and the three pertain here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Oenothera psammophila is known only from the dune area north and west of St. Anthony, Fremont County. It is unique in Oenothera because of the exudate produced on the leaves to which sand particles adhere, forming a sand sheath, presumably for protection from the constantly blowing sand particles. It is self-incompatible (W. L. Wagner et al. 1985; Wagner 2005). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 10. | FNA vol. 10. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Kneiffia chrysantha, K. depauperata, K. perennis, O. chrysantha, O. perennis var. rectipilis, O. pumila var. chrysantha, O. pumila var. minima, O. pumila var. pusilla, O. pumila var. rectipilis, O. pusilla | Pachylophus psammophilusa., O. cespitosa var. psammophila |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 998. (1759) | (A. Nelson & J. F. Macbride) W. L. Wagner, Stockhouse & W. M. Klein: Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 12: 84. (1985) |
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