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wavy-leaf gaura, wavyleaf beeblossom

biennial bee-blossom

Habit Herbs perennial, usually glabrous, sometimes strigillose and villous, hairs erect; from a woody taproot but spreading by rhizomes (forming extensive colonies). Herbs usually robust winter-annual, sometimes biennial, usually moderately to densely villous, rarely short-hirtellous, also glandular puberulent; from fleshy taproot.
Stems

erect, branched below and just above ground, branched also proximal to inflorescences, 40–120(–250) cm.

usually well-branched distal to base, 50–180 cm.

Leaves

in a basal rosette and cauline, (1–)3–11 × (0.1–)0.5–2 cm, blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, margins usually sparsely sinuate-dentate, rarely subentire, often undulate.

in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 8–20 × 1.5–3 cm, blade oblanceolate, margins irregularly toothed to lobed;

cauline 1.5–12 × 0.5–3 cm, blade narrowly elliptic to elliptic or lanceolate, margins subentire or undulate-denticulate.

Inflorescences

stout.

Flowers

4-merous, zygomorphic, opening near sunset;

floral tube 2.5–5 mm;

sepals 7–14 mm;

petals white, fading pink to red, slightly unequal, elliptic, 7–15 mm;

stamens presented in lower 1/2 of flower, filaments 5–11 mm, lanate at very base, anthers 3–5 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile;

style 12–19 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis.

4-merous, zygomorphic, opening at sunset;

floral tube 6–13 mm;

sepals 5–13 mm;

petals white, fading pink to red, narrowly elliptic-obovate, 6–12 mm;

filaments 5–10 mm, anthers 2–4 mm, pollen 35–65% fertile;

style 12–15 mm, stigma surrounded by anthers.

Capsules

narrowly ovoid, narrowly 4-winged or 4-angled, 8–15 × 1.5–3.5 mm, abruptly constricted to a long, sterile stipe 2–8 mm.

ellipsoid, 4-angled, 5–9 × 2–3 mm;

sessile.

Seeds

(1 or)2–4, light to reddish brown, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm.

3–6, light to reddish brown, 2–2.5 × 1–1.3 mm.

2n

= 28.

= 14.

Oenothera sinuosa

Oenothera gaura

Phenology Flowering Apr–Aug. Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Flats and washes in light sandy loam. Open woods, fields, along streams, disturbed sites, ditch banks, roadsides, railway embankments.
Elevation 0–300(–1300) m. (0–1000(–4300) ft.) 100–600 m. (300–2000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; FL; GA; MO; NY; OK; TX [Introduced in Europe (Italy), s Africa]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; IN; KY; MA; MD; MI; MN; NC; NJ; NY; OH; PA; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) determined Oenothera sinuosa to be self-incompatible.

Oenothera sinuosa is endemic to Oklahoma and Texas and is escaped or naturalized in Alabama, Arkansas, California (where found to 1300 m), Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and New York.

Oenothera sinuosa is potentially a noxious weed due to the aggressive rhizomatous habit, but is somewhat limited by its self-incompatibility. Molecular data (G. D. Hoggard et al. 2004) are consistent with the hypothesis that the allotetraploid (2n = 28) O. sinuosa arose by interspecific hybridization of two species within subsect. Stipogaura as suggested by P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]). The molecular data indicate that the pistillate parent came from O. calcicola or a close relative, while the staminate parent originated from the lineage that gave rise to O. cinerea and O. filipes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Oenothera gaura is a PTH species and forms a ring of 14 chromosomes in meiosis. It is self-compatible and autogamous (P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory 1972[1973]), and may have been derived from O. filiformis.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 10. FNA vol. 10.
Parent taxa Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Gaura > subsect. Stipogaura Onagraceae > subfam. Onagroideae > tribe Onagreae > Oenothera > sect. Gaura > subsect. Gaura
Sibling taxa
O. acutissima, O. albicaulis, O. argillicola, O. arida, O. arizonica, O. biennis, O. boquillensis, O. brachycarpa, O. calcicola, O. californica, O. canescens, O. capillifolia, O. cavernae, O. cespitosa, O. cinerea, O. clelandii, O. coloradensis, O. cordata, O. coronopifolia, O. coryi, O. curtiflora, O. curtissii, O. deltoides, O. demareei, O. dodgeniana, O. drummondii, O. elata, O. engelmannii, O. falfurriae, O. filiformis, O. filipes, O. flava, O. fruticosa, O. gaura, O. gayleana, O. glaucifolia, O. glazioviana, O. grandiflora, O. grandis, O. harringtonii, O. hartwegii, O. havardii, O. heterophylla, O. hispida, O. howardii, O. humifusa, O. jamesii, O. kunthiana, O. laciniata, O. lavandulifolia, O. lindheimeri, O. linifolia, O. longissima, O. macrocarpa, O. mckelveyae, O. mexicana, O. nealleyi, O. neomexicana, O. nutans, O. nuttallii, O. oakesiana, O. organensis, O. pallida, O. parviflora, O. patriciae, O. perennis, O. pilosella, O. platanorum, O. podocarpa, O. primiveris, O. psammophila, O. pubescens, O. rhombipetala, O. riparia, O. rosea, O. serrulata, O. sessilis, O. simulans, O. spachiana, O. speciosa, O. stricta, O. suffrutescens, O. suffulta, O. tetraptera, O. texensis, O. toumeyi, O. triangulata, O. triloba, O. tubicula, O. villosa, O. wolfii, O. xylocarpa
O. acutissima, O. albicaulis, O. argillicola, O. arida, O. arizonica, O. biennis, O. boquillensis, O. brachycarpa, O. calcicola, O. californica, O. canescens, O. capillifolia, O. cavernae, O. cespitosa, O. cinerea, O. clelandii, O. coloradensis, O. cordata, O. coronopifolia, O. coryi, O. curtiflora, O. curtissii, O. deltoides, O. demareei, O. dodgeniana, O. drummondii, O. elata, O. engelmannii, O. falfurriae, O. filiformis, O. filipes, O. flava, O. fruticosa, O. gayleana, O. glaucifolia, O. glazioviana, O. grandiflora, O. grandis, O. harringtonii, O. hartwegii, O. havardii, O. heterophylla, O. hispida, O. howardii, O. humifusa, O. jamesii, O. kunthiana, O. laciniata, O. lavandulifolia, O. lindheimeri, O. linifolia, O. longissima, O. macrocarpa, O. mckelveyae, O. mexicana, O. nealleyi, O. neomexicana, O. nutans, O. nuttallii, O. oakesiana, O. organensis, O. pallida, O. parviflora, O. patriciae, O. perennis, O. pilosella, O. platanorum, O. podocarpa, O. primiveris, O. psammophila, O. pubescens, O. rhombipetala, O. riparia, O. rosea, O. serrulata, O. sessilis, O. simulans, O. sinuosa, O. spachiana, O. speciosa, O. stricta, O. suffrutescens, O. suffulta, O. tetraptera, O. texensis, O. toumeyi, O. triangulata, O. triloba, O. tubicula, O. villosa, O. wolfii, O. xylocarpa
Synonyms Gaura sinuata Gaura biennis
Name authority W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 214. (2007) W. L. Wagner & Hoch: Syst. Bot. Monogr. 83: 212. (2007)
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