Wild four-o'clock

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Wild four-o'clock

Wild four-o'clock

Wild four-o'clock fruit

Wild four-o'clock leaves

Wild four-o'clock fruiting

Wild four-o'clock

Wild four-o'clock

Morphology

Stem

Erect or ascending, angled, much-branched, glabrous or slightly pubescent, sometimes waxy; nodes swollen.

Leaves

Opposite, simple, on stalks 1/2 to 3 inches long, upper leaves often sessile, ovate to lanceolate, 2 to 5 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, mostly glabrous; bases heart-shaped; margins entire; tips pointed or blunt.

Inflorescence

Umbel-like clusters of 3-5 flowers, terminal.

Flower

Calyces bell-shaped, pink to reddish purple, about 1/2 inch wide, 5-lobed, lobes united for part of their length; petals absent; stamens 3-5, projecting beyond edges of calyces.

Fruit

Dark, narrowly oblong, hard, strongly ribbed, hairy; seeds small, yellowish brown.

Ecology

Habitat

Disturbed areas, woodland edges, thickets, roadsides, and waste areas, most abundant on limestone soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Uses

Native Americans applied a poultice of crushed root to boils, strained muscles, and burns. Dried roots were ground and applied to infant's sore mouths. The roots were boiled and the liquid taken for fevers and to expel internal parasites. The leaves were smoked like tobacco.

Additional Notes