Missouri evening primrose
Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt. subsp. macrocarpa
Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Decumbent to ascending, few to many, sometimes branched, frequently reddish, appressed-hairy.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, stalked or uppermost sessile, numerous, oblanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, 2 to 6 inches long, .25 to 1.5 inches wide, thick, leathery, green, young leaves and buds grayish, appressed-hairy; margins entire or shallowly toothed; tips pointed or rounded; mature buds usually erect.
- Inflorescence
- Solitary flowers, in leaf axils.
- Flower
- Showy, 3 to 6 inches wide, floral tubes 2 to 6 inches long; sepals 4, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, bending abruptly downward and toward 1 side, often purple-spotted; petals 4, 1 to 2 inches long, nearly as wide, yellow, fading reddish or orange; stamens 8, filaments nearly as long as petals; stigma deeply 4-lobed, cross-shaped.
- Fruit
- Capsules, 1.5 to 4 inches long, conspicuously 4-winged; seeds numerous, small, angular, corky.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry rocky prairies, limestone hillsides, road-cuts, and disturbed areas.
- Distribution
- East 3/4 of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
The flowers open near sunset and close by mid-morning of the following day. Night-flying moths pollinate the flowers, which face upward at first, and then turn downward after pollination. Missouri evening primrose is drought-resistant. Three other subspecies of Oenothera macrocarpa occur in Kansas.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Onagraceae - Evening Primrose Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 6-18 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-10-12
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June, July