Images
Click on image to view full size
Morphology
- Stem
- Erect or sprawling, 1 to several, simple or branched above, densely to sparsely short-hairy.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, short-stalked to sessile above, elliptic-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate; 1 to 4 inches long, .25 to 1 inch wide, short-hairy; margins wavy or slightly toothed, sometimes deeply lobed near base; tips tapering-pointed; upper leaves reduced to linear-lanceolate bracts.
- Inflorescence
- 1-flowered in upper leaf axils.
- Flower
- Showy, 1.5 to 3.5 inches across; sepals 4, lanceolate, tips united, bent toward 1 side; petals 4, 1 to 1.5 inches long, white, often yellowish at base, fading pinkish; stamens 8, nearly as long as petals; style longer than stamens, stigma with 4 linear lobes, cross-shaped.
- Fruit
- Capsules, narrowly football-shaped, about .5 inch long, 4-ribbed, pubescent; seeds many, small, brown.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry, rocky soils of prairies, roadsides, open woodlands, and hillsides.
- Distribution
- East two thirds of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
The flowers open in the evening or on overcast days, remain open through the morning but closing during the heat of the day. Hawk moths, hummingbirds, and bees pollinate the flowers.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Onagraceae - Evening Primrose Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 4-20 inches
- Last Updated
- 2021-08-27
Color Groups
Pink, Red & Orange Wildflowers
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: May, June