Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, 1-3, slender, wiry-branched in inflorescence, waxy, usually glabrous to inflorescence, somewhat brittle.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, sessile, lanceolate, 1 to 3 inches long, 1/4 to 3/4 inch wide, glabrous; margins entire, whitish; tips pointed; lower leaves often absent at flowering; upper leaves reduced, linear-lanceolate.
- Inflorescence
- Spikes, elongate, terminal, glandular-hairy.
- Flower
- About 1/2 inch across, sessile; sepals 4, oblong-lanceolate, whitish, sparsely pubescent, bent abruptly backward; petals 4, less than 1/4 inch long, white, clawed, at end of threadlike floral tube; stamens 8, unequal; style as long or longer than stamens, stigma 4-lobed.
- Fruit
- Capsules, nutlike, egg-shaped, conspicuously ribbed, pubescent, 1-seeded; seeds small, whitish yellow.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry, rocky, prairie hillsides, roadsides, stream valleys, and waste places, most abundant on limestone soils.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
Stenosiphon drops its leaves during periods of drought and conducts photosynthesis in the stem. A rosette of leaves develops in the fall of the first year, and the stem arises in the second year.
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Oenothera glaucifolia
Full Citation: Oenothera glaucifolia
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Onagraceae - Evening Primrose Family
- Life Span
- Biennial
- Height
- 2-9 feet
- Origin
- Native
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-16
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September