Oenothera grandis
| Oenothera grandis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Onagraceae |
| Genus: | Oenothera |
| Species: | O. grandis |
| Binomial name | |
| Oenothera grandis Smyth | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Oenothera grandis, variously showy ragged evening-primrose, grand evening primrose, or large-flowered cut-leaved evening primrose, is an annual plant that is native to the southern Great Plains and parts of Mexico.
Description
Showy ragged evening-primrose is an annual plant that grows a narrow taproot.[1] It will sometimes behave as a winter annual, sprouting late in the year and blooming in the next spring or summer, though late summer seedlings can bloom by late September or October.[2] It has stems that grow straight upward or lean out somewhat from the base of the plant before growing upwards that are typically 15 to 60 centimeters (6–24 in) tall, but occasionally can grow to as much as one meter (3.3 ft) in length. The stems often have branches that also grow upward,[3] if a plant has branches near the base they often grow along the ground.[1] All stems are covered with sparse hairs that point in the same direction and are glandular towards the top of the stems.[3]
Young plants have a rosette of basal leaves.[1] All the leaves are oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic with lobed or dentate, coarsely toothed, edges and when lobed the lobes are often dentate. The basal leaves are 5–13 cm (2.0–5.1 in) long and 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) wide while leaves attached to stems are 3–10 cm (1.2–3.9 in) long and 1.5–3.5 cm (0.6–1.4 in) wide.[3]
Its flowers have yellow petals that become somewhat pink as they fade and are 2 to 4 centimeters (0.8–1.6 in), though more typically 2.5–3.5 cm.[3] They are found above each leaf.[4] One to a few flowers open each day near sunset and plants can bloom anytime from March to September in its native habitat.[3]
The fruit is a cylindrical capsule 2.5 to 5 cm (1–2 in) long and just 2 to 3 mm wide.[3] The seeds are somewhat egg shaped and 0.9–1.2 mm and yellowish-brown.[2]
Taxonomy
Oenothera grandis was scientifically described and named in 1899 by Bernard Bryan Smyth. It is part of the genus Oenothera and classified in the Onagraceae family. It has no accepted subspecies but does have six homotypic synonyms.[5]
| Name | Year | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oenothera laciniata var. grandiflora (S.Watson) B.L.Rob. | 1908 | variety | |
| Oenothera laciniata var. grandis Britton | 1897 | variety | nom. illeg., nom. superfl. |
| Oenothera laciniata var. occidentalis Small | 1896 | variety | nom. illeg. |
| Oenothera sinuata var. grandiflora S.Watson | 1873 | variety | |
| Oenothera sinuata var. grandis Britton | 1894 | variety | nom. illeg., nom. superfl. |
| Raimannia grandis (Smyth) Rose ex Sprague & L.Riley | 1921 | species |
Names
Oenothera grandis is known by the common names showy ragged evening-primrose,[6] grand evening primrose,[4] or large-flowered cut-leaved evening primrose.[1] It is also known as showy evening primrose by sources such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service,[7] however Oenothera speciosa is frequently known by this name.[8]
Range and habitat
Showy ragged evening-primrose is native from Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri southwards in the United States and to northeastern and southwestern Mexico.[5] The many reports in states east of the Mississippi are likely recent introductions.[3] In Mexico it is known from just three scattered states, Durango and Tamaulipas in the north and Michoacán in the south.[9]
Ecology
Both white-tailed deer and cattle will consume the leaves. Seeds are eaten by white-winged doves and mourning doves.[10]
References
Citations
- 1 2 3 4 McGregor 1986, p. 520.
- 1 2 McGregor 1986, p. 521.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wagner 2022.
- 1 2 Niehaus 1998, p. 154.
- 1 2 POWO 2026.
- ↑ Yatskievych 2000, p. 118.
- ↑ NRCS 2026.
- ↑ NC State Extension n.d.
- ↑ Hassler 2026.
- ↑ Everitt, Drawe & Lonard 1999, p. 203.
Sources
Books
- Everitt, James H.; Drawe, D. Lynn; Lonard, Robert I. (1999). Field guide to the broad-leaved herbaceous plants of south Texas : used by livestock and wildlife. Lubbock, Texas: Texas Tech University Press. ISBN 978-0-89672-400-6. OCLC 39890451. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- McGregor, Ronald L. (1986). "79. Onagraceae Juss., the Evening Primrose Family". In McGregor, Ronald L.; Barkley, T. M.; Brooks, Ralph E.; Schofield, Eileen K. (eds.). Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-0295-7. OCLC 13093762. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- Niehaus, Theodore F. (1998). A Field Guide to Southwestern and Texas Wildflowers. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-585-36531-2. OCLC 47009623. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- Yatskievych, Kay (2000). Field Guide to Indiana wildflowers. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-21420-1. OCLC 44518052. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
Web sources
- Hassler, Michael (13 March 2026). "Oenothera grandis in the Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 26.03". World Plants. Retrieved 20 March 2026.
- NatureServe (27 February 2026). "Oenothera grandis". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- NC State Extension (n.d.). "Showy Evening Primrose – Oenothera speciosa". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. North Carolina Cooperative Extension. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
- NRCS (2026). "Oenothera grandis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- POWO (2026). "Oenothera grandis Smyth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- Wagner, Warren L. (9 May 2022) [In print 2021]. "Oenothera grandis". Flora of North America. ISBN 978-0-19-757607-6. OCLC 1252700665. Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
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