[355]
Oenothera Pumila. Dwarf Oenothera.
Class and Order.
Octandria Monogynia.
Generic Character.
Cal. 4-fidus. Petala 4. Caps. cylindrica infera. Sem. nuda.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
OENOTHERA pumila foliis lanceolatis obtusis glabris subpetiolatis, caulibus prostratis, capsulis acutangulis. Linn. Syst. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 358. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 4.
OENOTHERA foliis radicalibus ovatis caulinis lanceolatis obtusis, capsulis ovatis obtusis. Mill. Ic. t. 188.
LYSIMACHIA siliquosa glabra minor mariana angustioribus foliis. Pluk. Mant. 123.
No. 355
From all the species of Oenothera with yellow flowers hitherto introduced to this country, the present one is distinguished by the inferiority of its size; in its most luxuriant state it rarely exceeds a foot in height, and as it commonly grows it is far more humble: from a perennial root it sends out many flowering stems, which are productive of blossoms in regular succession from April to July: these are open in the morning as well as in the evening, which renders the plant more ornamental and desirable: for the border of a small garden, or for rock-work, it is extremely suitable, if not so shewy as some others; it is very hardy, of ready growth, not apt to encroach, flowers during most of the summer months, and is readily propagated by seeds, cuttings, or dividing of the roots in autumn.
Is a native of North-America, and was cultivated here by Mr. Miller in 1757. Ait. Kew.
The stalks cannot be considered as prostrate, though Linnæus describes them as such; adscendentibus would be a more appropriate term.