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Wild flowers of the north-eastern states

Chapter 27: EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY. ONAGRACEÆ.
By Ellen Miller
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Nature/Gardening/Animals

About This Book

This illustrated manual gathers 308 common wildflowers of the northeastern United States, each drawn life-size and accompanied by plain-language descriptions emphasizing habit, color, and growth rather than technical dissection. Organized by floral families in the sequence of Gray's Manual and arranged for seasonal bloom, entries include leaves, stems, and often whole growth, with occasional shrubs, vines, and fruit shown where notable. Aimed at amateur naturalists, it favors recognizable traits and folk names to ease identification, offers practical notes on variations and habitat, and pairs accurate botanical classification with accessible, pictorial presentation.

EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY.
ONAGRACEÆ.

Day and Night Primrose.Œnothera pumila.

Found in June on sandy banks and dry pastures.

Its single leafy stalk, from 12 to 15 inches in height, is very slightly hairy, and somewhat shining. It is pale in color, inclining to dull pinkish.

The root-leaves are round at the tip, tapering to the base, and set on long stems; the upper leaves are long, and narrow, with stem-like bases; the margins are entire, the texture close and velvety to the touch; in color dull green, the foot-leaves pinkish slightly. Set near together, and alternately.

The 4 petals of the flower are heart-shaped, and spreading with a shallow curve, of a thin texture, which shows the veins, and in color a beautiful clear yellow; the calyx-tube is about a half-inch long, the part which contains the seed-box is thick, grooved, and green, the upper part is slender, and tinged with red: the 4 calyx-divisions are dry and pale. The flowers are set in the angles of the upper leaves.

According to Dr. Gray the blossoms of this plant which open in early sunlight do not go to sleep until eleven o’clock at night. For a space beneath the flowers the close-set leaves cease and the somewhat curving stalk is bare.