Oenothera caespitosa, known commonly as tufted evening primrose, desert evening primrose, rock-rose evening primrose, or fragrant evening primrose, is a perennial plant of the genus Oenothera native to much of western and central North America, in habitats such as talus slopes and sandy plains.[1] It is normally night-blooming.[2]
| Oenothera caespitosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Oenothera caespitosa var. marginata | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Onagraceae |
| Genus: | Oenothera |
| Species: | O. caespitosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Oenothera caespitosa | |
The plant is considered good for rock gardens. There are many subtaxa, referred to as subspecies or varieties.
Description edit
Oenothera caespitosa grows to 10 centimeters (4 inches) tall. It produces a rosette of lobed or toothed leaves each up to 36 centimetres (14 in) long around a woody caudex. It has no stems, with flowers and leaves growing directly from the root crown.[1] The four-petaled white flowers open at dusk and wilt the next morning, turning pink.[3] The petals measure up to 5 cm (2 in) in width and length.[1] A notch gives them a heart shape.[1]
Ecology edit
The plant is a larval host to the white-lined sphinx moth.[4]
Oenothera caespitosa is dependent on hawkmoths, including the five-spotted hawkmoth (Manduca quinquemaculata) for pollination.[5]
Similar species edit
Oenothera deltoides is very similar, with short stems and slightly smaller flowers.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 46. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
- ^ The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.
- ^ "Botanica. The Illustrated AZ of over 10000 garden plants and how to cultivate them", p. 612. Könemann, 2004. ISBN 3-8331-1253-0
- ^ The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.
- ^ Hodges, Scott A. "Some preliminary Observations on Hawkmoth Pollination of Oenothera caespitosa and Mirabilis multiflora" (PDF): 244–249.
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External links edit
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