Oenothera pilosella Raf. - Prairie Sundrops


 

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Oenothera pilosella - (image 1 of 4)

 

Taxonomy

Family: Onagraceae

Habitat

Meadows, field, open woods, fens, in moist or wet soil.

Associates

 

 Distribution

IA and southern WI to LA, east to southern Ontario, central NY, and western WV, escaped as far east as VT, MA, and VA.

Morphology

Fibrous-rooted, short-rhizomatous perennial to 80 cm; stem simple or branched above, pilose-hirsute, with hairs 1-3 mm (rarely subglabrous); leaves lanceolate or lance-elliptic, 3-10 cm long and 0.5-2.5 cm wide, mostly sessile, acute or acuminate, remotely denticulate or dentate or entire; inflorescence compact, many-flowered, the buds erect; flowers diurnal, out-crossing, hypanthium (1-)1.5-2.5 cm, sepals 1-2 cm, the free tips 1-3 mm; petals (1-)1.5-2.5 cm, notched at the apex; filaments alternately unequal; anthers 4-8 mm; style 1-2 cm; fruit elliptic or linear-elliptic to rather narrowly clavate, the body 8-15 mm, tapering to a sessile or shortly pedicel-like base.

Notes

Flowers May to July

Wetland indicator: FAC

It is not clear if this species is native to NY, though it has been found in habitats where it appears to be native.

References

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.

The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

 


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 Michael Hough © 2018