ONAGRACEjE 



A puzzlingly variable Primrose that grows in almost any 

 kind of soil, from beach sand to the richer ground of 

 thickets and woodlands. In general appearance it is very 

 similar to the muricata, but the type form of this species 

 usually differs from the muricata in that the bases of the 

 hairs on the stem are not red, and secondly, that the upper 

 bracts are shorter than the capsule or scarcely longer. 

 They are deciduous. 



From this plant is obtained a drug, valuable in the treat- 

 ment of whooping-cough. 



ONAGRACE^E EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY 



(Enothera Lamarckiana, DeVries. 



Bright yellow 



Evening Primrose. 

 August-September 



(Enothera: for derivation see biennis. 



Lamarckiana: Latin form, in honor of the botanist, La- 

 marck. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: gardens, where it spreads read- 

 ily by natural means and from which it escapes. 



THE PLANT: about three feet tall; the stem branched. 



THE LEAVES: alternate; large; with a generally lanceolate 

 outline. 



THE FLOWERS: "remarkably showy; the petals bright 

 golden yellow; the sepals in marked contrast a deep pur- 

 plish-red." "On bright days the flowers open late in the 

 afternoon, closing in the forenoon of the following day." 



THE FRUIT: capsules, glandular, hairy with minute hairs. 



An intensely interesting species because this is the one 

 which the Dutch botanist, DeVries, employed in working 

 out his Mutation theory. The original plant on Nan- 

 tucket was raised from seed, but has spread by natural 

 means. 



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