14 



AMERICAN MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HERBS. 



EVENING PRIMROSE. 

 Oenothera biennis L. 



Oenothera muricata L. 



primrose, wild evening primrose, field 

 plant, 



nisht willnw-herh, king's cure-all,* 



Synonyms. — Onagra biennis (L.) Scop. 

 Other common names. — Common 

 evening primrose, tree primrose, fever 

 large rampion, scurvish, scabish. 



Habitat and range.— This is a widely distributed herb, its range extending from 

 Labrador south to Florida and west to the Rocky Mountains. It usually frequents 



fields and waste places, oc- 

 curring in dry soil. 



Description. — The even- 

 ing primrose is a coarse an- 

 nual or biennial weed, 

 which has the peculiarity 

 that its flowers do not open 

 until evening, remaining 

 open all night and closing 

 the next morning, but not 

 expanding again. It is gen- 

 erally stout and erect in 

 growth, from 1 foot to about 

 5 feet in height, simple or 

 branched, usually hairy 

 and leafy. The leaves are 

 1 to 6 inches in length, lance 

 shaped and sharp pointed 

 at the top, with wavy 

 toothed margins narrowing 

 toward the base. With the 

 exception of some of the 

 leaves near the base, most 

 of them are stemless. The 

 spikes of fragrant sulphur- 

 yellow flowers are produced 

 from about June to October 

 and, as already stated and 

 as indicated by the name 

 "evening" primrose, they 

 are open late in the evening 

 and during the night. They 

 are borne at the end of the 

 stem and are interspersed 

 with leafy bracts. Each 

 flower has four spreading 

 petals and measures about 1 to 2 inches across. The seed capsules are oblong and 

 hairy, about an inch in length, and narrowed at the top. (Fig. 6.) This plant belongs 

 to the evening primrose family (Onagracese). 



Collection, prices, and uses.— The entire plant is used. It is collected about flower- 

 ing time, bringing about 5 cents a pound. The herb has a somewhat astringent and 

 mucilaginous taste, but no odor. It has been used for coughs and asthmatic troubles, 

 and an ointment made therefrom has been employed as an application in skin 

 affections. 



Fig. (i.- 



-Evening primrose {Oenothera biennis), leaves, flowers, and 

 capsules. 



110 



A niisleading name. 



