136 ONAGRACEJE. (EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY.) 
2 • CENOTH ERA, L. Evening Primrose. 
Calyx-tube prolonged beyond the ovary, deciduous; the lobes 
4, reflexed. Petals 4. Stamens 8 : anthers mostly linear. Pod 
4-valved, many-seeded. Seeds naked.—Leaves alternate. (Name 
from olvos, wine , and 6f]pa, a chase: application uncertain.) 
§ 1. OnJLgra, Tourn. — Annuals or biennials: flotcers nocturnal, 
odorous, opening but once, often fading pink or rose-color : pods cy¬ 
lindrical, closely sessile. 
1. CE. biennis, L. (Common Evening Primrose.) Erect, 
mostly hairy ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute, obscurely toothed; flow¬ 
ers in a terminal rather leafy spike; calyx-tube much prolonged ; pe¬ 
tals inversely heart-shaped (light yellow); pods oblong , somewhat 
tapering above. —Varies greatly ; as Var. 1. muricata, with rough- 
bristly stem and pods, and petals rather longer than the stamens. 
Var. 2. grandiflora, with larger and more show y petals. Var. 3. 
parviflora, with petals about the length of the stamens. "V ar. 4. 
crcciXta, with singularly small and narrow linear-oblong petals, 
shorter than the stamens, and smooth pods. — Common everywhere* 
June - Sept. 
2 . CE. simmta, L. (Small Evening Primrose.) Hairy, low, 
ascending, or at length procumbent; leaves oblong or lanceolate, sm- 
uate-toothed, often pinnatifid, the lower petioled; flowers (small) 
axillary; petals not longer than the stamens (pale yellow fading rose- 
color); pods cylindrical, elongated .— Sandy fields, New Jerseyan 
southward, principally a dwarf state. June. 
§2. CEnotherium, Seringe. — Biennials or perennials : flowers diur¬ 
nal (yellow ) : pods club-shaped , with 4 strong or winged angles an 
4 intermediate ribs. 
3. CE. fruticbsa, L. (Sundrops.) Hairy or nearly smooth, 
leaves lanceolate or oblong; raceme corymbed, naked below, 
tals broadly obcordate, longer than the calyx-lobes and stamens; poas 
oblong-club-shaped, 4-winged, longer than the pedicels. U ^30 
places, common, especially westward. June - Aug. — Plant 1° - 
high, with several varieties. Corolla 1^' broad. 
4. CE. riparia, Nutt. (River Sundrops.) Scarcely pubes 
cent; leaves linear-lanceolate, elongated, tapering below and some 
what stalked; flowers (large) in a rather leafy at length 
raceme; petals slightly obcordate ; pods oblong-club -shaped, slcn cr 
pedicelled, scarcely 4-winged. (2) — River-banks and swamps, una 
ker-bridge, New Jersey, and southward. 
5. CE. linearis, Michx. (Narrow-leaved Evening P ri ^ 
rose.) Slender, minutely hoary-pubescent; leaves linear; fl0VN 
