LACINIATE EVENING PRIMROSE 



Oenothera laciniata Hill. 



June - July AVhere the yellow-brown sands of the glacial outwashes 

 Sandy fields near the rivers blow in a fine sifting whenever a breeze 

 is about, the hairy stalks of laciniate evening primrose 

 stand up compactly. In a specialized environment they live successfully, 

 manufacture food, blossom, make seeds, summer after summer as long 

 as their chosen habitat of sand remains. 



A plant which lives in sand country must survive where many other 

 plants, transplanted there, would perish miserably. Over the sands, sun- 

 shine is far more intense and hot, the light stronger, than it is in grass- 

 lands or in woods. Tlic sand in siumner is dry and becomes much hotter 

 under a long day of sunshine than black soil or grass. "Water filters 

 quickly through sand, though it may remain far below the quickly drying 

 surface. Winds are more violent across the unprotected sands and the 

 unstable sand moves in a hlui' which l)atters the glass-hard grains against 

 any plant standing there. 



Consequently a plant which lives in sand country must be espe- 

 cially fitted to live there. It must have a deep root or traveling roots to 

 provide stability and seek out water. It must be able to withstand the 

 strong sun and dryness by having hairy leaves which frequently turn 

 themselves vertically so that they do not get the full force of the sun. 



All these qualities are possessed by the little evening primrose which 

 blooms in midsunnner. The flowers o})en in late afternoon and are fer- 

 tilized by small, ]jale. night-flying moths whieli are attracted to the ]iale 

 yellow llowers. These have four petals above a long tul)e ; eight stamens, 

 and a four-parted, cross-shaped pistil. Th.e haves are hairy, rough, and 

 ■deeply laciniate or toothed. 



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