CENOTHERA MISSOURIENSIS. 

 LARGE-FRUITED EVENING PRIMROSE. 



NATURAL ORDER, ONAGRACEyE. 



QiNOTHERA MissOURiENSis, Sims. — Simple, decumbent ; leaves coriaceous, lanceolate, acute, 

 short-acuminate, petiolate, sub-entire, downy, canescent when young; flowers very 

 large, axillary ; calyx-tube three or four times longer than the downy, canescent ovary ; 

 capsule very large, oval, depressed, with four broad-winged margins. (Wood's Class- 

 Book of Botany.) 



HE species of Evening Primrose here illustrated is well 

 I worthy of the beautiful picture our artist has made of 

 it. Of course, much of the beauty of the representation is 

 derived from the pretty red to which the stems turn as they 

 mature, and which makes a good contrast with the greens and 

 yellows of the other parts. It is a singular fact that it is almost 

 impossible to find any plant without some trace of red about it, 

 but this fact is generally overlooked by flower painters, and it is 

 remarkable that it should be so disregarded, as by its use a much 

 better effect can be obtained than in the usual style of flower 

 painting, as well as being more just to the good taste of nature 

 herself 



The Evening Primrose family is a very large one. Mr, 

 Sereno Watson in his revision of the genus, in 1873, made sixty- 

 eight species indigenous to North America ; but though among 

 them are many beautiful kinds there are few more striking in so 

 many respects than the one we now illustrate. The size of the 

 flower alone attracts. It is often much larger than the one we 

 have chosen for our drawing. Some authors speak of having 

 seen flowers six inches across. 



The namesake of this, the common Eno^Hsh primrose, has a 



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