184 EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



* Yellow-flowered Evening Primroses, properly so-called, the floivers 

 opening {usually suddenly) in evening twilight, and fading away when 

 bright sunshine returns; odorous; the yellow petals commonly obcordate. 



t- Stems elongated and leafy ; pod cylindrical or spindle-shaped, ses- 

 sile. ® (2) 



CE. biennis, Linn. Common E. Wild in open grounds, and the large- 

 flowered forms cult, for ornament ; erect, 2°-5° high, hairy or smoothish, 

 with lance-oblong leaves, entire or obscurely toothed ; flowers at length 

 forming a terminal leafy-bracted spike, and petals obcordate ; calyx tips 

 appresscd or contiguous. Runs into several varieties, of which the 

 largest and flnest now cultivated belong to 



Var. grandifl6ra, Lindl. From S. W., which is tall and stout, with 

 corolla o'-4' in diameter ; the sudden opening at dusk is very striking. 



GEj. Oakesi^na, Robbins. In New Eng., has a more slender habit, 

 not haii-y, the fine pubescence mostly appressed ; calyx tips not promi- 

 nently contiguous. 



Qj. rhombip^tala, Nutt. Wild on our western limits ; more slender, 

 hoary, l°-3° high, the rather small flowers with rhombic ovate and acute 

 petals. 



(E. Drummdndii, Hook. Cult, from Tex. ; has its stems spreading on 

 the ground, and large flowers, like those of the first, in the upper axils ; 

 the lance-ovate leaves, etc., soft^downy. 



CE. siiiu^ta, Linn. Wild from N. J. S. and W., in sandy ground; 

 low and spreading, hairy, with lance-oblong, sinuate or pinnatifid leaves ; 

 small flowers in their axils ; pale-yellow petals turning rose-color in 

 fading, and slender pods. 



H- -t- Stems short and prostrate or scarcely any ; pod short, i-ioinged. @ ^ 



CIi. triloba, Nutt. Leaves pinnatifid and cut, like those of Dandelion, 

 smooth, all in a tuft at the surface of the ground, on the short crown, 

 which in autumn is crowded with the almost woody, pyramidal-ovate, 

 narrowly 4- winged sessile pods, forming a mass 3'-5' in diameter ; flowers 

 rather small, the slender tube of the calyx 4-5' long, its lobes about as 

 long as the obscurely 3-lobed or notched pale-yellow petals, which turn 

 purplish in fading. Ky. W. and S. 



CIj. Missouri^nsis, Sims. Cult, from Mo. and Tex. ; finely hoary or 

 nearly smooth, with many short prostrate stems, 2'-12' long, from a 

 thick woody root ; crowded, lanceolate, entire or denticulate leaves, very 

 large and showy flowers in their axils, opening before sunset ; the tube 

 of the calyx somewhat enlarging upwards, 3'-7'long; the bright yellow 

 corolla 4'-6' across ; pod with 4 very broad wings. 



Var. Iatif61ia, Gray (or CE. macrocArpa), is a form with larger and 

 greener leaves. 



* * White and Red-flowered Primroses, usually turning rose-colored 

 in fading, some of thorn opening in the daytime ; petals broadly obovatf. 

 or obcordate; floivcr btuls commonly nodding. 



(E. acaulis, Cav. (or CE. taraxicifot.ia). From Chile ; rather hairy, 

 at first stemless, at length forming prostrate stems, with pinnatifid or 

 pinnate leaves, after the manner of Dandelion (as one name denotes), 

 and very large flowers in the axils, tube of calyx 3'-4' long, corolla 

 3'-5' across, and a woody, obovate and sharply 4-angled sessile pod. (2) 



CE. speci6sa, Nutt. Of Mo. and Tex. ; not hardy in cult. N. ; pubes- 

 cent, with erect and branching stems <l'-20' high ; lance-oblong, cut- 

 toothed leaves, the lower mostly j)innatifid ; flowers .somewhat raceme«J 

 at the summit, and opening in tlie daytime ; calyx tube rather club 

 shaped and not much longer than the ovary; corolla 3 '-4' across ; pod 

 club-shaped. % 



