Vor,. II.] 



EVENING-PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



487 



1. O. humifusa. 



2. O. laciniata. 



3. O. rhombipetala. 



Flowers axillary. 



Silvery-pubescent with appressed or ascending hairs; seeds striate. 



Glabrous or sparingly hirsute-pubescent; seeds pitted. 

 Flowers in terminal bracted spikes. 



i. OEnothera humifusa Nutt. Seaside 

 Evening- Primrose. (Fig. 2581.) 



OEnothera humifusa Nutt. Gen. i: 245. 1818. 

 OEnothera sinuata var. humifusa T. & G. Fl. N. A. i: 494. 



1840. 



Spreading and decumbent or ascending, branched 

 from the base and usually also above, silvery-pubescent 

 with white appressed or ascending hairs; stems 8 / -i8 / 

 long. Leaves sessile or narrowed into a petiole, acut- 

 ish or sometimes obtuse at the apex, j'-2' long, repand- 

 denticulate, the lower pinnatifid; flowers axillary, yel- 

 low, nocturnal, 6 // -io // broad ; calyx-lobes linear, 

 obtusish, shorter than the tube, somewhat spreading; 

 capsule linear, 6 // -i2 // long, about i^" thick, very 

 pubescent; seeds striate longitudinally. 



On sea-beaches, New Jersey to Florida. June-Sept. 



2. OEnothera laciniata Hill. Sinuate- 

 leaved Evening-Primrose. (Fig. 2582. ) 



OEnothera laciniata Hill. Veg. Syst. 12: 64. 1767. 

 OEnothera sinuata L. Mant. 2: 228. 1771. 

 OEnothera minima Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 262. pi. 15. 

 1814. 



Decumbent or ascending, simple or sometimes 

 branched, 4 / -i8 / high, glabrous or sparingly hirsute- 

 pubescent. Leaves sessile or the lower petioled, 

 oval-lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute or obtusish at 

 the apex, sinuate-dentate or often pinnatifid, I'-a' 

 long; flowers axillary (or on small plants some- 

 times solitary and terminal), 6 // -i8 // broad; calyx- 

 lobes linear-lanceolate, reflexed, much shorter than 

 the slender tube; capsule linear, I'-i j^' long, about 

 \' f thick, more or less pubescent, straight or curved 

 upward ; seeds strongly pitted. 

 In sandy dry soil, southern New Jersey to Pennsylvania, Illinois and Kansas, south to Florida, 

 Texas and Mexico, extending into South America. May -June. Naturalized in Vermont. 



OEnothera laciniata grandis Britton. 



OE. sinuata\zx.grandiflora S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 8: 581. 1873. Not OE.grandifiora Ait. 1789. 

 OEnothera sinuata grandis Britton, Mem. Torr. Club, 5; 358. 1894. 



Similar to the species, but the leaves more 

 prominently toothed and the flowers 2'-2j4' broad. 

 Missouri and Kansas, south to Texas. 



3. OEnothera rhombipetala Nutt. 

 Rhombic Evening-Primrose. (Fig. 2583.) 



OEnothera rhombipetala Nutt.; T. & G. Fl. N. A. 

 1:493. 1840. 



Erect, simple or rarely branched, finely and 

 densely appressed pubescent, 2-4 high. 

 Leaves linear-lanceolate, sessile and rounded at 

 the base or the lower narrowed into petioles, 

 acuminate at the apex, remotely denticulate, 2'- 

 4' long; flowers spicate, terminal, leafy -bracted, 

 yellow, nocturnal, i / -2 / broad; calyx-lobes lin- 

 ear, reflexed, canescent, shorter than the very 

 slender tube; petals rhombic-obovate; capsule 

 columnar, curved upward, pubescent, 6 // -8 // 

 long, about \" thick; seeds obovoid, tuberculate 

 at the top. 



On prairies, Minnesota to Indiana, Nebraska and 

 the Indian Territory. June-July. 



