494 



ONAGRACEAE. 



[Voi,. II. 



above; stigmas filiform. Capsules ovoid-pyramidal, sessile, attenuate into a curved beak, 

 sharply 4-angled, the faces swollen. Seeds obovoid, angled, delicately striate. [Diminutive 

 of Gaura.] 



A monotypic genus of the west-central United States. 



i. Gaurella guttulata (Geyer) Small. Spotted Primrose. (Fig. 2598.) 



OEnothera canescensTorr. Frem. Rep. 315. 1845. 



Not OE. biennisv&r. canescens T. & G. 1840. 

 OEnothera guttulata Geyer; Hook. L,ond. 



Journ. Bot. 6: 222. 1847. 

 Gaurella gutlulata Small, Bull. Torr. Club, 23: 



183. 1896. 



Diffusely branched from near or at the 

 base, 4 / -S / high, canescent with appressed 

 hairs, the branches decumbent or ascending. 

 Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, nearly 

 sessile and narrowed at the base, obtusish at 

 the apex, 4"-8" long, i>^ // -2 // wide, repand- 

 denticulate or entire; flowers axillary, white 

 or pink, <) tf -\i fr wide; calyx-lobes lanceolate, 

 canescent, the tube longer than the ovary; 

 petals obovate, entire; capsule ovate, canes- 

 cent, 4 // ~5 // long, angled, not winged, ses- 

 sile; seeds angled, slipper-shaped. 



Prairies, Nebraska to New Mexico. June-Sept. 



15. MEGAPTERIUM Spach, Hist. Veg. 4: 363. 1835. 



Low perennial herbs with stout sparingly branched stems. Leaves numerous, alternate, 

 narrow, entire or slightly toothed. Flowers perfect, few, but large and showy, axillary, 

 yellow. Calyx-tube much elongated, dilated toward the throat; calyx-segments narrow, the 

 tips free in the bud. Petals 4, spreading. Stamens 8, the alternate ones longer; filaments 

 filiform; anthers linear. Ovary 4-celled, 4-angled or 4- winged; united styles filiform; stigma 

 4-cleft; ovules few, sessile in rows. Capsules broadly 4- winged. Seeds few, crested. 

 [Greek, broad-winged.] 



About 3 species, in North America and Mexico. 



1. M. Missouriense. 



2. M. Frcmontii. 



Flowers 3' -6' broad; capsules suborbicular, 2' -a'4' long. 

 Flowers I'-a* broad; capsules oblong, ^"-14" long. 



i. Megapterium Missouriense 

 (Sims) Spach. Missouri Prim- 

 rose. (Fig. 2599.) 



OEnothera Missouriensis Sims. Bot Mag. 



pi. 1592. 1814. 

 OEnothera macrocarfra Pursh, Fl. Amer. 



Sept. 734. 1814. 

 Megapterium Missouriense Spach, Hist. 



Veg. 4:364. 1835. 



Tufted, stems decumbent or ascending, 

 finely and densely canescent, 6 / -i2 / long. 

 Leaves thick, linear-lanceolate or oblong- 

 lanceolate, acuminate or acute at the apex, 

 narrowed at the base into a slender petiole, 

 or the uppermost nearly sessile, entire or re- 

 motely denticulate, 2 / -6 / long, 2 // -8 // wide; 

 flowers axillary, yellow, 3 '-6' broad; calyx- 

 lobes broadly lanceolate, spreading, the tube 

 2 / -6 / long, 6-12 times the length of the 

 ovary; capsule short-stalked, nearly orbicu- 

 lar, very broadly winged, finely canescent, 

 or glabrate when mature, i'-3 7 long; seeds 

 with an incised crest. 



In dry soil, Missouri and Nebraska to 

 Texas. May-July. 



