166 THE LADIES' FLOWER-GARDEN 
GENUS I. 
OENOTHERA, Lin. THE EVENING PRIMROSE. 
Lin. Syst. OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
Generic Chaiuctuu— Limb of calyx foui^parted. PetalB four. Capsule oblong-lioear, bluntly tetragonal or clavatej foor-celled. Seeds 
naked. (G. Don.) 
Descbiption, &c. — The name of Oenothera signifies an incentive to wine- drinking; and it alludes to the 
custom which formeriy prevailed, of eating the roots of (Enothera biennis with wine, in the same manner as 
Olives are now. The perennial species, or true Evening Primroses, have all yellow or white flowers ; and they all 
close their flowers during the middle of the day, opening them only when the sun has set, or the sky become 
cloudy. The species are all hardy, and most of them are natives of North America. 
1.— (ENOTHERA BIENNIS, Lin. THE BIENNIAL, OR COMMON EVENING PRIMROSE. 
Engiuting.— Eng. Bot. t. 1534. 
Specific Cbaractek. — Stem erect, branched ; radical leaves oblong- 
lanceolate, cauline ones ovate'lanceolate, toothed, pubescent ; petals 
hardly obcordate, exceeding the stamens ; lobes of stigma linear and 
tliickish J capsule nearly cylindrical, thickest at the base ; valyes either 
entire or bifid, opening at the apex. (G. Don.) 
Dkscription, &c. — Tlie flowers of this plant are large, pale yellow, and very fragrant ; the stem is strong, 
and grows from two feet to four feet high ; and the roots are tuberous and eatable. The plant is a native of 
North America, and hence it is sometimes called the Virginian Tree Primrose ; but it is also found wild in 
England, particularly in Lincolnshire. It is a biennial, and is propagated by seeds. 
2.— (ENOTHERA SPECIOSA, Nutt. THE SHOWY EVENING PRIMROSE. 
Ehgiuving. — Swt. Brit. Flow. Gard. t. 253. I pinnatifid, nerved, pubescent beneath ; flowers subracetnose, tuceme 
Specific Chauacter. — Plant puburulous ; stem suffruticose ; leaves j naked, at first drooping; petals obcordate, equal in length to the 
oblong-lanceolate, attenuated at both ends, serrated, and somewhat | stamens; capsule obovate, angular. 
Description, &c. — A very handsome species, with large white flowers, which turn red as they fade. A 
native of North America ; introduced in 1821. The plant grows two or three feet high. It is quite hardy, and 
is propagated by division of the root. 
3.— OENOTHERA PALLIDA, Lind. THE PALE-FLOWERED EVENING PRIMROSE. 
Engravings. — Bot. Reg, t. 1142 ; and om fig. 4 in Plate 39. I glabrous ; petals retnse, crenulated, exceeding the stamens; capsules 
Specific Character. — Roots creeping ; stems ascending; branched, cylindrical, twisted. (^G. Don.) 
glabrous; leaveslinear-lanceolate, acuminated, quite entire or toothed, | , 
Description, &c. — A beautiful species, with white flowers, delicately tinged with pink, and slightly yellow 
at the base. The plant is a native of North America, and it is found in great abundance in the dry sandy soil 
to the west of the Rocky Mountains. It was introduced in 1826, and is quite hardy in British gardens, growing 
about a foot high, and flowering from June to September. 
4.— (ENOTHERA TARAXACIFOLIA, Sweet. THE DANDELION-LEAVED EVENING PRIMROSE. 
Synonyues. — (E. grandiflora, Ruiz ei Pavon ; (E. acaulis ^ ma- 
jor, Ser. 
Engravings. — Swt. Brit. Flow. Gard. t. 294 ; and our fig. 2 in 
Plate 39. 
Specific Craracter. — Stem branched, elongated, procumbent; leaves 
pubescent, alternate, interruptedly pinnatifid, sinuately toothed, but 
the apex entire ; tube of flowers very long ; petals large, obovate, 
entire, five-nerved ; anthers and stigmas shorter than the corolla ; cap- 
sules sessile, obovate, pubescent, tetragonal ; angles winged. (G. Don.) 
Description, &c. — This splendid species has very large white flowers, which assume a reddish hue when 
