Oenothera canescens

Torrey & Frémont in J. C. Fremont

Rep. Exped. Rocky Mts., 315. 1845.

Synonyms: Gaurella canescens (Torrey & Frémont) A. Nelson Megapterium canescens (Torrey & Frémont) Britton Oenothera guttulata Geyer ex Hooker
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.
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Herbs low, forming clumps 10–50 cm diam., densely strigillose throughout; from a taproot, lateral roots producing adventitious shoots. Stems many-branched from base, leafy, (10–)15–25(–38) cm. Leaves cauline, (0.3–)0.6–1.5(–2.5) × (0.05–)0.15–0.4(–0.6) cm, fascicles of small leaves 0.2–0.6 cm often present in non-flowering axils; petiole 0–0.1 cm; blade lanceolate to linear, base cuneate, apex acute. Flowers several opening per day near sunset; buds usually without free tips, rarely free tips 0.2–0.3 mm; sepals (7–)8–12 mm; petals pink, rarely white, streaked or flecked with red, fading bright purple, (8–)10–17 mm; filaments 6–8 mm, anthers often with red longitudinal stripe, 3–6 mm; style (16–)22–27 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis. Capsules woody, ovoid, narrowly winged, wings 0.8–1.5 mm wide, (7–)9–12(–14) × 2–4 mm (excluding wings), abruptly constricted to a conspic­uous, sterile beak, (2–)3–4.5 mm, indehiscent; sessile. Seeds asymmetrically cuneiform or oblanceoloid, 1.2–1.5 × 0.4–0.5 mm. 2n = 14.


Phenology: Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat: Prairie depressions, playas, margins of ditches, temporary wet areas.
Elevation: (400–)700–1800 m.

Distribution

Colo., Kans., Nebr., N.Mex., Okla., Tex., Wyo.

Discussion

Oenothera canescens is restricted to prairie depres­sions, playas, ditch margins, and other places of temporary water in the High Plains of the western United States from Goshen County, Wyoming, south­east to Hayes County, Nebraska, south through eastern Colorado, the eastern tier of counties in New Mexico, western Kansas, and to Garza and Dawson counties in the Texas Panhandle; also disjunct populations from Chautauqua, Sedgwick, and Stafford counties, Kansas.

The illegitimate names Gaurella guttulata (Geyer ex Hooker) Small, G. canescens (Torrey & Frémont) Cockerell, and Gauropsis guttulata (Geyer ex Hooker) Cockerell pertain here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Oenothera canescens"
Warren L. Wagner +
Torrey & Frémont in J. C. Fremont +
Oenothera subg. Gauropsis +
Colo. +, Kans. +, Nebr. +, N.Mex. +, Okla. +, Tex. +  and Wyo. +
(400–)700–1800 m. +
Prairie depressions, playas, margins of ditches, temporary wet areas. +
Flowering May–Aug. +
Rep. Exped. Rocky Mts., +
Gaurella canescens +, Megapterium canescens +  and Oenothera guttulata +
Oenothera canescens +
Oenothera sect. Gauropsis +
species +