Oenothera elata Kunth ssp. hirsutissima (A. Gray ex Wats.) Dietrich   = O. hookeri   Onagraceae (Evening-Primrose Family)   Native   Hooker's Evening Primrose

                                       May Photo

Plant Characteristics: Biennial, +/- branched below, mostly 1-1.5 m. high, erect to ascending, freely branched, muricate-hirsute, strigose and with or without glandular hairs in the region of the inflorescence; fl. tube +/- 4 cm. long; sepals +/- 2 cm. long, reddish  on outer surface, some hairs papillose, scattered villous; petals 4, bright yellow, 2.5 cm. long; caps. mostly +/-2.5 cm. long,  6-7 mm. wide at base, glandular puberulent; seeds +/- 2 mm. long, 1 mm. wide.  (my description).

Habitat:  Moist places; western U.S., Wash. s. to n. L. Calif.; Colo., Kansas, Oklahoma, w. Texas and Mexico.  Werner Deitrich and Warren L. Wagner  "A New Combination and New Subspecies In Oenothera Elata Kunth (Onagraceae)"  Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 74: 151-152. 1987.

Name:  Greek, meaning wine-scenting, a name given to some unknown plant once used for that purpose.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 613).  Oenothera is from Greek, oinus, meaning "wine" and thera, meaning "to imbibe" because an allied European plant was thought to induce a taste for wine.  (Dale 143).  Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) was the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in the mid-19th century.  He expanded the gardens, sent numerous botanists to many parts of the world and wrote several botanical works.  (Dale 143).  Latin, elatus, elevated or raised.  Referring probably to the height of the plant.  Latin, hirsutissimas, superlative of hirsutis, meaning most hairy.  (John Johnson).

General:  Rare in the study area having been found only once and this in 1988 in the moist area near the slow moving stream which flows through the 23rd St. area.  In 1989, there was another plant about twenty feet from the first, however, the first location failed to produce new specimens.        The new subspecies O. elata ssp. hirsutissima  as described in Jepson, solved a  problem for me as I was unable to determine whether my specimen was O. hookeri ssp. grisea or O. hookeri ssp. venusta.  My specimen fits nicely into the new ssp. hirsutissima.  (my comments).       The seeds of Boisduvalia, of Godetia, and of Oenothera occasionally occur as impurities in commercial samples of wheat, oats and barley.  (Robbins, et al. 312).       Members of this family are widely distributed over the world, but are well represented in America.  Most of them are herbs, a few, shrubs.  A number of species are found in gardens and hot-houses as ornamentals, such as certain of the evening primroses (Oenothera), fuchsias, and godetias.  In our flora species of Epilobium, Clarkia, Godetia and Oenothera are particularly well represented.  (Robbins et al. 312).        All Evening Primroses open suddenly with a quick motion that some claim can not only be seen but actually heard.  O. hookeri usually has closed petals until sundown when it opens and releases its perfume.  The large, lovely blossoms and sweet fragrance are designed to attract moth pollinators.  (Dale 143).      The herb possesses diuretic function and both root and herb have a sedative effect on some individuals.  It has a laxative effect and can suppress both skeletal and smooth muscle pain, particularly in the reproductive organs.  The leaves are serviceable as cooked greens and the root is a good boiled vegetable, particularly in first-year plants.  In foraging terms, this makes Evening Primrose one of the few widespread wild root vegetables in the West.  (Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West 75.)       Generally cross-pollinated.  Three subspecies, two in CA.  (Hickman, Ed. 803).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. III 193; Hickman, Ed. 803; Werner Dietrich and Warren L. Wagner, "A New Combination and New Subspecies in Oenothera elata Kunth (Onagraceae)"  Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden Vol. 74: 151-152. 1987.

Photo Ref:  May 2 88 # 15,16,17,18,19,23.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

First Found:  May 1988.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 375.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 11/20/04.  

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