Oenothera speciosa Nutt.   =Oenothera speciosa     var. childsii   Onagraceae (Evening Primrose Family)   Texas   Mexican Evening-primrose

                                         June Photo

Plant Characteristics: Perennial from a running rootstock, the stems 1-5 dm. high, erect to almost prostrate, mostly strigose, +/- villous; lvs. oblanceolate to obovate, the cauline 3-8 cm. long, oblong, the lower deeply pinnatifid, the upper sinuate-dentate to subentire; fls. in uppermost axils; buds nodding; fl. tube 1-2 cm. long; sepals lance-linear, acuminate, 1.5-3 cm. long; petals pink, 2.5-4 cm. long; caps. stout, 10-15 mm. long, the basal part cylindrical, 1.5-2 mm. thick, sterile, the upper part 2-5 mm. thick, fertile, +/- winged; seeds brown, asymmetrically obovoid, about 1 mm. long.

Habitat:  Occasional escape from cultivation.  Disturbed places below 500 m.  (Hickman, Ed. 804).  May-June.

Name:  Greek, Oenothera, meaning wine-scenting, a name given to some unknown plant once used for that purpose. (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 613).  Latin, speciosus, showy, brilliant. Childsii, named for John Lewis Childs who introduced the plant from Texas in 1892.  (Bailey 738).

General:  Rare in the study area with only two colonies known and these at 23rd St.  The plant blooms late in the season when the grasses have already died, this may be the reason I have not found it before as I usually have stopped looking in grassy areas after they die out.  ( my comments).      Hickman, Ed. includes var. childsii within O. speciosa.  (Hickman, Ed. 804). 

Text Ref:  Bailey 738; Hickman, Ed. 804; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 615.

Photo Ref:  Feb-May 98 # 23A,24A.

Identity: by John Johnson.

First Found:  May 1998.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 510.

Have plant specimen

Last edit 11/20/04.  

                                     May Photo                                                                       June photo