E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Oenothera pallida Lindl. subsp. pallida
pale evening-primrose
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants
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E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Oenothera pallida subsp. pallida
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a rhizome; stems very leafy, 10-50 cm tall, simple to branched at base; glabrous to greyish-stiff-hairy, whitish bark peeling.
Leaves:
Linear to linear lanceolate, 2-6 cm long, mostly less than 5 (10) mm wide, entire to sharp-toothed, sometimes with 1 or more conspicuous toothlike lobes near base; gradually narrowed to stalks, 5-15 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of several to many, long-stalked, fragrant flowers in very leafy spikes, the buds nodding, opening in the evening; hypanthium 1.5-3.5 cm long, usually pink to purplish, glabrous to stiff-hairy, not glandular; petals egg-shaped, 1.5-3 cm long, tips rounded to notched, white, aging pinkish; sepals 1-2 cm long, mostly joined and turned to one side in flower; stamens about equalling petals in length, the anthers 6-10 mm long; styles about equalling the petals in length; stigma lobes 4, linear, 4-6 mm long.
Fruits:
Capsules, linear, 2-3 mm thick at the base, tapered to tip, usually arched upward, 1.5-3.5 cm long.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry sandy slopes and banks in the steppe zone; infrequent in S BC east of the Coast-Cascade Mountains; S to ID, AZ and NM.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Oenothera pallida var. idahoensis Munz
Oenothera pallida var. typica Munz

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References