Oenothera perennis L.
perennial sundrops (little evening-primrose)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
perennial sundrops (little evening-primrose)
Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Photograph
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a slender taproot; stems erect, simple or branched, finely hairy, 20-60 cm tall.
Leaves:
Oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 2.5-5 cm long, essentially entire, fine appressed-hairy to nearly glabrous; short-stalked.
Flowers:
Inflorescence in short, leafy-bracted, glandular-hairy, few-flowered, terminal spikes, the axis and tip drooping in bud, eventually straightening, opening in morning; hypanthium 2-4 mm long; petals heart-shaped, 4-8 mm long, yellow; sepals often reddish, linear lanceolate, 5-8 mm long, bent back.
Fruits:
Capsules, club-shaped, 1-2 cm long, erect, glabrous, somewhat wing-angled; unstalked or short-stalked.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Mesic grassy places and forest edges in the montane zone; rare in SE BC, known recently only from Moyie Lake; introduced from E North America.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Kneiffia perennis (L.) Pennell
Kneiffia pumila (L.) Spach
Oenothera perennis var. rectipilis (S.F. Blake) S.F. Blake
Oenothera perennis var. typica Munz