Oenothera elata

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Oenothera elata
Oenothera elata hookeri 3.jpg
Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Oenothera
Species:
O. elata
Binomial name
Oenothera elata
Subspecies [2]
  • O. e. subsp. elata
  • O. e. subsp. hirsutissima
  • O. e. subsp. hookeri

Oenothera elata is a species of Oenothera known by the common name Hooker's evening primrose or tall evening primrose. Subspecies include hookeri, hirsutissima, longisima, jamesii, villosa and elata. [3] It is native to much of western and central North America. The plants are quite tall, especially the hookeri subspecies, native to California, which can reach about 1.8 meters (6 feet) height. [4] The plants are found along roadsides, in moist meadows, or in woodland, from sea level up to 9,000 ft (2,700 m) in elevation. [5]

Contents

Description

The stout, usually reddish stem has many long, narrow leaves, above a basal rosette. At its top is a large, open cluster of 2- to 4-inch wide yellow flowers with 4 large petals and protruding yellow stamens and 4-branched pistil, often covered in sticky pollen. The fragrant flowers open at dusk and wilt the next morning, turning orange or red. [5]

Taxonomy

Oenothera elata was scientifically described and given its accepted name by Carl Sigismund Kunth in 1823. [2] It has 50 synonyms of the species or one of its three subspecies according to Plants of the World Online. [2] [6] [7] [8]

Table of Synonyms
NameYearRankSynonym of:Notes
Oenothera biennis f. hookeri(Torr. & A.Gray) B.Boivin1966formsubsp. hookeri≡ hom.
Oenothera biennis var. hirsutissimaA.Gray ex S.Watson1873varietysubsp. hirsutissima≡ hom.
Oenothera biennis var. hookeri(Torr. & A.Gray) B.Boivin1967varietysubsp. hookeri≡ hom.
Oenothera communis var. hookeri(Torr. & A.Gray) H.Lév.1909varietysubsp. hookeri≡ hom.
Oenothera corymbosaSims1818speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het., nom. illeg.
Oenothera elata var. hirsutissima(A.Gray) Cronquist1997varietysubsp. hirsutissima≡ hom.
Oenothera elata subsp. texensisW.Dietr. & W.L.Wagner1987subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera franciscanaBartlett1914speciessubsp. hookeri= het.
Oenothera grisea(Bartlett) Rostański1985speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het., nom. illeg.
Oenothera guttata(Greene ex R.R.Gates) R.R.Gates1933speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het., nom. illeg.
Oenothera hewettiiCockerell1919speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hirsutissima(A.Gray ex S.Watson) de Vries1901speciessubsp. hirsutissima≡ hom.
Oenothera hookeriTorr. & A.Gray1840speciessubsp. hookeri≡ hom.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. angustifolia(R.R.Gates) Munz1949subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri var. angustifoliaR.R.Gates1915varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. euhookeriMunz1949subspeciessubsp. hookeri≡ hom., not validly publ.
Oenothera hookeri var. euhookeriMunz1949varietysubsp. hookeri≡ hom., not validly publ.
Oenothera hookeri var. franciscana(Bartlett) R.R.Gates1957varietysubsp. hookeri= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. grisea(Bartlett) Munz1949subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. hewettiiCockerell1913subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri var. hewettii(Cockerell) R.R.Gates1957varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. hirsutissima(A.Gray ex S.Watson) Munz1949subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima≡ hom.
Oenothera hookeri var. hirsutissima(A.Gray ex S.Watson) Munz1939varietysubsp. hirsutissima≡ hom.
Oenothera hookeri var. irrigua(Wooton & Standl.) R.R.Gates1915varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. montereyensisMunz1949subspeciessubsp. hookeri= het.
Oenothera hookeri var. montereyensis(Munz) Hoover1970varietysubsp. hookeri= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. ornata(A.Nelson) Munz1949subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri var. ornata(A.Nelson) Munz1949varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri var. semiglabraR.R.Gates1915varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri var. simsiana(Ser.) R.R.Gates1957varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera hookeri subsp. venusta(Bartlett) Munz1949subspeciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera irriguaWooton & Standl.1913speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera jepsoniiGreene1891speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera macbrideae(A.Nelson) A.Heller1913speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera macbrideae var. ornata(A.Nelson) R.R.Gates1957varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera montereyensis(Munz) Rostański1985speciessubsp. hookeri= het.
Oenothera ornata(A.Nelson) Rydb.1913speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera salicifoliaDesf. ex Lehm.1824speciessubsp. elata= het., nom. illeg.
Oenothera simsianaSer.1828speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera spectabilisSpach1835speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het., nom. illeg.
Oenothera venustaBartlett1914speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Oenothera venusta var. griseaBartlett1914varietysubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Onagra elata(Kunth) Bartl.1838speciesO. elata≡ hom.
Onagra guttataGreene ex R.R.Gates1915speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Onagra hookeri(Torr. & A.Gray) Small1896speciessubsp. hookeri≡ hom.
Onagra kunthianaSpach1835speciessubsp. elata= het.
Onagra macbrideaeA.Nelson1911speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Onagra ornataA.Nelson1911speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Onagra salicifoliaSpach1835speciessubsp. elata= het.
Onagra spectabilisSpach1835speciessubsp. hirsutissima= het.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym  ; = heterotypic synonym

Uses

The Zuni people apply a poultice of the powdered flower of the hookeri subspecies and saliva at night to swellings. [9]

References

  1. NatureServe (5 September 2025). "Oenothera elata". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Oenothera elata Kunth". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  3. "Oenothera elata". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. "Botanica. The Illustrated AZ of over 10000 garden plants and how to cultivate them", p. 612. Könemann, 2004. ISBN   3-8331-1253-0
  5. 1 2 Laird R. Blackwell (2002). Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierra and Adjoining Mojave Desert and Great Basin. Lone Pine Publishing. ISBN   978-1-55105-281-6.
  6. "Oenothera elata subsp. elata". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  7. "Oenothera elata subsp. hirsutissima (A.Gray) W.Dietr". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  8. "Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri (Torr. & A.Gray) W.Dietr. & W.L.Wagner". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  9. Camazine, Scott; Bye, Robert A. (1980). "A Study Of The Medical Ethnobotany Of The Zuni Indians of New Mexico". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2 (4): 365–388 [377]. doi:10.1016/s0378-8741(80)81017-8. PMID   6893476.

Further reading