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Comments are encouraged and appreciated. We are amateur botanist, and we do make mistakes sometimes with our identifications. We strive to make this a good identifying resource. All comments are moderated by me and may take several days to appear. This is due to the high number of inappropriate comments that have nothing to do with this subject.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Three Lobed Evening Primrose (Oenothera triloba)

Three Lobed Evening Primrose is also known as Stemless Evening-Primrose.

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant which can reach 20cm in height (8inches). The plant has almost no erect stem.

Leaves: The leaves are alternate. Each leaf is lobed. The leaves are all low to the ground.

Flowers: The flowers have 4 Regular Parts and are up to 4.5cm wide (1.75 inches). They are yellow. 
Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into early summer.

Fruit: Woody, four sided capsules in a tight group directly on the ground

Habitat: Dry open areas and lawns.

Range: From southern New England southwest to Texas and Oklahoma.

Lore: The flowers of this plant are timed to open for their nocturnal pollinators, which include the Sphinx Moths.

Similar Species: Bigfruit Evening-primrose, Oenothera macrocarpa AKA Missouri Evening-Primrose (O. Missouriensis) is similar but has leaves that are entire.
Showy Evening-Primrose or Pinkladies (O. Speciosa) has pink or white flowers and has escaped cultivation (considered native to North America) and is now found throughout the southern states.
Most other Evening-Primroses in our area are taller.

Reference: 2bnThewild.com

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