Oenothera caespitosa
 
Gumbo Evening-Primrose

Flower Top in Ground

Buffalograss Provincial Ecological Reserve
23-May-2009

Note the four petals, eight stamens, and four-lobed stigma.

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Caespitosa: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora and Flora of Alberta leading to this species. 
bulletplants lacking leafy stems, leaves forming a rosette; NOT [plants with leafy stems]
bulletpetals more than 20 or 25 mm long; NOT [petals less than 20 or 25 mm long]
bulletpetals white, aging to pink; NOT [petals yellow, aging to pink]
bulletstigma with 4 linear lobes; NOT [stigma capitate]
bulletcapsule with double crests at angles; NOT [capsule narrowly winged at angles] (BF)
bulletcapsules NOT winged; NOT [capsules distinctly wing-margined] (FOA)

 

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Oenothera: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  and Flora of Alberta leading to this genus. 
bullethypanthium prolonged beyond the ovary
bulletflower parts in 4’s; NOT [flower parts in 2’s]
bulletsepals commonly reflexed; NOT [sepals erect]
bulletpetals yellow, white or pink; NOT [petals purplish]
bulletanthers attached near their middle, usually versatile; NOT [anthers attached near their base, erect]
bulletovary 4-loculed; NOT [ovary2-loculed]
bulletfruit a capsule; NOT [fruit nut-like]
bulletfruit opening by valves; NOT [fruit indehiscent]
bulletfruit opening with 4 valves; NOT [capsules opening with 2 valves]
bulletfruit NOT covered with hooks; NOT [fruit covered with hooked bristles]
bulletseeds lacking a coma; NOT [seeds with a tuft of hairs (coma) at one end]
bulletfruit many-seeded; NOT [fruit 1-seeded]

 

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Onagraceae: Answers to key questions in Budd's Flora  leading to this family. 
bulletherbs; NOT [shrubs or trees]
bulletplants terrestrial; NOT [plants aquatic; leaves submerged or floating], NOT [mud plants with small axillary flowers]
bulletplants NOT with colored milky juice
bulletplants with more than one normal leaf
bulletleaves without stipules, or having glands; NOT [leaves with stipules]
bulletplants without large petal-like bracts; NOT [plants with an involucre of 4 petal-like bracts]
bulletflowers with two floral rings, and with each petal distinct from the others]
bulletparts of flowers in twos or fours; NOT [parts of flowers mostly in fives]
bulletcalyx regular; NOT [calyx irregular, some sepals smaller than others]
bulletstamens 10 or fewer; NOT [stamens usually more than 10]
bulletstyles single; NOT [styles 2 or more]
bulletovary inferior; NOT [ovary superior]