Family: Onagraceae
Common name: evening primrose family [Zomlefer, pp. 229-232]
Diversity: Worldwide: 18 genera; 650 species
U.S.: 13 genera
PNW (Hitchcock & Cronquist): 9 genera
Flower -- Vegetative Features -- Economic Importance -- Flower Images-- Web Sites


Flower
K4 Co4 S8 P
Sexuality: bisexual
Symmetry: actinomorphic
Inflorescence: raceme, spike, panicle, or solitary
Calyx (sepals): 4 separate, inserted on hypanthium
Corolla (petals): 4 (rarely 2 or absent) separate, often clawed
Androecium: 8 separate, biseriate (or 4, uniseriate), pollen often shed in tetrads, connected by viscin threads
Gynoecium: 4 united carpels, ovary inferior with hypanthium (=epigynous), single style
Fruit: capsule, (less common nutlet or berry)
Other features: hypanthium often tubular or campanulate (bell-shaped)
cytology well-studied for many w. N. American species


Vegetative Features
Leaves: alternate or opposite, simple, exstipulate
Life-history: perennial, also annual and biennial
Habit: herbs, rarely shrubs or trees
Distribution & Ecology: temperate and subtropical regions of both hemispheres
diversity in w. N. America
Some Northwest Genera: Epilobium, fireweed, willow herb
Clarkia, clarkia
Camissonia, evening primrose
Oenothera, evening primrose


Economic Importance
Crops:
Ornamentals: Fuchsia, fuchsia
Oenothera, evening primrose
Weedy and pest species: Oenothera spp.


Examples Clarkia
Epilobium
Oenothera
click on the genus name for a flower image



Links to Other Web Sites



Texas A & M Univ.
Image Gallery
A collection of images for plants in the Onagraceae, listed alphabetically by genus.