Taxonomy
Family: Onagraceae
Habitat
Disturbed sandy soils.
Associates
Distribution
ME to SD, south to South America.
Morphology
Annual; stem simple or branched from the base, decumbent to erect, 10-40(-80 cm); leaves oblanceolate to oblong or lanceolate, 3-8 cm, tapering to the base, prominently sinuate-dentate to pinnatifid, green, sparsely puberulent to glabrous above; flowers few, sessil in the axils of the scarcely reduced upper leaves, not forming a distinct spike; hypanthium hirsute, 1.5-3.5 cm; sepals 6-12 mm, reflexed separately or connivent; petals 5-18 mm; fruit linear, straight or curved, 1.5-3.5 cm; seeds thick-ellipsoid, pale brown, pitted.
Notes
Flowers late May to October
Wetland indicator: FACU
Rather rare in the northeast, restricted to Long Island in NY and considered to be introduced in most states in New England.
References
Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY
Michael Hough © 2018 |