Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Perennial with several slender, simple or branched stems 10-50 cm long, ascending or erect, finely stiff hairs, occasionally a few spreading hairs on lower stems.

Leaves: Distant, oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 25 cm long, entire to sinuate-dentate or pinnatifid, upper ones reduced.

Flowers: Slender racemes, hypanthium 4-8 mm long, slender, stiff hairs-canescent outside, puerulent within, sepals ovate-acuminate, 5-8 mm long, petals rose to red-violet, 5-10 mm long, broadly obovate.

Fruits: Obovoid capsule, 8-10 mm long, 3-4 mm diameter, pedicel-like stipe 5-20 mm long, hollow, ribbed.

Ecology: Found on plains, stream banks, hillsides, and in river bottoms from 1,000-5,500 ft (305-1676 m); flowers April-August.

Notes: Occasionally flowers November; similar to O. speciosa, which differs by having larger more deeply pinnatifid leaves and nodding rather than erect buds.

Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other Oenothera species have wide usage.

Etymology: Oenothera is from Greek oinos, wine and thera, to imbibe, rosea refers to rose. 

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010