Onagraceae

Oenothera caespitosa

Stemless Evening Primrose

Flat rosette of leaves, spreading flower stems. Leaves linear to narrowly oval, irregularly toothed or lobed, central vein and short petiole often tinted red. Flowers showy, white, petals to 2 in. long and wide, deeply divided at tip giving petal the appearance of a heart. Flowers open after sunset, stay open until bright morning sun, turn red with age. Flowers lack stalks, ovary attached directly to roots. Seed capsules persist many years at base under leaves. Grows in sagebrush-steppe, talus slopes, pine forests, at low to high elevations. Rare in Washington.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 3--9 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe
• Found In: Great Basin, Steens
• Native: Yes