Oenothera deltoides

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Oenothera deltoides

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtales
Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Oenothera
Species: O. deltoides
Binomial name
Oenothera deltoides

Oenothera deltoides, also known as Birdcage Primrose or Dune Primrose, is a desert plant with large, white, papery thin flowers.

[edit] Description

The plant is grayish with basal and deltoid shaped leaves. The flowers turn pinkish as they mature. The plants thrive in desert areas of the Southwestern United States in sandy areas. When the plants die, the stems curl upward and form the "birdcage" for which the common name is derived.

This annual plant flowers in April and May in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

[edit] References

  • Roadside plants of Southern California. Thomas J. Belzer. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1984.