Prairie Sundrops, Meadow Evening Primrose, Oenothera pilosella Raf., Naturalized Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Meadow Evening Primrose). The Evening Primrose's are generally known for flowers that close during daylight hours. This species that are "sundrops" have flowers open during the day. This plant has the crossed shaped stigma in the center of the flower and leaves that are entire, mostly stalkless and alternate. While not as tall as the Common Evening Primrose, O. biennis L., the stems have long hairs, the flowers are not nodding and the yellow petals are notched at the tip. The seed capsule that forms after the flower fades, tapers toward the base, unlike the Common Evening Primrose O. biennis L. where it enlarges. The genus name Oenothera, comes from two Greek words, oinos for "wine" and thera for "a hunt". This is an old name give by Theophrastus (371-286 BC), a pupil of ARISTOTLE and the first important botanist of antiquity, to an unidentified plant, whose roots when found, when eaten, and were said to establish a desire for wine - others say it would do away with the effects of wine. Pilosella is from pilosus for "hairy" and from ella for "a little" meaning "a little hairy, referring to the hairs on the plant stem.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Prairie Sundrops	Oenothera pilosella Raf.	Evening Primrose	Upland	Early to Late Summer
Other names and notes	(Meadow Evening Primrose). The Evening Primrose's are generally known for flowers that close during daylight hours. This species that are "sundrops" have flowers open during the day. This plant has the crossed shaped stigma in the center of the flower and leaves that are entire, mostly stalkless and alternate. While not as tall as the Common Evening Primrose, O. biennis L., the stems have long hairs, the flowers are not nodding and the yellow petals are notched at the tip. The seed capsule that forms after the flower fades, tapers toward the base, unlike the Common Evening Primrose O. biennis L. where it enlarges. The genus name Oenothera, comes from two Greek words, oinos for "wine" and thera for "a hunt". This is an old name give by Theophrastus (371-286 BC), a pupil of ARISTOTLE and the first important botanist of antiquity, to an unidentified plant, whose roots when found, when eaten, and were said to establish a desire for wine - others say it would do away with the effects of wine. Pilosella is from pilosus for "hairy" and from ella for "a little" meaning "a little hairy, referring to the hairs on the plant stem.