California evening primrose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California evening primrose |
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| Oenothera californica subsp. avita | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Oenothera
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| Species: |
californica
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The California evening primrose (scientific name: Oenothera californica) is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the evening primrose family. This plant is known for its lovely white flowers that often turn pink as they get older.
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Where the California Evening Primrose Lives
This plant naturally grows in southern and western California. You can also find it in the Southwestern United States and Baja California, Mexico. It likes to live in two main types of places:
In the deserts, it grows in places like the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and Great Basin Desert.
In chaparral and woodlands, you can find it in areas such as the southern California Coast Ranges, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Transverse Ranges, the Channel Islands, and the Peninsular Ranges.
What the Plant Looks Like
The California evening primrose is a plant that lives for many years. It grows stems that can spread out or stand upright, reaching up to about 80 centimeters (31 inches) long.
When the plant is young, its leaves grow in a circle close to the ground. As it gets older, leaves grow along the stem. These leaves are shaped like a spear or are almost oval. They can be up to 6 centimeters (2.4 inches) long.
The flowers grow from the upper parts of the plant where the leaves meet the stem. When they are just buds, they hang down. But when they open, they stand up straight. Each flower has four white petals. These petals can be more than 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) long. Over time, the white petals often change to a pretty pink color.
Different Kinds of California Evening Primrose
There are three main types, or subspecies, of the California evening primrose:
- Oenothera californica ssp. avita: This type grows in desert areas.
- Oenothera californica ssp. californica: This type is found in eastern and Southern California.
- Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis: This is known as the Eureka Dunes evening primrose.
The Rare Eureka Dunes Evening Primrose
The Oenothera californica ssp. eurekensis, also called the Eureka Dunes evening primrose, is a very rare plant. It is listed as an endangered species by the government. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever.
This special plant only grows in a few spots in the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes. These dunes are in Inyo County, eastern California. It often grows next to another rare plant from the same area, the Eureka Valley dune grass.
The Eureka Valley Sand Dunes are located inside Death Valley National Park. In the past, one of the biggest dangers to the Eureka Dunes evening primrose was certain human activities that disturbed its habitat. Now, this threat has been reduced, and the plant's numbers have improved. However, it is still at risk from other human actions and from an invasive plant called Prickly Russian thistle.
Because of the efforts to protect it, the plant's population has gotten better. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has even suggested that it might be removed from the endangered species list soon!
