Oenothera tetraptera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oenothera tetraptera |
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Scientific classification | |
Genus: |
Oenothera
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Species: |
tetraptera
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The fourwing evening primrose (scientific name: Oenothera tetraptera) is a beautiful flowering plant. It's part of the evening primrose family. This plant is originally from the Americas. However, you can now find it growing naturally in many other parts of the world. These include southern Africa, Europe, Asia, and even Oceania.
About the Fourwing Evening Primrose
The fourwing evening primrose was first officially named by a Spanish botanist named Antonio José Cavanilles. He described the plant in 1796. This plant can be an annual, meaning it lives for one year. It can also be a short-lived perennial, which means it lives for a few years.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant usually grows to be about 15 to 50 centimeters (6 to 20 inches) tall. Its flowers are white and have four petals. These pretty flowers open up around sunset. Each petal can grow up to 3.8 centimeters (1.5 inches) long. As the flowers get older, their color changes from white to a lovely pinkish-purple.
The fruit of the fourwing evening primrose is a small, hairy capsule. It's shaped like an egg, wider at the top. This fruit is about 7 to 18 millimeters long. It has special "wings" on its sides, which are about 2 to 3 millimeters wide. The plant gets its name, "fourwing," from these unique wings on its fruit.
Where Does It Grow?
Even though the fourwing evening primrose started in the Americas, it has spread widely. It can now be found in many different places. This shows how adaptable and strong this plant is. It can grow in various environments around the world.