Oenothera wolfii facts for kids

The Wolf's evening primrose (scientific name: Oenothera wolfii) is a special and rare flowering plant. It belongs to the evening primrose family. You can find it growing along the coasts of southern Oregon and northern California. It likes places like grassy coastal areas, sand dunes, and forests near the ocean.

Wolf's Evening Primrose: A Rare Plant

This plant is quite unique. It's known for its beautiful yellow flowers. The Wolf's evening primrose is considered rare. In 1997, scientists knew of only about 16 places where it grew. This makes it a very important plant to protect.

What Does It Look Like?

The Wolf's evening primrose is a hairy plant. It grows for two years, which means it is a biennial herb. In its first year, it forms a thick circle of leaves close to the ground. This is called a rosette.

Later, a straight stem grows up to about one meter (about 3 feet) tall. Its leaves can be up to 18 centimeters (about 7 inches) long. They often have wavy or slightly toothed edges.

Life Cycle and Flowers

In its second year, the plant starts to bloom. It grows a tall spike of bright yellow flowers. Each flower has petals that are one or two centimeters long. These flowers are quite showy and pretty. After the flowers fade, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is a long capsule, which can be almost 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) long. Inside the capsule are the plant's seeds.

Why Is It Rare?

One of the biggest challenges for the Wolf's evening primrose is its close relative. This relative is called Oenothera glazioviana. It is a common garden plant that has escaped into the wild. The two plants can easily cross-breed. When they do, they create hybrids.

This mixing of genes is a problem for the rare O. wolfii. It means fewer pure Wolf's evening primrose plants are growing. The hybrids start to outnumber the original rare plants. This makes it harder for the pure O. wolfii to survive in the wild. Protecting its unique genes is very important for its future.