White Stem Evening Primrose - Oenothera albicaulis
East of Hillsboro, North of Percha Box, New Mexico
March 29, 2014
On May 15, 2014 we saw a number of Oenothera albicaulis, White Stem Evening Primrose blooming east of Hillsboro. Earlier in the season (March 29) we had seen them bloom in great profusion, photo right. Its other English Common names include Prairie Evening Primrose, Halfshrub Sundrop, Pale Evening-Primrose, and Whitest Evening-Primrose. Scientific synonyms include Anogra albicaulis and Oenothera ctenophylla.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation notes that this species is “recognized by pollinat
ion ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.”
Its range within the United States is depicted on the BONAP map to the right. The light color green indicates that the species is native to and common within the county specified. It is also found in the states of Chihuahua and Sonora (?) in Mexico.
The specimen shown below was collected by Edward Palmer in April 1908, near Chihuahua at an elevation of about 1800 meters.
The Zuni rubbed “the chewed blossoms on the bodies of young girls so that they can dance well and ensure rain.”
Oenothera albicaulis was originally described and published in Flora Americae Septentrionalis 2: 733. 1814 [1813]
