Oenothera longissima

Long-stem evening-primrose, Long-Stem Evening-Primrose

Family: Onagraceae · Type: biennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Long-stem evening-primrose is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native biennial found in the eastern desert mountains, specifically the New York Mountains, in seasonally moist creosote-bush scrub and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers that fade to red-orange, with large blossoms up to 6.5 centimeters long emerging from a distinctive spike. Growing with tall, erect stems reaching 6 to 30 decimeters in height, it develops with strigose hairs and characteristic red, bristle-like bases that give the plant a unique textural appearance. Its cauline leaves are narrowly oblanceolate to elliptic, measuring 5 to 22 centimeters long and ranging from nearly entire to slightly dentate. The fruit is a nearly cylindrical capsule 25 to 55 millimeters long, containing small, angled seeds with irregular pitting.

Habitat: Seasonally moist places in creosote-bush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 1000-1700 m

Bioregions: e DMtns (New York Mtns)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.