What is a Dune Primrose
Overview
Oenothera deltoides (O. deltoides) is a species of evening primrose known by several common names, including birdcage evening primrose, basket evening primrose, lion in a cage, and devil’s lantern. This flower is native to the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy habitats from desert to beach. There are five subspecies., with the Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose (ssp. howellii), is a federally listed endangered species known from a few sandy spots in the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge just inland from the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The Oenothera caespitosa – known as the Tufted Evening Primrose, Desert Eventing Primrose, Rock-Rose Primrose, and the Fragrant Evening Primrose – is very similar, but lacks stems and has slightly larger flowers.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Rosids
- Order: Myrtales
- Family: Onagraceae
- Genus: Oenothera
- Species: O. deltoides
Size and Body Description
The plant is grayish with basal, deltoid leaves. The large white flowers turn pinkish as they mature. When the plants die, the stems curl upward and form the “birdcage” for which the common name is derived.
Comments
Resources Used
Below is a transcription of the above sign found at the Valley of Fire Visitor Center.