ŒNOTHERA triloba.

Dandelion-leaved Evening Primrose.

Class and Order.—Octandria Monogynia.

Syn. Œnothera triloba. Curt. Bot. Mag., pl. 2566.

Root biennial? spindle-shaped—leaves radical, lyrate, dentate, smooth, middle rib strong—flower radical, rising from amongst the bright green leaves—calyx tubular—four segments, lanceolate, acute—corolla pale delicate yellow—petals four, slightly trilobed, undulate—stamens eight—filaments shorter than the petals—anthers oblong, bright yellow—style a little longer than the stamens—stigma four-cleft—capsule radical, sessile, containing four cells.

The specific name of this very interesting plant was given by Professor Nuttal, in consequence of what he considered the three-lobed form of its petals; this is however so very slight as to be scarcely observable, and therefore perhaps ought not to be considered a specific distinction. It was discovered by the Professor in the Arkansas country, in 1819, and seeds were afterwards brought by that indefatigable traveller and naturalist, Mr. D. Douglas, from North America, in 1824. This plant, which has a succession of flowers throughout the Summer, is extremely liable to decay, if not kept dry in the Winter; but it may be raised from seed, or by parting the roots in Autumn, and keeping them in a frame, in pots of light dry soil, giving them very little or no water until the roots begin to shoot in the Spring. This is the best method of increasing the Œ. cespitosa, a most lovely plant, but extremely difficult to propagate. There are numerous species and varieties of this very interesting genus: some of the most beautiful are—

Œ. frutiosa. Œ. glauca.

— speciosa. — grandiflora.

— acaulis. — amæna.

— rosea. — tenella.

— pallida. — viminea.

Pl. 22.

Plate 23. Clarkia Pulchella. Drawn from Nature by M.R. Engraved by R. Havell Jun^r.