They are annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plants; most are perennials with sturdy rhizomes, often forming dense thickets, crowding or shading out other plant species. They have a basal rosette of leaves, with erect or spreading flowering stems up to 2 m (rarely more) tall, leafy on the lower stem, branched and leafless on the upper stem. The flowers have four (rarely three) petals; they are zygomorphic, with all the petals directed somewhat upwards. The fruit is an indehiscent nut-like body containing reddish-brown seeds. It reproduces via seeds and also by rhizome growth.[1]
Despite the poor reputation of plants of this genus, some species are cultivated as garden plants, such as G. lindheimeri (White Gaura).
In 2007, Warren L. Wagner, Peter C. Hoch, and Peter H. Raven published a Revised Classification of the Onagraceae,[5] which moved the bulk of the Gaura taxa into genus Oenothera sect. Gaura {{small|(L.) W.L.Wagner &Hoch}} and made Gaura a synonym of Oenothera.[6] The following table shows where the Gaura taxa have been placed.[7][8]
Synonym | Accepted Name | Common Name[9] | Gaura {{small>L. 1753}} | Oenothera {{small>L. 1753}} | beeblossom |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Gauridium |
---|
Gaura mutabilis {{small>Cav. 1795}} | O. anomala {{small>Curtis 1797}} | anomalous Oenothera |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Stenosiphon |
---|
Stenosiphon virgatus {{small>Spach 1835}} | O. glaucifolia {{small|W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | false gaura |
Stenosiphon linifolius {{small>(Nutt. ex E.James) Heynh. 1840}} |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Schizocarya |
---|
Gaura mollis {{small>Kunth 1823}} | O. curtiflora {{small|W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | velvetweed, smallflowered gaura, velvety gaura, willow gaura |
Gaura parviflora {{small>Douglas ex Lehm. 1830}} |
G. parviflora var. lachnocarpa {{small>Weath. 1925}} |
G. parviflora var. parviflora |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Xerogaura |
---|
Gaura macrocarpa {{small>Rothr. 1866}} | O. arida {{small>W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Trans-Pecos beeblossom |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Campogaura |
---|
Gaura boquillensis {{small>P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. boquillensis {{small>(P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Rio Grande beeblossom |
Gaura coccinea {{small>Pursh 1814}} | O. suffrutescens {{small|(Ser.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | scarlet beeblossom, scarlet gaura |
G. coccinea var. arizonica {{small>Munz 1938}} |
G. coccinea var. epilobioides {{small>(Kunth) Munz 1938}} |
G. coccinea var. glabra {{small>(Lehm.) Munz 1938}} |
G. coccinea var. parvifolia {{small>(Torr.) Rickett 1934}} |
G. coccinea var. coccinea |
Gaura glabra {{small>Lehm. 1830}} |
Gaura odorata {{small>Sessé ex Lag. 1816}} |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Stipogaura |
---|
Gaura calcicola {{small>P.H. Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. calcicola {{small>(P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Texas beeblossom |
Gaura villosa {{small>Torr.}} | O. cinerea {{small>(Wooton & Standl.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | woolly beeblossom, woolly gaura |
G. villosa ssp. villosa {{small>Torr. 1827}} | O. cinerea ssp. cinerea {{small|(Wooton & Standl.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | woolly beeblossom |
G. villosa var. villosa |
G. villosa var. arenicola {{small>Munz 1938}} |
G. villosa ssp. parksii {{small>(Munz) P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. cinerea ssp. parksii {{small|(Munz) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | hairy gaura, Parks' beeblossom |
G. villosa var. parksii {{small>Munz 1938}} |
G. villosa var. mckelveyae {{small>Munz 1938}} | O. mckelveyae {{small|(Munz) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Mckelvey's beeblossom |
Gaura mckelveyae {{small>(Munz) P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} |
Gaura filipes {{small>Spach 1835}} | O. filipes {{small|(Spach) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | slenderstalk beeblossom |
G. filipes var. major {{small>Torr. & A. Gray 1840}} |
Gaura michauxii {{small>Spach 1835}} |
Gaura sinuata {{small>Nutt. ex Ser. 1828}} | O. sinuosa {{small>W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | wavyleaf beeblossom, wavyleaf gaura |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Xenogaura |
---|
Gaura drummondii {{small>(Spach) Torr. & A. Gray 1840}} | O. xenogaura {{small>W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Drummond's beeblossom, scented gaura |
Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. Gaura |
---|
Gaura neomexicana {{small>Wooton 1898}} | O. coloradensis ssp. neomexicana {{small|(Wooton) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | New Mexico beeblossom |
G. neomexicana ssp. neomexicana |
G. neomexicana var. neomexicana |
G. neomexicana ssp. coloradensis {{small>(Rydb.) P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. coloradensis ssp. coloradensis {{small|(Rydb.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Colorado beeblossom, Colorado butterfly plant |
G. neomexicana var. coloradensis {{small>(Rydb.) Munz 1938}} |
Gaura demareei {{small>P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. demareei {{small>(P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Demaree's beeblossom |
Gaura biennis {{small>L. 1743}} | O. gaura {{small>W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | biennial beeblossom |
G. biennis var. pitcheri {{small>Torr. & A. Gray 1840}} | O. filiformis {{small|(Small) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | longflower beeblossom |
Gaura pitcheri {{small>(Torr. & A.Gray) Small 1903}} |
Gaura filiformis {{small>Small 1898}} |
Gaura longiflora {{small>Spach 1835}} |
Gaura tripetala {{small>Cav. 1797}} | O. hexandra ssp. hexandra {{small|(Ortega) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | harlequin bush, slender gaura |
Gaura hexandra {{small>Ortega 1797}} |
G. hexandra var. hexandra |
G. hexandra ssp. hexandra |
G. hexandra ssp. gracilis {{small>(Wooton & Standl.) P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. hexandra ssp. gracilis {{small|(Wooton & Standl.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | harlequin bush |
Gaura gracilis {{small>Wooton & Standl. 1913}} |
G. hexandra var. coryi {{small>(Munz) Munz 1965}} | O. patriciae {{small|W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | plains beeblossom |
G. tripetala var. coryi {{small>Munz 1938}} |
Gaura brachycarpa {{small>Small 1903}} |
G. hexandra var. triangulata {{small>(Buckley) Munz 1965}} | O. triangulata {{small|(Buckley) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | prairie beeblossom, three-petal gaura |
Gaura triangulata {{small>Buckley 1862}} |
G. tripetala var. triangulata {{small>(Buckley) Munz 1938}} |
Gaura angustifolia {{small>Michx. 1803}} | O. simulans {{small|(Small) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | southern beeblossom |
Gaura eatonii {{small>Small 1913}} |
Gaura simulans {{small>Small 1905}} |
Gaura suffulta {{small>Engelm. ex A. Gray 1850}} | O. suffulta {{small|(Engelm.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | kisses, roadside gaura |
G. suffulta ssp. suffulta |
G. suffulta ssp. nealleyi {{small>(J.M. Coult.) P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. 1972}} | O. suffulta ssp. nealleyi {{small|(J.M. Coult.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Nealley's kisses |
Gaura nealleyi {{small>J.M. Coult. 1890}} |
Gaura lindheimeri {{small>Engelm. & A.Gray 1845}} | O. lindheimeri {{small>(Engelm. & A.Gray) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Lindheimer's beeblossom, white gaura |
Clarkia sect. Phaeostoma subsect. Heterogaura |
---|
Gaura heterandra {{small>Torr. 1857}} | C. heterandra {{small>(Torr.) F.H.Lewis & P.H.Raven 1992}} | mountain clarkia |
Eremothera |
---|
Gaura decorticans {{small>Hook. & Arn. 1841}} | E. boothii ssp. decorticans {{small>(Hook. & Arn.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch 2007}} | Shredding suncup |
1. ^1 Raven P. H., & Gregory, D. P. (1972). A revision of the genus Gaura (Onagraceae). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 1-96.
2. ^Carr, B. L., Crisci, J. V., & Hoch, P. C. (1990). A cladistic analysis of the genus Gaura (Onagraceae). Systematic Botany 15 (3): 454-461.
3. ^Hoggard, G. D., Kores, P. J., Molvray, M., & Hoggard, R. K. (2004). The phylogeny of Gaura (Onagraceae) based on ITS, ETS, and trnL-F sequence data. Amer. J. Bot. 91: 139-148 full text.
4. ^EncycloWeedia: Genus Gaura
5. ^Onagraceae Wagner,W.L et al. Revised Classification of the Onagraceae (2007)
6. ^Gaura Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 13 Dec 2011
7. ^Oenothera Wagner, W. L. and P. C. Hoch. 2005-. Onagraceae, The Evening Primrose Family. 2011-12-07
8. ^Oenothera USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) 2011-12-13
9. ^[https://www.itis.gov/ Common Names] The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) 2011-12-13
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