# bigfruit evening primrose

*Oenothera macrocarpa*

Its enormous four-winged seed pods can grow up to three inches long and act like mini tumbleweeds, catching the wind to scatter seeds.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Myrtales › Onagraceae › Oenothera
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Limestone glades, rocky prairies, barrens, and roadside slopes.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- **Range:** Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
- **Size:** 8-12 inches tall, trailing up to 3 feet wide; flowers 3-5 inches across.
- **Lifespan:** 5-10 years
- **Active:** crepuscular
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, agricultural expansion, and invasive woody species shading out glades.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and safe to approach. Observe these stunning yellow flowers at dusk to watch them rapidly bloom. Avoid picking the wild flowers to allow natural seed dispersal.

## About

Oenothera macrocarpa , the bigfruit evening primrose , Ozark sundrop or Missouri evening primrose , is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family Onagraceae, native to Mexico and the south-central United States, where it is found in calcareous prairies and limestone outcrops.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/68ef7033-fd96-4251-a237-a81aef2ddba0
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/119117
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oenothera macrocarpa
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/440713957/medium.jpeg (no rights reserved, CC0, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.