Cutleaf Evening Primrose

An erect to reclining-ascending plant that grows well on disturbed ground throughout eastern Texas and westward to the Trans Pecos and Panhandle. True to its name (cutleaf or laciniata) the leaves have wavy edged or toothed to deeply lobed margins . Small for a primrose, the pale yellow flowers (no more than an inch across) are borne singly in the axils. They have 4 heart shaped petals and 4 pinkish sepals, which are united at the base to form a tube. The flowers open in the evening and wither the next morning and, though they bloom sporadically throughout the year, they seem to prefer the cooler spring and autumn months.