Oenothera cinerea
| Oenothera cinerea | |
|---|---|
| |
| Southeast of Carlsbad in Eddy County, New Mexico | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Onagraceae |
| Genus: | Oenothera |
| Species: | O. cinerea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Oenothera cinerea | |
| Subspecies[1] | |
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Oenothera cinerea, the woolly beeblossom or High Plains beeblossom, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae.[3][4][5] It is native to the US states of Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, and it has been introduced to New Jersey.[1] A perennial subshrub capable of reaching 2.4 m (8 ft), its flowers start out white and fade to pink.[3]
Taxonomy
In 1913 the botanists E. O. Wooton and Paul Carpenter Standley published a description of a species they named Gaura cinerea. In 2007 Warren Lambert Wagner and Peter Coonan Hoch moved it to the genus Oenothera, giving the species its accepted name.[1]
It has two accepted subspecies:[1]
- Oenothera cinerea subsp. cinerea – entire range, introduced to New Jersey[2]
- Oenothera cinerea subsp. parksii (Munz) W.L.Wagner & Hoch – southern Texas[6]
Oenothera cinerea has 6 synonyms of the species or one of its two subspecies.[1][2][6]
| Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaura cinerea Wooton & Standl. | 1913 | species | O. cinerea | ≡ hom. |
| Gaura villosa Torr. | 1827 | species | subsp. cinerea | = het. |
| Gaura villosa var. arenicola Munz | 1938 | variety | subsp. cinerea | = het. |
| Gaura villosa subsp. parksii (Munz) P.H.Raven & D.P.Greg. | 1972 | subspecies | subsp. parksii | = het. |
| Gaura villosa var. parksii Munz | 1938 | variety | subsp. parksii | = het. |
| Gaura villosa var. typica Munz | 1938 | variety | subsp. cinerea | = het., not validly publ. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym | ||||
References
- ^ a b c d e "Oenothera cinerea (Wooton & Standl.) W.L.Wagner & Hoch". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b c "Oenothera cinerea subsp. cinerea". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Oenothera cinerea (Wooton & Standl.) W.L. Wagner & Hoch". Plant Database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
Woolly Beeblossom, High Plains Beeblossom, Woolly Gaura, High Plains Gaura
- ^ "Woolly Beeblossom - Scientific Name - Oenothera cinerea - Common Name - woolly beeblossom". United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ "Oenothera cinerea (Wooton & Standl.) W.L. Wagner & Hoch high-plains beeblossom". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Oenothera cinerea subsp. parksii (Munz) W.L.Wagner & Hoch". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 July 2025.