''Gaura'' is a
genus of
flowering plants in the family
Onagraceae, native to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is
paraphyletic
In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
unless the monotypic genus ''Stenosiphon'' is included within ''Gaura'', increasing the number of species in the genus to 22.
[Raven P. H., & Gregory, D. P. (1972). A revision of the genus Gaura (Onagraceae). ''Mem. Torrey Bot. Club'' 23: 1-96.][Carr, B. L., Crisci, J. V., & Hoch, P. C. (1990). A cladistic analysis of the genus ''Gaura'' (Onagraceae). ''Systematic Botany'' 15 (3): 454-461.]
They are
annual,
biennial or
perennial herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
plants; most are perennials with sturdy
rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
s, 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.
[
;Species
*'']Gaura angustifolia
''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
''
*''Gaura biennis
''Oenothera gaura'', formerly known as ''Gaura biennis'', the biennial gaura or biennial beeblossom, is a North American flowering plant that can reach in height at maturity. Its upper half is made up of flowering stems, which are covered with s ...
''
*'' Gaura boquillensis''
*''Gaura brachycarpa
''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
''
*''Gaura calcicola
''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
''
*''Gaura coccinea
''Oenothera suffrutescens'' (syn. ''Gaura coccinea'') is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known as scarlet beeblossom and scarlet gaura.
Distribution
The plant is native to much of North America, especially the wester ...
''
*'' Gaura demareei''
*'' Gaura drummondii''
*'' Gaura filipes''
*'' Gaura hexandra''
*'' Gaura lindheimeri''
*'' Gaura linifolia'' (syn. ''Stenosiphon linifolius'')
*'' Gaura longiflora''
*'' Gaura macrocarpa''
*'' Gaura mckelveyae''
*'' Gaura mutabilis''
*''Gaura neomexicana
''Gaura neomexicana'' is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common name New Mexico beeblossom. It is native to the west central United States.
There are two subspecies of this species. One, the rare Colorad ...
''
*''Gaura parviflora
''Oenothera curtiflora'' (syn. ''Gaura parviflora''), known as velvetweed, velvety gaura, downy gaura, or smallflower gaura, is a species of flowering plant native to the central United States and northern Mexico, from Nebraska and Wyoming south ...
'' (syn. ''G. mollis'')
*''Gaura sinuata
''Oenothera sinuosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names wavyleaf beeblossom and Red River gaura. The species was previously treated as ''Gaura sinuata'', but in 2007 the species, along with ...
''
*'' Gaura suffulta''
*''Gaura triangulata
''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
''
*''Gaura villosa
''Gaura'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic unless the monotypic genu ...
''
Several species of ''Gaura'' are regarded as noxious weed
A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or liv ...
s, especially in disturbed or overgrazed areas where it easily takes hold. They can become a nuisance in situations involving disturbed habitat, such as trampled rangeland and clearings. Efforts to control ''Gaura'' focus mainly on prevention of misuse of land. There is no biological control method for plants of genus ''Gaura'', and removing existing infestations is difficult, due in large part to the plants' ability to reproduce from bits of rhizome left in the ground.[EncycloWeedia]
Genus ''Gaura''
/ref>
Despite the poor reputation of plants of this genus, some species are cultivated as garden plants, such as ''G. lindheimeri'' (White Gaura).
Synonymy
In 2007, Warren L. Wagner, Peter C. Hoch, and Peter H. Raven published a ''Revised Classification of the Onagraceae'',[Onagraceae]
Wagner,W.L et al. ''Revised Classification of the Onagraceae'' (2007) which moved the bulk of the ''Gaura'' taxa into genus '' Oenothera'' sect. ''Gaura'' and made ''Gaura'' a synonym of ''Oenothera''.[''Gaura'']
Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 13 Dec 2011 The following table shows where the ''Gaura'' taxa have been placed.[''Oenothera'']
Wagner, W. L. and P. C. Hoch. 2005-
Onagraceae, The Evening Primrose Family.
2011-12-07[''Oenothera'']
USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) 2011-12-13
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2619458
Onagraceae genera