genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
Onagraceae
The Onagraceae are a family of flowering plants known as the willowherb family or evening primrose family. They include about 650 species of herbs, shrubs, and treesNorth America. The genus includes many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Recent genetic research has shown that the genus is paraphyletic 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
Annual may refer to:
*Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year
** Yearbook
** Literary annual
*Annual plant
*Annual report
*Annual giving
*Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco
*Annuals (band), ...
,
biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...
or
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
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
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s have four (rarely three) petals; they are
zygomorphic
Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts.
Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...
, with all the petals directed somewhat upwards. The
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
is an indehiscent nut-like body containing reddish-brown
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
Gaura boquillensis
''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 ge ...
Gaura demareei
''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 ge ...
Gaura hexandra
''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 paraphyly, paraphyletic unless the mon ...
Gaura mutabilis
''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 ge ...
''
*'' Gaura neomexicana''
*'' Gaura parviflora'' (syn. ''G. mollis'')
*'' Gaura sinuata''
*'' Gaura suffulta''
*'' Gaura triangulata''
*'' Gaura villosa''
Several species of ''Gaura'' are regarded as noxious weeds, 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
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also i ...
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
''Oenothera'' is a genus of about 145 species of herbaceous flowering plants native to the Americas. It is the type genus of the family Onagraceae. Common names include evening primrose, suncups, and sundrops. They are not closely related to ...
'' 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