''Mirabilis'' is a genus of plants in the family

Nyctaginaceae Nyctaginaceae, the four o'clock family, is a family of around 33 genera and 290 species of flowering plants, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few representatives in temperate regions. The family has a unique fruit t ...

known as the four-o'clocks or umbrellaworts. The best known species may be ''

Mirabilis jalapa ''Mirabilis jalapa'', the marvel of Peru or four o'clock flower, is the most commonly grown ornamental species of ''Mirabilis'' plant, and is available in a range of colors. ''Mirabilis'' in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa (or Xalapa) is the ...

'', the plant most commonly called four o'clock. There are several dozen species in the genus, of herbaceous plants, mostly found in the Americas. Some form

tuberous root Tubers are a type of enlarged structure used as storage organs for nutrients in some plants. They are used for the plant's perennation (survival of the winter or dry months), to provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing ...

s that enable them to perennate through dry and cool seasons. They have small, often fragrant, deep-throated

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 mechanism ...

s. Although best known as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s, at least one species, ''mauka'' ('' M. expansa''), is grown for food.

Selected species

*''

Mirabilis albida Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to the ...

'' (Walter) Heimerl *''

Mirabilis alipes ''Mirabilis alipes'' is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name winged four o'clock. It is native to the southwestern United States from eastern California to western Colorado, where it grows in brush, wood ...

'' (S.Watson) Pilz *''

Mirabilis coccinea ''Mirabilis coccinea'', the scarlet four o'clock, is a spring wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neit ...

'' (Torr.) Benth. & Hook.f. *''

Mirabilis elegans ''Mirabilis elegans'' is a species of flowering plants. It is found in Chile and Peru. References External links ''Mirabilis elegans''at The Plant List The Plant List was a list of botanical names of species of plants created by the R ...

'' (Choisy) Heimerl *'' Mirabilis expansa'' (Ruiz & Pav.) Standl. *''

Mirabilis greenei Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to th ...

'' S.Watson *''

Mirabilis himalaica Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to th ...

'' (Edgew.) Heimerl **''Mirabilis himalaica'' var. ''chinensis'' Heimerl **''Mirabilis himalaica'' var. ''himalaica'' *''

'' L. *''

Mirabilis laevis ''Mirabilis laevis'', the desert wishbone-bush, is a recently redefined species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family. Distribution is in the Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. Distribution and taxonomy ''Mirabilis laevis'' ...

'' (Benth.) Curran **''Mirabilis laevis'' var. ''crassifolia'' (Choisy) Spellenb. **''Mirabilis laevis'' var. ''laevis'' **''Mirabilis laevis'' var. ''retrorsa'' (A.Heller) Jeps. **''Mirabilis laevis'' var. ''villosa'' (Kellogg) Spellenb. *''

Mirabilis linearis ''Mirabilis linearis'' (common name narrowleaf four o'clock) is a plant. Among the Zuni people The Zuni ( zun, A:shiwi; formerly spelled ''Zuñi'') are Native American Pueblo peoples native to the Zuni River valley. The Zuni are a Federall ...

'' (Pursh) Heimerl **''Mirabilis linearis'' var. ''decipiens'' (Standl.) S.L.Welsh **''Mirabilis linearis'' var. ''linearis'' **''Mirabilis linearis'' var. ''subhispida'' (Heimerl) Spellenb. *''

Mirabilis longiflora ''Mirabilis longiflora'', the sweet four o'clock, is a species of flowering plant native to the southwestern United States from Arizona to Texas and northern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a coun ...

'' L. *''

Mirabilis macfarlanei ''Mirabilis macfarlanei'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name MacFarlane's four o'clock. It is native to Idaho and Oregon in the United States, where it is only known from three river canyons. ...

'' Constance & Rollins *''

Mirabilis multiflora ''Mirabilis multiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name Colorado four o'clock that is native to the southwestern United States from California to Colorado and Texas, as well as far northern ...

'' (Torr.) A.Gray *''

Mirabilis nyctaginea ''Mirabilis nyctaginea'' is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by several common names, including wild four o'clock, heartleaf four o'clock, and heartleaf umbrella wort. Four-o'-clock is native to the central section ...

'' (Michx.) MacMill. *''

Mirabilis oblongifolia Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to t ...

'' *''

Mirabilis oxybaphoides Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to t ...

'' (A.Gray) A.Gray *''

Mirabilis pumila Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to t ...

'' *''

Mirabilis rotundifolia ''Mirabilis rotundifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name roundleaf four o'clock. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it is limited to the south-central part of the state.< ...

'' (Greene) Standl. *''

Mirabilis tenuiloba ''Mirabilis tenuiloba'' common names longlobe four o'clock or maravilla, is a plant species native to the south-western United States and north-eastern Mexico. It has been reported from Baja California, Baja California Sur Baja California Sur ...

'' *''

Mirabilis viscosa Mirabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "amazing, wondrous, remarkable", and is used to refer to: * Annus mirabilis, a Latin phrase meaning "wonderful year" or "year of wonders" (or "year of miracles") * Anorexia mirabilis, religious fasting to t ...

'' Cav.

References

External links

Night-blooming plants Caryophyllales genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Caryophyllales-stub