''Oenothera deltoides'' is a species of

evening primrose ''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 ...

known by several common names, including birdcage evening primrose, basket evening primrose, lion in a cage, and devil's lantern. It is native to the Southwestern United States and northern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, where it grows in sandy habitats from desert to beach. The plant is grayish with basal, deltoid leaves. The large white flowers turn pinkish as they mature. When the plants die, the stems curl upward and form the "birdcage" for which the common name is derived. There are five subspecies. One of these, the Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose (ssp. ''howellii''), is a federally listed endangered species known from a few sandy spots in the

Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge is a sensitive sand dune habitat located near the city of Antioch, California on the south shore of the San Joaquin River-Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel. It serves as a refuge for three endangered sp ...

just inland from the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

.Center for Plant Conservation: ''Oenothera deltoides'' ssp. ''howellii''
/ref> ''

Oenothera caespitosa ''Oenothera caespitosa'', known commonly as tufted evening primrose, desert evening primrose, rock-rose evening primrose, or fragrant evening primrose, is a perennial plant of the genus ''Oenothera'' native to much of western and central North A ...

'' is very similar, but lacks stems and has slightly larger flowers.

References

*Roadside plants of Southern California. Thomas J. Belzer. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1984.

External links

Calflora Database: ''Oenothera deltoides'' (Birdcage evening primrose, Desert lantern, Dune primrose)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Oenothera deltoides''UC Photos gallery − ''Oenothera deltoides''
deltoides Flora of California Flora of Northwestern Mexico Flora of the Great Basin Flora of the Southwestern United States Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the Central Valley (California) Natural history of the Colorado Desert Natural history of the Mojave Desert Night-blooming plants Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Myrtales-stub