The Onagraceae are a

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s known as the willowherb family or evening primrose family. They include about 650 species of

herb Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typically distingu ...

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s, and

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

sOnagraceae.
Flora of China. in 17 genera. The family is widespread, occurring on every continent from boreal to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

regions. The family includes a number of popular

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

plants, including evening primroses ('' Oenothera'') and

fuchsia ''Fuchsia'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. Almost 110 species of ''Fuchsia'' are recognized; the vast majority are native to South America, but a few occur north through Central America to Mex ...

s (''Fuchsia''). Some, particularly the willowherbs ('' Epilobium''), are common

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. Pla ...

s in gardens and rapidly colonize disturbed habitats in the wild. One such species is fireweed (''Chamaenerion angustifolium''). The family is characterised by

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s with usually four

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s and

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s; in some genera, such as ''Fuchsia'', the sepals are as brightly coloured as the petals. The

seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

s are generally very small. In some genera, such as ''Epilobium'', they have tufts of hairs and are dispersed on the wind. In others, such as ''Fuchsia'', the seeds develop in juicy

berries A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone fruit, stone or pit (fruit), pit although many wikt:pip#Etymology 2, pips or seeds may be p ...

dispersed by animals. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are commonly opposite or whorled, but are spirally arranged in some species; in most, they are simple and lanceolate in shape. The

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...

grains in many genera are loosely held together by viscin threads. Most bees cannot collect it, and only bees with specialized morphologies can effectively pollinate the flowers; nearly all bee taxa that visit the flowers are oligoleges specialized on the family Onagraceae. The family was named after the genus ''Onagra'' (now known as '' Oenothera'') in 1836 by

John Lindley John Lindley Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (5 February 1799 – 1 November 1865) was an English botanist, gardener and orchidology, orchidologist. Early years Born in Old Catton, Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four c ...

in the second edition of ''A Natural System of Botany''.

Genera

Subfamily Ludwigioideae

*'' Ludwigia'' L.

Subfamily Onagroideae

Several genera are synonymized in the classification presented above, in particular '' Calylophus'' and ''

Gaura ''Gaura'' was a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The name was derived from Greek Language, Greek ''(gaûros)'' meaning "superb" and named in reference to the stature and floral display of some specie ...

'', which have both been absorbed into '' Oenothera'' but appear often in the literature as belonging to the previous genera.

Gallery

Circaea alpina 6769.JPG, '' Circaea alpina'' Epilobium alpestre 2.jpg, '' Epilobium alpestre'' Fuchsia 'Cymon' 02.jpg, ''

Fuchsia ''Fuchsia'' ( ) is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. Almost 110 species of ''Fuchsia'' are recognized; the vast majority are native to South America, but a few occur north through Central America to Mex ...

'' 'Cymon' Fuchsia Magellanica Tas.jpg, '' F. magellanica'' Gayophytum heterozygum - Flickr - aspidoscelis.jpg, '' Gayophytum heterozygum'' IMG 5989-Hauya heydeana.jpg, '' Hauya heydeana'' Lopezia coronata 2017-09-28 5670.jpg, '' Lopezia coronata'' Ludwigia peruviana 8456.jpg, '' Ludwigia peruviana'' Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose.jpg, ''Oenothera deltoides'' ssp. ''howellii'' Oenothera rubricaulis 2014 G1.jpg, '' O. biennis''

References

External links

Smithsonian Institution: Onagraceae classification
{{Authority control Myrtales families