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evening primrose
plant
Also known as: Oenothera
evening primrose, any of various species of herbaceous plants of the genus Oenothera, of the family Onagraceae, noted for their showy flowers. The name is especially applied to O. biennis (see ), which occurs widely throughout North America and has been introduced into Europe. The true primrose belongs to the family Primulaceae.
O. biennis is a biennial that grows 90β150 cm (3β5 feet) tall. The leaves are alternate. The flowers are yellow and 2β5 cm (0.75β2 inches) across. It has been grown by geneticists to determine certain principles of heredity.
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