Pinkladies!

Imagine my surprise when, after ariving at the Loblolly Marsh bioblitz in Jay County, Indiana on Friday afternoon, I stepped out of the car and the first plant I looked at I didn't recognize! I feel pretty comfortable with the flora of northern Indiana, but I'd never seen a scene like this in the state.

I immediately knew that I was looking at an Oenothera, as the four large petals and four-parted stigma are diagnostic characteristics. I'd seen Oenothera speciosa along roadsides south and west of Indiana, but I didn't think this species occurred in the state. Shows what I know. While it isn't known from the Indiana counties of the Chicago Region, Showy Evening Primrose, or Pinkladies as it is more affectionately known, is found as an introduced plant in a few scattered counties throughout the state. I collected a specimen and keyed it out in my hotel room Friday night, and sure enough, I was looking at Oenothera speciosa. Pinkladies can be found within much of the southern half of North America, and is often planted in highway wildflower plantings. The flowers are often more pink than they are in this population.

For a recap of the bioblitz and a few more photos from the event, click here.