1. Gaura Parviflóra Dougl. Small-Flowered Gaura

Fig. 3068

Gaura parviflora Dougl.; Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 208. 1832.

Erect, branched, villous-pubescent with whitish hairs, 2°-5° high. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at the apex, repand-den-ticulate, narrowed at the base, softly pubescent, 1 1/2-4' long, 4"-18" wide; spikes elongated, usually densely flowered; flowers sessile, pink, 1 1/2-2" broad, the ovary and calyx-tube slender; fruit sessile, narrowed at the base, 4-nerved, obtusely 4-angled, glabrous or nearly so, 3"-4" long.

In dry soil, South Dakota to Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, Oregon, Utah and New Mexico. May-Aug.

2. Gaura Coccinea Pursh. Scarlet Gaura

Fig. 3060

Gaura coccinea Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 733. 1814.

G. marginata Lehm.; Hook. Fl. Bor. Am. 1: 208. 1833.

Erect or ascending, much branched, canescent, pubescent or glabrate, 6-2° high. Leaves oblong, lanceolate, or linear-oblong, denticulate, repand or entire, acute or obtuse at the apex, narrowed at the base, 6"-18" long, 2"-4" wide; flowers sessile, red, turning scarlet, 4"-5" broad; fruit sessile, terete below, 4-sided and narrowed above, canescent, 3"-4," long.

Prairies and dry soil, Manitoba to Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas, west to Montana, Utah, Arizona, and in Mexico. Adventive farther east. Wild honeysuckle (Texas). May-Aug.

Gaura glabra Lehm. differs in having a glabrous shining stem, the foliage also glabrous or nearly so, the flowers often paler in color. It ranges from South Dakota to Nebraska, Montana and New Mexico, and is probably a race of G. coccinea.

3. Gaura Biennis L. Biennial Gaura

Fig. 3070

Gaura biennis L. Sp. Pl. 347. 1753.

Erect, much branched, villous or downy-pubescent, 2°-s° high. Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at each end, pubescent or finally glabrate above, remotely denticulate, 2'-4' long, 2"-5" wide; spikes slender; flowers sessile, white, turning pink, 4"-5" broad; fruit sessile, narrowed at each end, 4-ribbed, villous-pubescent, 3"-4" long.

In dry soil, Quebec and Ontario to Minnesota, Connecticut, Georgia, Nebraska and Arkansas. Ascends to 2200 ft. in Virginia. July-Sept.

Western races are shorter-pubescent and thicker-leaved than eastern, and have been separated as a species, Gaura Pitcheri (T. & G.) Small.

Gaura Michaùxii Spach (G. filipes Spach), admitted into our first edition as recorded from Virginia to Illinois and Kansas, is not definitely known to grow north of South Carolina and Tennessee.

4. Gaura Sinuàta Nutt. Wavy-Leaved Gaura

Fig. 3071

Gaura sinuata Nutt.; Ser. in DC. Prodr. 3: 44. 1828.

Perennial, erect or decumbent, glabrous, or rarely sparingly villous. Stem branched at the base or throughout, 1°-3° tall, usually naked above; leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, or nearly linear, sinuate-toothed, 1'-3' long, acute, on winged petioles or nearly sessile; calyx slightly pubescent, its tube above the ovary funnelform, 1"-2" long, several times shorter than the linear segments; petals oblong-obovate,4"-5"long; stamens shorter than the petals; fruit about 7" long, glabrous, 4-ridged and 4-grooved above the stout club-shaped pedicel.

In dry soil, Kansas to Arkansas and Texas. Wild honeysuckle. May-July.

5. Gaura Villòsa Torr. Woolly Gaura

Fig. 3072

Gaura vilosa Torr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. 2: 200. 1827

Perennial, erect or neany so, canescent or villous. Stems 1°-3° tall, simple or much branched, often naked above; leaves varying from lanceolate to oblanceolate or sometimes nearly linear, 1-3' long, sinuate-toothed or pinnatifid, acute or acuminate, sessile; calyx canescent, its tube above the ovary funnelform, 1"-2" long, several times shorter than the linear acute segments; petals oblong-obovate, 5"-7" long; stamens shorter than the petals; fruit about 5" long, sparingly pubescent, the body sharply 4-angled, abruptly narrowed into a slender filiform pedicel.

In dry soil, Kansas to Arkansas and Texas. Wild honeysuckle. June-Sept.