Calyophus berlandieri

Family:  Onagraceae

Plant Description: Perennial, with upright stems to 40 cm tall. Leaves linear or oblanceolate to 4.5 cm long. Flowers axillary, yellow, with petals 14-22 mm long. Showy and attractive.

Field Identification: The showy, yellow flowers are 4 cm. across with four, broad, crinkled petals. It is a bushy plant that sometimes becomes woody near the base. Its leaves are narrow and spiny-toothed. A long living evergreen, low-growing woody-based perennial that grows to 30 cm tall and spreads to nearly 3 feet wide with dark green narrow fine-textured soft foliage and bright yellow 2-4 cm inch wide flowers.

Plant Trivia: This species is Calylophus berlandieri, a name honoring the French naturalist Jean-Louis Berlandier (1801-1851).

Occurrence: Frequent on sandy; soils or sometimes caliche in prairies and openings.

Bloom Period: March-November

Plant Use: Nectar source; deer resistant. Propagation by seed is most successful if sown in fall. Take cuttings on new growth in early spring, sometimes in January.

Key to the Genus Calylophus:

1. Sepals without sharply raised midrib……………………………...C. hartwegii

Sepals with sharply raised midrib………………………………………………………….2

2. Stigma usually raised above anthers at opening time..C. berlandieri

Stigma not raised above anthers………………………………………C. serrulatus