Gaura

Gaura is a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America.

They are annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plants; most are perennials with sturdy rhizomes, often forming dense thickets, crowding or shading out other plant species. They have a basal rosette of leaves, with erect or spreading flowering stems up to 2 m (rarely more) tall, leafy on the lower stem, branched and leafless on the upper stem. The flowers have four (rarely three) petals; they are zygomorphic, with all the petals directed somewhat upwards. The fruit is an indehiscent nut-like body containing reddish-brown seeds. It reproduces via seeds and also by rhizome growth.


Species
Gaura coccinea is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by several common names, including scarlet beeblossom, scarlet gaura, and linda tarde. It is native to much of North America, especially the western and central sections. It can be found in many habitats, and is occasionally an urban weed. This is a perennial herb growing from a woody base and heavy roots. The stems may reach anywhere from 10 centimeters in height to over a meter and sprawling, and they are often covered in small, stiff hairs. The thin to thick clumps of stems are covered in linear to somewhat oval-shaped leaves one to seven centimeters long. Atop the stems are spike inflorescences of several flowers each. The flower has four long, stiff sepals which open and fall away from the flower to lie reflexed toward the stem. There are four spoon-shaped petals which are white to yellowish and may turn pink with age. Each flower has eight long stamens with large red, pink, or yellowish anthers arranged around a long stigma. The fruit is a woody capsule under a centimeter long.

Gaura drummondii is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names Drummond's beeblossom and scented gaura. It is native to Mexico and its range extends into Texas. It can be found in parts of the southern and southwestern United States where it is an introduced species and is a minor weed in some areas. This is a mat-forming perennial herb growing from rhizomes. Stems reach 10 or 12 centimeters in height can be plentiful and tightly clumped. Leaves are about one to nine centimeters long and linear to slightly oval-shaped. The stems and foliage are covered in hairs. The plant produces small spike inflorescences with centimeter-long sepals and smaller spoon-shaped petals which are white, fading to pink. The fruit is an erect, woody capsule about a centimeter long with a base shaped like a stalk with a bulge at the center.

Gaura lindheimeri (Lindheimer's Beeblossom, White Gaura, Pink Gaura, Lindheimer's Clockweed) is a species of Gaura native to southern Louisiana and Texas. It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 50–150 cm tall, with densely clustered branched stems growing from an underground rhizome. The leaves are finely hairy, lanceolate, 1–9 cm long and 1–13 mm broad, with a coarsely toothed margin. The flowers are produced on a 10–80 cm long inflorescence; they are pink or white, 2–3 cm diameter, with four petals 10–15 mm long and long hairlike stamens, and are produced from the beginning of spring until the first frost.
Gaura lindheimeri is commonly grown as an ornamental plant.

Gaura sinuata is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names wavyleaf beeblossom and Red River gaura. It is native to Mexico and its native range extends as far north into the United States as Oklahoma. It can be found across the southern half of the United States where it is an introduced species and occasionally weedy. This is a tough mat-forming perennial herb with branching, sprawling stems 20 to 60 centimeters long and covered in hairs. The leaves are 1 to 10 centimeters long and are generally toothed along the edges. The plant produces spike inflorescences of small flowers with white to pinkish spoon-shaped petals which darken as they age, often to a deep red. The fruit is a winged, woody capsule with a tapered end, up to 1.5 centimeters in length.

Gaura parviflora (syn. G. mollis James; Velvetweed, Velvety Gaura, Downy Gaura, or Smallflower Gaura) is a species of Gaura native to the central United States and northern Mexico, from Nebraska and Wyoming south to Durango and Nuevo Leon. It is an annual plant growing to 0.2–2 m (rarely 3 m) tall, unbranched, or if branched, only below the flower spikes. The leaves are 2–20 cm long, lance-shaped, and are covered with soft hair. The flower spikes are 20–30 cm long, covered with green flower buds, which open at night or before dawn with small flowers 5 mm diameter with four pink petals.

Gaura suffulta

Gaura villosa

Gaura boquillensis

Gaura filipes

Gaura demareei

Gaura hexandra

Gaura angustifolia

Gaura brachycarpa

Gaura linifolia

Gaura longiflora

Gaura macrocarpa

Gaura triangulata

Gaura mutabilis

Gaura neomexicana

Gaura mckelveyae

Gaura biennis

Gaura calcicola

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