Gaura was a genus of flowering plants in the family Onagraceae, native to North America. The name was derived from Greek (gaûros) meaning "superb" and named in reference to the stature and floral display of some species in this genus.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 175, 238 The genus included many species known commonly as beeblossoms. Genetic research showed that the genus was paraphyletic unless the monotypic genus Stenosiphon is included within Gaura, increasing the number of species in the genus to 22.Raven P. H., & Gregory, D. P. (1972). A revision of the genus Gaura (Onagraceae). Mem. Torrey Bot. Club 23: 1-96.Carr, B. L., Crisci, J. V., & Hoch, P. C. (1990). A cladistic analysis of the genus Gaura (Onagraceae). Systematic Botany 15 (3): 454-461.Hoggard, G. D., Kores, P. J., Molvray, M., & Hoggard, R. K. (2004). The phylogeny of Gaura (Onagraceae) based on ITS, ETS, and trnL-F sequence data. Amer. J. Bot. 91: 139-148 full text. Gaura is now a synonym of Oenothera, with the bulk of the Gaura taxa in genus Oenothera sect. Gaura .
Gauras 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 formerly in Gaura
Gaura angustifolia Gaura biennis Gaura boquillensis Gaura brachycarpa Gaura calcicola Gaura coccinea Gaura demareei Gaura drummondii Gaura filipes Gaura hexandra Gaura lindheimeri Gaura linifolia (syn. Stenosiphon linifolius) Gaura longiflora Gaura macrocarpa Gaura mckelveyae Gaura mutabilis Gaura neomexicana Gaura parviflora (syn. G. mollis) Gaura sinuata Gaura suffulta Gaura triangulata Gaura villosa
Several species of the former Gaura are regarded as noxious weeds, especially in disturbed or overgrazed areas where it easily takes hold. They can become a nuisance in situations involving disturbed habitat, such as trampled rangeland and clearings. Efforts to control Gaura focus mainly on prevention of misuse of land. There is no biological control method for plants of genus Gaura, and removing existing infestations is difficult, due in large part to the plants' ability to reproduce from bits of rhizome left in the ground.EncycloWeedia: Genus Gaura
Despite the poor reputation of these plants, some species are cultivated as garden plants, such as G. lindheimeri (white gaura).
Synonymy In 2007, Warren L. Wagner, Peter C. Hoch, and Peter H. Raven published a Revised Classification of the Onagraceae,Onagraceae Wagner, W.L et al. Revised Classification of the Onagraceae (2007) which moved the bulk of the Gaura taxa into genus Oenothera sect. Gaura and made Gaura a synonym of Oenothera.Gaura Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 13 Dec 2011 The following table shows where the Gaura taxa have been placed.Oenothera Wagner, W. L. and P. C. Hoch. 2005-. Onagraceae, The Evening Primrose Family. 2011-12-07Oenothera USDA Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) 2011-12-13
SynonymAccepted NameCommon NameCommon Names The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) 2011-12-13Gaura Oenothera beeblossomOenothera sect. Gaura subsect. GauridiumGaura mutabilis O. anomala anomalous OenotheraOenothera sect. Gaura subsect. StenosiphonStenosiphon virgatus O. glaucifolia false gauraStenosiphon linifolius Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. SchizocaryaGaura mollis O. curtiflora velvetweed,smallflowered gaura,velvety gaura,willow gauraGaura parviflora G. parviflora var. lachnocarpa G. parviflora var. parvifloraOenothera sect. Gaura subsect. XerogauraGaura macrocarpa O. arida Trans-Pecos beeblossomOenothera sect. Gaura subsect. CampogauraGaura boquillensis O. boquillensis Rio Grande beeblossom Gaura coccinea O. suffrutescens scarlet beeblossom,scarlet gauraG. coccinea var. arizonica G. coccinea var. epilobioides G. coccinea var. glabra G. coccinea var. parvifolia G. coccinea var. coccineaGaura glabra Gaura odorata Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. StipogauraGaura calcicola O. calcicola Texas beeblossomGaura villosa O. cinerea woolly beeblossom,woolly gaura G. villosa ssp. villosa O. cinerea ssp. cinerea woolly beeblossomG. villosa var. villosaG. villosa var. arenicola G. villosa ssp. parksii O. cinerea ssp. parksii hairy gaura,Parks' beeblossomG. villosa var. parksii G. villosa var. mckelveyae O. mckelveyae Mckelvey's beeblossomGaura mckelveyae Gaura filipes O. filipes slenderstalk beeblossomG. filipes var. major Gaura michauxii Gaura sinuata O. sinuosa wavyleaf beeblossom,wavyleaf gauraOenothera sect. Gaura subsect. XenogauraGaura drummondii O. xenogaura Drummond's beeblossom,scented gaura Oenothera sect. Gaura subsect. GauraGaura neomexicana O. coloradensis ssp. neomexicana New Mexico beeblossomG. neomexicana ssp. neomexicanaG. neomexicana var. neomexicanaG. neomexicana ssp. coloradensis O. coloradensis ssp. coloradensis Colorado beeblossom,Colorado butterfly plantG. neomexicana var. coloradensis Gaura demareei O. demareei Demaree's beeblossomGaura biennis O. gaura biennial beeblossomG. biennis var. pitcheri O. filiformis longflower beeblossomGaura pitcheri Gaura filiformis Gaura longiflora Gaura tripetala O. hexandra ssp. hexandra harlequin bush,slender gauraGaura hexandra G. hexandra var. hexandraG. hexandra ssp. hexandraG. hexandra ssp. gracilis O. hexandra ssp. gracilis harlequin bush Gaura gracilis G. hexandra var. coryi O. patriciae plains beeblossomG. tripetala var. coryi Gaura brachycarpa G. hexandra var. triangulata O. triangulata prairie beeblossom,three-petal gauraGaura triangulata G. tripetala var. triangulata Gaura angustifolia O. simulans southern beeblossomGaura eatonii Gaura simulans Gaura suffulta O. suffulta kisses,roadside gaura G. suffulta ssp. suffultaG. suffulta ssp. nealleyi O. suffulta ssp. nealleyi Nealley's kisses Gaura nealleyi Gaura lindheimeri O. lindheimeri Lindheimer's beeblossom,white gauraClarkia sect. Phaeostoma subsect. HeterogauraGaura heterandra C. heterandra mountain clarkiaEremotheraGaura decorticans E. boothii ssp. decorticans Shredding suncup
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