About Oenothera elata Kunth
Oenothera elata Kunth has a stout, usually reddish stem that bears numerous long, narrow leaves, growing above a basal rosette. The top of the plant forms a large, open cluster of yellow flowers, each 2 to 4 inches wide. Individual flowers have 4 large petals, protruding yellow stamens, and a 4-branched pistil, which is often covered in sticky pollen. These fragrant flowers open at dusk, wilt the following morning, and turn orange or red as they wilt. For the Zuni people, a poultice made from powdered flowers of the hookeri subspecies mixed with saliva is applied to swellings at night.
