What would spring in Austin be without pink evening primroses?

One of the most familiar and widespread wildflowers of spring in central Texas, Oenothera speciosa, has been hiding out from this blog for the almost two years of its (the blog’s) existence. Bid it (the pink evening primrose) welcome.

The stigma in this species, visible at the left, has four prongs, though at the angle from which I took the picture one prong happened to line up with the one beyond it and is therefore hard to distinguish unless you look carefully. The other cream-colored structures are anthers, on some of which you can see pollen. In the background at the left is another pink evening primrose, out of focus, but with the distinctive cross of its stigma still recognizable.

Date: March 29.  Place: Mueller Greenway in east-central Austin.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman