Gayophytum diffusum, July 13, 2022
G. diffusum, same
Common & scientific name
Spreading groundsmoke, Gayophytum diffusum
Family
Evening primrose, Onagraceae
Location
Roadside, 9,800’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Hard to spot amidst other flowers or grasses, gangly Spreading groundsmoke’s red stem and four-petaled flowers are diagnostic (aside from the mustards, they are one of the only four-petaled families). Their tiny flowers open in the morning and close up by late afternoon—just the opposite of its easier to spot cousins in the Oenothera (Evening primrose) genus.