Taraxia subacaulis

Taraxia subacaulis

Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Onagraceae
Genus: Taraxia
Species:
T. subacaulis
Binomial name
Taraxia subacaulis
Synonyms[2]
List
    • Camissonia subacaulis
    • Jussiaea subacaulis
    • Oenothera subacaulis

Taraxia subacaulis is a species of evening primrose known by the common name longleaf suncup. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in several habitat types, especially in mountainous areas in moist meadows. It is a fleshy perennial herb growing from a taproot and usually lacking a stem. The leaves are lance-shaped to oval and up to 22 centimeters long and are borne on long petioles. The flower has 4 yellow petals, each up to 1.5 centimeters long, and a large, bulbous stigma tip. The fruit is a leathery capsule 1 to 3 centimeters long.

Description

Longleaf suncup is a perennial plant without stems that grows from a thick taproot. It has a single rosette.[3] The leaves forming the rosette are more or less hairless and also somewhat fleshy in texture. They are lanceolate, shaped like the head of a spear, or narrowly elliptic, the two sides curving. The leaf edges can be smooth or irregularly lobed.[4]

Taxonomy

Taraxia subacaulis was scientifically described and named Jussiaea subacaulis by Frederick Traugott Pursh in 1813. It was moved to the genus Taraxia giving the species its accepted name by Per Axel Rydberg in 1900. It has no accepted varieties, but it has 13 synonyms according to Plants of the World Online including nine species.[2]

Table of Synonyms[2]
Name Year Rank Notes
Camissonia subacaulis (Pursh) P.H.Raven 1964 species ≡ hom.
Jussiaea subacaulis Pursh 1813 species ≡ hom.
Oenothera heterantha Nutt. 1834 species = het.
Oenothera heterantha var. taraxacifolia S.Watson 1873 variety = het.
Oenothera primuloidea H.Lév. 1902 species = het.
Oenothera subacaulis (Pursh) Jeps. 1925 species ≡ hom.
Oenothera subacaulis var. taraxacifolia (S.Watson) Jeps. 1925 variety = het.
Oenothera taraxacifolia H.Lév. & Guffroy 1902 species = het., nom. illeg.
Oenothera taraxacifolia var. caulescens H.Lév. 1902 variety = het.
Oenothera triloba Hook. 1847 species = het., nom. illeg.
Taraxia heterantha (Nutt.) Small 1896 species = het.
Taraxia heterantha var. taraxacifolia (S.Watson) Small 1896 variety = het.
Taraxia taraxacifolia (S.Watson) A.Heller 1900 species = het.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym

Names

Taraxia subacaulis is known by the common name longleaf suncup.[1]

References

Citations

Sources

  • Cronquist, Arthur; Holmgren, Noel H.; Holmgren, Patricia K. (1997). Intermountain Flora : Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A.. Vol. Three, Part A. Subclass Rosidae (except Fabales). New York: New York Botanical Garden. ISBN 978-0-89327-374-3. OCLC 503654484. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
Web sources