Gaura coccinea

Gaura coccinea Nutt. ex Pursh

by Kyle Christie, Native Plants of Arizona 2003
Common names: scarlet gaura, scarlet bee blossom, butterflyweed (1,2,6).
Family: Onagraceae (1).
Synonymy: Gaura odorata Sessé ex Lag, Gaura glabra Lehm., Gaura coccinea var. epilobioides (Kunth) Munz, Gaura coccinea var. arizonica Munz, Gaura coccinea var. glabra (Lehm.) Munz, Gaura coccinea var. parvifolia (Torr.) Rickett, Gaura coccinea var. typica Munz (1, 2)
Etymology: Gaura translates into superb, and coccinea translates into scarlet (3).

Identification
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial, individuals often clustered, stems several to many, branched and bushy (4, 5)
Roots: Often developing creeping rhizomes, which give rise to new plants (4, 5).
Stem: Stems several to many, 10 to 50 cm, crowded, branched, and bushy. Strigose or villous to almost glabrous (4, 5).
Leaves: Leaves densely crowded on stems. Lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 1 to 4 cm, entire to mildly toothed, variously pubescent. Lower stem leaves often larger, but deciduous (4, 5).
Inflorescence/flowers: Inflorescense of a densely, numerous flowered spike, elongating and drooping with age (4, 5). Flowers with 4 petals, 4 sepals, 8 stamens, and a distinctly inferior ovary (7). Sepals 5 to 9 mm, relflexing at maturity. Petals 3 to 7 mm, white to pink to most commonly scarlet red (4, 5, 6).
Fruit: A nutlike, indehiscent, capsule. Sessile, pyramidal, 4-angled, strigose to puberulent, with 3 or 4 seeds (4,5).
Similar species: Gaura mollis James, and Gaura hexandra ssp. gracilis. (Woot. & Standl.) Raven & Gregory.

Ecology
Life history: Herbaceous perennial, often spreading via rhizomes (2, 4, 5).
Native/introduced: Native to the region, but often with weedy tendancies (2, 8). Due to its vegetative reproduction, Gaura coccinea, can colonize heavily grazed or disturbed areas both within and outside of its native range. It is considered an invasive weed in Nebraska and the Great Plains (2), as well being listed on the California Department of Food and Agriculture's "B list" of noxious weeds (2).
Photosynthetic pathway:
Phenology: Flowers April to September (4). Young flowers are usually light colored and attract nocturnal insect pollinators. Flowers then turn darker with age, eventually becoming a deep red or scarlet hue (6).
Distribution: Widespread from the Great Plains east to California, and from Mexico north to British Columbia. Usually growing in dry, open places, slopes, foothills, valleys, and plains. 2,000 to 8,000 feet (4).

Uses
Becoming noxious in certain locations.

References
1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (http://www.itis.usda.gov).

2. USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70874-4490 USA.

3. Gledhill, D. 2002. The Names of Plants. 3rd Edition. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, England.

4. McDougal, W.B. 1973. Seed Plants of Northern Arizona. The Museum of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff, Arizona.

5. Cronquist, A., Holmgren, N.H., Holmgren, P.K. 1997. Intermountain Flora. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Volume 3A. The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, New York.

6. Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Publishing. Helena, Mountana.

7. Zomlefer, W. 1994. Flowering Plant Families. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill and London.

8. California Department of Food and Agriculture. (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov).

*Gaura coccinea* Nutt. ex Pursh by Kyle Christie, Native Plants of Arizona 2003 Common names: scarlet gaura, scarlet bee blossom, butterflyweed (1,2,6). Family: Onagraceae (1). Synonymy: Gaura odorata Sessé ex Lag, Gaura glabra Lehm., Gaura coccinea var. epilobioides (Kunth) Munz, Gaura coccinea var. arizonica Munz, Gaura coccinea var. glabra (Lehm.) Munz, Gaura coccinea var. parvifolia (Torr.) Rickett, Gaura coccinea var. typica Munz (1, 2) Etymology: Gaura translates into superb, and coccinea translates into scarlet (3). Identification Growth form: Herbaceous perennial, individuals often clustered, stems several to many, branched and bushy (4, 5) Roots: Often developing creeping rhizomes, which give rise to new plants (4, 5). Stem: Stems several to many, 10 to 50 cm, crowded, branched, and bushy. Strigose or villous to almost glabrous (4, 5). Leaves: Leaves densely crowded on stems. Lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 1 to 4 cm, entire to mildly toothed, variously pubescent. Lower stem leaves often larger, but deciduous (4, 5). Inflorescence/flowers: Inflorescense of a densely, numerous flowered spike, elongating and drooping with age (4, 5). Flowers with 4 petals, 4 sepals, 8 stamens, and a distinctly inferior ovary (7). Sepals 5 to 9 mm, relflexing at maturity. Petals 3 to 7 mm, white to pink to most commonly scarlet red (4, 5, 6). Fruit: A nutlike, indehiscent, capsule. Sessile, pyramidal, 4-angled, strigose to puberulent, with 3 or 4 seeds (4,5). Similar species: Gaura mollis James, and Gaura hexandra ssp. gracilis. (Woot. & Standl.) Raven & Gregory. Ecology Life history: Herbaceous perennial, often spreading via rhizomes (2, 4, 5). Native/introduced: Native to the region, but often with weedy tendancies (2, 8). Due to its vegetative reproduction, Gaura coccinea, can colonize heavily grazed or disturbed areas both within and outside of its native range. It is considered an invasive weed in Nebraska and the Great Plains (2), as well being listed on the California Department of Food and Agriculture's "B list" of noxious weeds (2). Photosynthetic pathway: Phenology: Flowers April to September (4). Young flowers are usually light colored and attract nocturnal insect pollinators. Flowers then turn darker with age, eventually becoming a deep red or scarlet hue (6). Distribution: Widespread from the Great Plains east to California, and from Mexico north to British Columbia. Usually growing in dry, open places, slopes, foothills, valleys, and plains. 2,000 to 8,000 feet (4). Uses Becoming noxious in certain locations. References 1. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (http://www.itis.usda.gov). 2. USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5. (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70874-4490 USA. 3. Gledhill, D. 2002. The Names of Plants. 3rd Edition. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, England. 4. McDougal, W.B. 1973. Seed Plants of Northern Arizona. The Museum of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff, Arizona. 5. Cronquist, A., Holmgren, N.H., Holmgren, P.K. 1997. Intermountain Flora. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Volume 3A. The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, New York. 6. Epple, A. O. 1995. A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona. Falcon Publishing. Helena, Mountana. 7. Zomlefer, W. 1994. Flowering Plant Families. The University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill and London. 8. California Department of Food and Agriculture. (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov).