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| Scientific Name | Mirabilis albida (Mirabilis hirsuta) | USDA PLANTS Symbol | MIAL4 |
| Common Name | White Four O'clock, Hairy Four O'clock | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 19626 |
| Family | Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description |
Life zones and habitat: Plains to foothills (3900 to 8200 ft.); dry, sandy or rocky soils in meadows and hillsides. Plant: Perennial with erect or decumbent, branching stems 30 to 48 inches tall; herbage often hairy, especially the upper portions. Leaves: Lanceolate-oblong to ovate, opposite leaves, 3/8 to 4 inches long and 1/4 to 2-1/2 inches wide; sessile or on petioles up to 1-5/8 inches long; surfaces green to blue-gray, and smooth to hairy. Inflorescence: White to pink or purple clusters of 2 or 3 flowers on hairy peduncles up to an inch long in terminal, few-branched panicles, or solitary in leaf axils; each cluster enclosed by a bell-shaped involucre up to 1/4-inch long in flower and twices as long in fruit; involucre bracts are hairy, and pale green or blushed with purple; flowers blooms early in the day, dropping their petals soon after. Bloom Period: June to September. Fruit: Hairy, brown to dark brown obovoid to narrowly obovate seed capsules less than 1/4-inch long. References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield and SEINet. Note: Images here were taken at mid-day after all of the petals had dropped, so you see the greenish-white, spreading involucre bracts and the dark brown seed capsules. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Colorado Status: Native |
| Scientific Name | Mirabilis linearis | USDA PLANTS Symbol | MILI3 |
| Common Name | Narrow-leaf Four O'clock | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 19651 |
| Family | Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description |
Life zones and habitat: Plains to montane (3900 to 9500 ft.); gravelly areas, roadsides, trails, open areas. Plant: Spreading perennial 8 to 40 inches tall, grey-green foliage; stems often waxy. Leaves: Linear to linear-lanceolate, opposite leaves 1 to 4 inches long. Inflorescence: Many small white to pink-purple blossoms about 1/2 inch across in clusters of three (often only one blooming at a time) with sticky-hairy involucre below; 5 split fused lobes in bell-shaped corolla, 5 projecting pink stamens and yellow anthers. Bloom Period: June to September. References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, SEINet and www.americansouthwest.net. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Colorado Status: Native |
| Scientific Name | Mirabilis oxybaphoides | USDA PLANTS Symbol | MIOX |
| Common Name | Spreading Four O'clock | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 19657 |
| Family | Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description |
Life zones and habitat: Semi-desert to foothills (4500 to 8800 ft.); rocky soils in shady areas and forests, often tangled with other foliage. Plant: Spreading perennial 3 to 5 feet across and up to several feet tall, light green stems covered with fine hairs. Leaves: Broadly deltate or ovate, opposite fleshy leaves 1 to 4 inches long, covered with fine hairs, on petioles up to 1/4 to 1-3/8-inches long. Inflorescence: Clusters of 3 pink to purple blossoms about 1/2 inch across at branch tips, 3 flowers surrounded by a cup-shaped involucre; 5 fused lobes in bell-shaped corolla, 5 prortuding pink stamens and yellow anthers. Bloom Period: August to October. References: "Flora of Colorado" by Jennifer Ackerfield, SEINet and www.americansouthwest.net. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Colorado Status: Native |
