Verbesina alternifolia
wingstem [Blooms: Jul-Oct]
Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) flowerheads and fruit. Bottom right: three wingstem flowerheads, one being visited by a honeybee. Note the drooping petals and club-like disk florets forming a hemisphere in the center of the flowerhead. The dark cylinders protruding from some disk florets are the stamens; the paired circles (arrow) at the tips of others disk florets are the bifurcated stigmas. Top right: close-up of wingstem disc florets. Note the “pince-nez” recurved stigmas (e.g., arrow) on the right and the left sides of the dome formed by the disk florets; at the apex off the dome are three disk florets with protruding stamens. The anthers are black and flattened, covering the surface of the apex of the stamen’s filaments. Top left: a panicle of wingstem flowerheads and seed heads. The flowerheads are in the lower foreground of the image; the spiky balls in the upper background are ripening seedheads. Lower left: close-up of a single wingstem seedhead. The individual seeds (visible in the main image and isolated in the image on the lower right) are flattened, winged disks with a pair of spiky awns at their apex.
The top of the wingstem plant is a dome (a panicle) of coarse-looking flowerheads. Each flowerhead is 1-2″ across, with 2-10 yellow, oblong, drooping petals, 1/2-1″ long that are derived from the sterile ray florets. Some 40-60+ yellowish-green, tubular disk florets project in all directions in a hemisphere of widely-spaced, robust, bud-like blunt cylinders, the tips of the disk florets. When receptive to pollen, the disk florets bear a protruding style with a bifurcated, curling pair of stigmas (likened by one source to a “pince-nez” — a pair of eyeglasses on a handle); the five stamens and their flattened, black anthers are appressed to the body of the style. The fruit is a teardrop-shaped seed with a pair of thin wings and two short, robust, spiky awns. Immature seeds are green; the seeds (and seedheads) turn brown when mature.
Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) stems and leaves. Left: a stem of wingstem. Note the alternate insertion of the leaves on the stem and the prominent, ribbon-like wings of tissue (arrows) running longitudinally along the stem. Right: two wingstem leaves. In each pair of images, the upper image shows the upper surface of the leaf; the lower image shows the underside of the same leaf. Note the shallow serrations along the leaf margins and the variation in overall leaf shape.
Wingstem is a native perennial, a towering plant (up to eight feet tall) with an unbranched stem (except at the inflorescence). The stem, especially the lower portions, is “winged” with prominent “keels” of tissue running along portions of the stem below leaf nodes; there are long, white hairs on the stem between the wings and on unwinged portions of the upper stem. The leaves are alternate, up to 10″ long and 2.5″ wide, with pointed tips and elongate-oval blades tapering to long, petiole-like, bases; the margins may be smooth or lightly serrated. The upper surface of the leaves is olive-green and rough; the underside is light green with hairs on the major veins.
A wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) plant on the east side of Wooded Island. An enlarged image of a flowerhead is shown on the upper right.
Wingstem is a native perennial, a towering plant (up to eight feet tall) with an unbranched stem (except at the inflorescence). The stem, especially the lower portions, is “winged” with prominent “keels” of tissue running along portions of the stem below leaf nodes; there are long, white hairs on the stem between the wings and on unwinged portions of the upper stem. The leaves are alternate, up to 10″ long and 2.5″ wide, with pointed tips and elongate-oval blades tapering to long, petiole-like, bases; the margins may be smooth or lightly serrated. The upper surface of the leaves is olive-green and rough; the underside is light green with hairs on the major veins. The top of the plant is a dome (a panicle) of coarse-looking flowerheads. Each flowerhead is 1-2″ across, with 2-10 yellow, oblong, drooping petals, 1/2-1″ long that are derived from the sterile ray florets. Some 40-60+ yellowish-green, tubular disk florets project in all directions in a hemisphere of widely-spaced, robust, bud-like blunt cylinders, the tips of the disk florets. When receptive to pollen, the disk florets bear a protruding style with a bifurcated, curling pair of stigmas (likened by one source to a “pince-nez” — a pair of eyeglasses on a handle); the five stamens and their flattened, black anthers are appressed to the body of the style. The fruit is a teardrop-shaped seed with a pair of thin wings and two short, robust, spiky awns. Immature seeds are green; the seeds (and seedheads) turn brown when mature.
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![Evening primrose — clusters of yellow flowers occur at the apex of the plant. The flowers are 1-2" across, with four 1/2-1" long green sepals strongly reflected over a long (3/4-2"), green, cylindrical floral tube (the ovary is located just above the leaf axil), four heart-shaped yellow petals, eight stamens, and a single style with an X-shaped stigma. The sepals typically remain connected (in pairs) along one edge until the flower opens. The seedpods develop within the ovary (the base of the elongate floral tube); they are hairy, urn-shaped with rounded edges, and have four or eight small lobes on the apex. The seeds are claimed to remain viable in the soil for up to 70 years. The flowers open at dusk and close early in the day. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_biennis-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Northern evening primrose flowers are 3/4-1.5" across, have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; the stamens are as long or longer than the petals and the stigma is nearly fills the floral opening. At the base of the flower are four sepals 1/2-1" long, that bend back along the 3/4-1.5" long floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. Only northern evening primrose with a distinct ridge or knob near the tips of the sepals. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is 3/4-1.5" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four robust, flaring lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals and is the only one of the three evening primroses to (sometimes) have reddish color on some or all of the midvein of the leaves. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_parviflora-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Hairy evening primrose produves an elongating spike of flowers arises from the apex of the stem; flowers bloom near the tip while older flowers and seed capsules develop below. Individual flowers are 3/4-1.5" across; they sit on a long floral tube with the ovary at its base (attached to a leaf axil). The flowers have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; at the base of the flower are four sepals 3/8-3/4" long, reflected back along the floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. The sepals are often red-striped or red-tinged. Note the long, hairy floral tube below the sepals, the reddish stem, and glandular hairs with red bases on the ovary. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is up to 1.75" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four tiny lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_villosa-1t-300x300.jpg)
