SUNDROPS
Photos and Text: Janice Tucker

Name: Calylophus serrulatus/ Sundrops
Family: Onagraceae/ Evening primrose

Sundrops are the mavericks of the Evening primrose family, marching to the beat of a different drummer. While most evening primroses unfold their flowers toward late afternoon and early evening for pollination by night-flying insects, yellow evening primroses such as Sundrops welcome the sun with their brilliant flowers open in the morning and remain that way until the sun begins to fade.

The common name of Sundrops was given this genus because the flowers close or “drop” as the sun sinks into the horizon. However, one might argue that this is a most appropriate moniker since the happy yellow flowers conjure up images of drops of bright sunshine scattered in clusters along the ground.

Sundrops are not picky about soil, growing in clay, sandy loam, limestone, gypsum, well-drained soils and even caliche! This drought-tolerant bushy native New Mexico perennial stands between six inches and twelve inches tall. Several dozen scaly reddish stems, often woody in texture, arise from a multi-branched root crown atop long perennial taproots. The slender leaves are alternate with toothed margins, thus the species name serrulatus or “finely toothed.”

The flower, borne from the upper leaf axils, consists of a long slender tube topped by four yellow petals, opening to a width of about a half-inch. The flowers fade into an attractive orange as the blossom dies off. The genus Calylophus means “maned calyx,” most likely in reference to fine hairs on the underside of the calyx. Filaments of the eight stamens are fused to the petals, and the stigma is somewhat club-shaped. Seeds are about one inch long.

The rather long flowering season lasts from late spring through summer and sometimes into early fall. Even though the most prolific blooming occurs during the beginning of the flowering season, it continues to bloom throughout the rest of the summer.

Livestock readily devour these plants, especially new growth, causing propagation to decrease on overgrazed rangeland.

The Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve is home to this lovely plant. Come enjoy these drops of sunshine scattered near the South Trail.