Gaura brachycarpa Small, Fl. S.E. U.S., 848, 1335. 1903, not Oenothera brachycarpa A. Gray 1852; G. hexandra Ortega var. coryi (Munz) Munz; G. tripetala Cavanilles var. coryi Munz

Herbs annual, villous prox­imally, sparsely villous along leaf veins and on margins, usually glabrate or, sometimes, strigillose distally; from taproot. Stems usually well-branched from base and distally, rarely unbranched, 15–65(–85) cm. Leaves in a basal rosette and cauline, basal 6–9.5 × 1–2 cm, blade lyrate; cauline 1–7 × 0.1–2.3 cm, blade narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, margins shallowly sinuate-denticulate to subentire. Flowers (3- or)4-merous, zygomorphic, opening at sunset; floral tube 6–12 mm; sepals 10–15 mm; petals white, fading pink to purple, elliptic-obovate, 8–13 mm; filaments 5–8 mm, anthers 2–4 mm, pollen 90–100% fertile; style 15–24 mm, stigma exserted beyond anthers at anthesis. Capsules ellipsoid, narrowly (3- or)4-winged, deeply furrowed between wings, 6–10 × 2–3 mm, with or without prominent lower corners, narrowed to a stipe 0–1 mm; sessile. Seeds 3 or 4, yellowish to reddish brown, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm. 2n = 14.

Flowering Feb–Jun. Open, sandy sites; 0–300 m; La., Miss., Okla., Tex.

Oenothera patriciae is known from Acadia Parish, Louisiana, Amite County, Mississippi, Bryan and Love counties, Oklahoma, and eastern Texas.

Reports of Oenothera patriciae near Tulsa, Okla­homa, and at the single locations in Arkansas and Mississippi may represent introductions. P. H. Raven and D. P. Gregory (1972[1973]) determined O. patriciae to be self-compatible, but primarily outcrossing.