evening primrose
evening primrose Lexical Profile
• noun
The dietary supplement or seed oil extracted from the Oenothera plant, noted for its high concentration of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
"The nutritionist recommended taking evening primrose to help manage her inflammatory skin condition."
A herbaceous plant of the genus Oenothera, native primarily to the Americas, characterized by yellow, white, or pink flowers that rapidly open in the late afternoon or evening.
"We planted evening primrose along the garden border to attract sphinx moths at dusk."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The plant was named 'evening primrose' because its flowers resemble true primroses (though they belong to entirely different botanical families) and typically unfurl in the evening hours to attract nocturnal pollinators.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.