Taxon Report

Oenothera cavernae Munz

cave evening-primrose

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Oenothera cavernae, commonly known as cave evening-primrose, is a annual herb in the Onagraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland", and Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from 760 to 1280 meters. Oenothera cavernae is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Oenothera cavernae Munz
Common Name:	cave evening-primrose
Family:	Onagraceae
Element Code:	PDONA0C090
USDA Plants Symbol:	OECA5
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	annual herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Nov	Mar-Nov
Elevation:	760-1280 (2495-4200)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub
Microhabitat:	Gravelly
Microhabitat Details:	often calcareous

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.1
Global Rank:	G2G3
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.1 to 2B.1 on 2013-06-12 added to 2.1 on 2008-08-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	6
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Clark Mtn. (3511555), Ivanpah Lake (3511554), State Line Pass (3511564)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	3
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	50 %
Grazing	2	33%
Mining	2	33%
Development	1	16%

Notes




Threats:
Threatened by energy development. Possibly threatened by grazing and mining.
Taxonomy:
Not in The Jepson Manual (1993).

Selected References

Proposed Addition to CRPR 2.1, G2G3 / S1 (2008)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 1 November 2025].