The Four-o'clock Family
What are they?
The Nyctaginaceae is a family of largely tropical or warm-temperate plants with the species especially concentrated in the Americas. Perhaps the best-known members of the family are the Bougainvilleas, climbing plants with dazzlingly-coloured flower bracts that are popular throughout the warmer parts of the world as garden ornamentals. But many of the plants are smaller, less obvious species and many of them have flowers that open in late afternoon and into the night, to be pollinated by moths. This late flower opening has resulted in many of the species being known as 'Four-o'clocks', as it is around this time that many of them open in the tropics, where day length times are less variable than they are here in the UK.
Where are they found?
There are no native members of this family in the UK and only a single species has been recorded in the East Anglian region. As a garden escape, it is ost likely to be found in urban areas or places where garden waste may have been dumped.
Identification
With only a single species, identification is straightforward. The late opening of the flowers is certainly a useful feature!
Marvel-of-Peru Mirabilis jalapa
Introduced from Central America (despite its English name!) as a garden ornamental. Recorded just a handful of times in East Anglia and typically not persisting for long, being somewhat frost tender. Flowers June to August. Flowers white, pink, crimson or orange-yellow, opening late afternoon and into the night. Thus, plants found dearlier in the day will have the flowers tightly closed, looking as if they have gone over.
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