Mirabilis albida (Walter) Heimerl

White Four O'clock; Pale Umbrella Wort

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

White Four O'clock is a native herbaceous perennial in the Four O’clock family (Nyctaginaceae). It is found in the Black Belt region of central Alabama, and in areas with exposed limestone or chalk in northwest Alabama. White Four O'clock occurs in prairies, in cedar glades, in sandhills, and on chalk outcrops. It is a perennial with a deep, thick tap root. There are 1-5 erect to decumbent stems from each root crown. The stems are angled and pubescent in two lines. Leaves are opposite, sessile or with a short petiole, lanceolate to elliptic in outline, with entire margins. The leaves are pubescent along the veins and often thick and leathery in texture. Leaves are mostly in the lower half of the stems and much reduced upwards. The flowers are produced in axillary and terminal panicles. Individual flowers have 5 untied involucral bracts that enlarge and form a papery bell-shaped structure that surrounds the seed. There are 1-3 flowers per involucre. The flowers are radially symmetrical and pink in color. The flowers have 5 petal-like sepals and no petals. The stamens are exserted. Flowers open in the late afternoon and close by mid-morning. The fruit is a warty achene. White Four O'clock is listed as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G5 species (demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery).--A. Diamond

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Native S2 (State Rank) G5 (Global Rank)

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