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Over the next years, as the vigorous Oenothera multiplied, de Vries found that eight hundred new variants had spontaneously arisen—plants with gigantic leaves, with hairy stems, or with odd-shaped flowers.

Indeed, if you coupled the genesis of spontaneous mutants—the giant-leaved Oenothera, say—with natural selection, then Darwin’s relentless engine was automatically set in motion.

For her thesis, Hajar studied seed-dispersal strategies of Oenothera deltoides, the bird-cage plant of Californian deserts.

Lindheimer’s Beeblossom, Oenothera lindheimeri: A food source for birds and pollinators.

Oenothera fruticosa seed: Specialty Perennials, 952-432-8673, hardyplants.com.