Ten years ago I learned that botanists have moved all the plants in the former genus Gaura to Oenothera. The one shown here in two views from June 6th around the Arbor Walk Pond is now Oenothera curtiflora, known as downy gaura and velvet gaura (and even velvetweed) because of the plant's many small hairs that make it soft to the touch. I've noticed that low leaves on the stalk have a tendency to turn yellow, as you see below.

And check out the broad distribution this species has across large parts of the United States.

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"Bill Gates and his energy company are starting construction at their Wyoming site for a next-generation nuclear power plant he believes will 'revolutionize' how power is generated.

"Gates was in the tiny community of Kemmerer Monday to break ground on the project. The co-founder of Microsoft is chairman of TerraPower. The company applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March for a construction permit for an advanced nuclear reactor that uses sodium, not water, for cooling. If approved, it would operate as a commercial nuclear power plant."

That's the beginning of Jennifer McDermitt's June 10th AP article article titled "In Wyoming, Bill Gates moves ahead with nuclear project aimed at revolutionizing power generation." You can read the full story.

© 2024 Steven Schwartzman