WILD FOUR-O'CLOCK, Mirabilis
nyctoginea (Michx.) MacM. 1, upper part of plant in flower;
2, fleshy taproot; 3, leaf; 4, flower; 5, seed.
Perennial, with large, tough taproot. Reproduces by seeds. Stems
smooth, bushy, often 4-sided, 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 cm) tall. Leaves
heart-shaped, 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long by 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to
7.5 cm) wide, smooth, opposite, with smooth margins. Flowers bloom
from June to October; are red, small, with 1 to 5 in a cluster. Seeds
hairy, oblong, grayish-brown, with 5 ridges. Found rather generally
along roadsides, in gardens, meadows, pastures, and waste places. Not usually
troublesome in cultivated land.