Vespertine (biology)

Vespertine is a term used in the life sciences to indicate something of, relating to, or occurring in the evening. In botany, a vespertine flower is one which opens or blooms in the evening, while in zoology, it describes a creature that becomes active in the evening, as bats and owls. Vespertine animals are frequently described as "nocturnal", although this usage is not strictly correct. (See also "crepuscular.") Etymologically it is derived from the Latin word "vesper" meaning evening. A synonym for vespertine both in botany and zoology is "crepuscular", although strictly speaking "crepuscular" refers to both early morning and early evening.

List of common vespertine flowers

*Angel's trumpet ("Brugmansia")
*Soapwort ("Saponaria officinalis")
*Nicotiana or Woodland Tobacco ("Nicotiana sylvestris")
*Nicotiana or Jasmine Tobacco ("Nicotiana alata")
*Ten-week stock
*Night-scented stock ("Matthiola bicornis")
*Single white petunias
*Devil's trumpet ("Datura")
*Calypso ("Hemerocallis")
*Echinopsis sp.
*"Hemerocallis citrina"
*Moonflower ("Impomoea alba")
*Silene or catchflies ("Silene nutans")
*Silene or catchflies ("Silene noctiflora")
*Silene or catchflies ("Silene vespertina")
*Vesper campion ("Lychnis vespertina")
*Evening primrose ("Oenothera caespitosa")
*Evening primrose ("Oenothera acaulis")
*Evening primrose ("Oenothera biennis")
*Evening primrose ("Oenothera californica")
*Evening primrose ("Oenothera brachycarpa")
*"Gladiolus tristis"
*"Nycterinia selaginoides"
*"Schizopetalon walkeri"