What is "evening primrose"

Evening \E"ven*ing\, n. [AS. [=ae]fnung. See even, n., and cf. Eve.]

1. The latter part and close of the day, and the beginning of darkness or night; properly, the decline of the day, or of the sun.

   In the ascending scale Of heaven, the stars that usher evening rose.
   --Milton.

   Note: Sometimes, especially in the Southern parts of the United States, the afternoon is called evening.
   --Bartlett.

2. The latter portion, as of life; the declining period, as of strength or glory.

   Note: Sometimes used adjectively; as, evening gun. ``Evening Prayer.''
   --Shak.

   Evening flower (Bot.), a genus of iridaceous plants ( Hesperantha) from the Cape of Good Hope, with sword-shaped leaves, and sweet-scented flowers which expand in the evening.

   Evening grosbeak (Zo["o]l.), an American singing bird ( Coccothraustes vespertina) having a very large bill. Its color is olivaceous, with the crown, wings, and tail black, and the under tail coverts yellow. So called because it sings in the evening.

   Evening primrose. See under Primrose.

   The evening star, the bright star of early evening in the western sky, soon passing below the horizon; specifically, the planet Venus; -- called also Vesper and Hesperus. During portions of the year, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are also evening stars. See Morning Star.

Primrose \Prim"rose`\, n. [OE. primerole, F. primerole, a derivative fr. LL. primula, from L. primus first. See Prime, a.] (Bot.)

1. An early flowering plant of the genus Primula ( Primula vulgaris) closely allied to the cowslip. There are several varieties, as the white-, the red-, the yellow-flowered, etc. Formerly called also primerole, primerolles.

2. Any plant of the genus Primula.

   Evening primrose, an erect biennial herb ( Enothera biennis), with yellow vespertine flowers, common in the United States. The name is sometimes extended to other species of the same genus.

   Primrose peerless, the two-flowered Narcissus ( Narcissus biflorus). [Obs.]

n. Various flowering plants of the genus ''Oenothera'' or (taxlink Camissonia genus noshow=1), in the family Onagraceae, especially the (vern common evening primrose pedia=1), ''Oenothera biennis''.

n. any of several plants of the family Onagraceae

Evening Primrose is a musical with a book by James Goldman and lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim. It is based on a John Collier short story published in the 1951 collection Fancies and Goodnights.

Written originally for television, the musical focuses on a poet who takes refuge from the world by hiding out in a department store after closing. He meets a community of night people who live in the store and falls in love with a beautiful young girl named Ella. Bizarre complications arise when the leader of the group forbids their relationship.