1. Nicotiana longiflora Cav. (long-flowered tobacco)

Pl. 562 c; Map 2618

Plants annual (short-lived perennials elsewhere), more or less fleshy-rooted. Stems 30–60(–100) cm long, relatively slender, sparsely short-hairy toward the tip. Leaves few and much-reduced above the persistent basal rosettes (the stems usually appearing relatively naked), the margins entire or somewhat wavy, sometimes somewhat corrugated, the surfaces moderately to densely and minutely hairy. Basal rosette leaves 5–30 cm long, the blades oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, rounded or more commonly angled to a bluntly or sharply pointed tip, tapered to a short, winged petiole at the base, some of the hairs gland-tipped. Stem leaves 1–9 cm long, linear to narrowly lanceolate or narrowly oblong-lanceolate, tapered to a sharply pointed tip, sessile, slightly expanded or with a pair of small, clasping auricles at the base. Inflorescences short panicles or racemes, relatively few-flowered. Calyces 13–17 mm long, 10-ribbed, glandular-hairy, the tube about as long as to slightly shorter than the 5 narrowly triangular lobes, these long-tapered to sharply pointed tips. Corollas 7–11 cm long, trumpet-shaped, glandular-hairy, the tube slender, pale yellow to cream-colored, sometimes purplish-tinged, the lobes 7–12 mm long, narrowly ovate, white, pale yellow or light purple. Fruits 11–16 mm long, ovoid. Seeds 0.4–0.6 mm in longest dimension, the surface with a fine network of ridges or appearing finely wrinkled, light brown. 2n=20. May–August.

Introduced, uncommon, sporadic (native of South America, introduced sporadically in the eastern half of the U.S.; Canada). Railroads, roadsides, and open, disturbed areas.

For many years a population of this species existed on ballast ground along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, but it now appears to have become extirpated.

Nicotiana ×sanderae W. Watson (red-flowered garden nicotiana) is a horticulturally derived hybrid bred from crosses between N. alata Link & Otto and N. forgetiana Hemsl. It has been recorded from a single historical collection from St. Louis County. It is superficially similar to N. longiflora, but differs in its broader stem leaves, corollas variously white, pink, red, or purple (occasionally even yellow) with a somewhat stouter tube and larger lobes, and its somewhat longer calyces.