The flowers in this family include the Willowherbs (Epilobium and Chamerion ), Evening Primroses (Oenothera) and Fuchsia (popular ornamental exotic). They are predominantly 4-merous although occasionally 2-merous as in the first example below.
Flowers are usually arranged in spikes or terminal clusters.
Leaves are usually simple pinnate, lanceolate in shape, sometimes broad, sometimes narrow and arranged spirally, in whorls or in opposite pairs.
(source: Wikipedia)
Click on a thumbnail photo to go to full photo and description.
Rounded or notched at base, narrowing gradually to pointed tip, margin slightly wavy and serrated
FLOWER TYPE
Symmetry:
--radial (star-shaped as seen from above).
Petals:
--usually 4, in this case 2
This plant:
2-merous form and not 4-merous though 2 deeply notched petals give appearance of 4, 2-4mm long , 2 anthers and single style, 2 backwards-bending sepals
INFLORESCENCE TYPE
Spike-like
--flowers concentrated at the ends of each stem in an elongated fashion, either erect or drooping.
This plant:
Well-spaced out flowers on slender hairy stalks with no bracts at the base arranged along green upright stem.
In spite of the English name 'Nightshade' this flower is not a member of the Nightshade family but related to the willowherbs and evening primroses. Unlike the true nightshades it is not a poisonous plant and has been used in traditional Austrian folk medicine as infusions and compresses to treat a number of complaints including gout, fever and rheumatism.
In winter the aerial parts die back leaving an underground rhizome.
The leaves are broad, slightly notched at the base, narrowing towards the tip with a wavy and roughly toothed margin and arranged in opposite pairs.
Stems are covered in short glandular hairs.
The flower spike is slender and flowers are numerous, small, very delicate and spaced out, carried on short stalks progressively bending downwards as the flower matures and fruits begin to develop. There are no bracts at the base of the stalks. The 2 sepals bend sharply backwards when the flower blooms.
Fruits are covered with hooked bristles that get caught in the fur of passing animals and are so dispersed. The rounded 'pod' contains two equal cells each containing a single seed.
!W!
Whole plant showing broad, lanceolate leaves arranged in pairs and slender flower spikes with tiny white flowers
!D!
detail of flowers showing 2 deeply notched petals, two stamens and single style with broad stigma (pinkish in photo(, backward-bending sepals (side view) and downwards-angled flower stalks
!S!
developing globular fruits with hooked bristles, hairy main stem and stalks
White
Yellow
Blue
Red
Other
• Backwater
• Marsh
• Damp Grasslands
•Scrub
• Cultivated Fields
• Wayside 
• Dry Grasslands
• Woodland
In spite of the English name 'Nightshade' this flower is not a member of the Nightshade family but related to the willowherbs and evening primroses. Unlike the true nightshades it is not a poisonous plant and has been used in traditional Austrian folk medicine as infusions and compresses to treat a number of complaints including gout, fever and rheumatism.
In winter the aerial parts die back leaving an underground rhizome.
The leaves are broad, slightly notched at the base, narrowing towards the tip with a wavy and roughly toothed margin and arranged in opposite pairs.
Stems are covered in short glandular hairs.
The flower spike is slender and flowers are numerous, small, very delicate and spaced out, carried on short stalks progressively bending downwards as the flower matures and fruits begin to develop. There are no bracts at the base of the stalks. The 2 sepals bend sharply backwards when the flower blooms.
Fruits are covered with hooked bristles that get caught in the fur of passing animals and are so dispersed. The rounded 'pod' contains two equal cells each containing a single seed.