name “German rampion”). The seeds have also been used as a sub­

Although the evening primrose plant does not produce a large amount of seeds when compared to other oilseed crops, it is preferred to other sources of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) because it is easy to produce and harbors little or no a-linolenic acid (Hudson, 1984). A crossbred commercial variety yields an oil with 72% cis-linoleic acid and 9% GLA (Liberti, 1983). The seeds are mainly produced in the United States, Europe, Israel, and New Zealand (Gunstone et al., 1986; Schweain, 1997).