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Dodecatheon hendersonii

broad-leaved shooting star, Henderson's shooting star

Jeffrey's shooting star, tall mountain shooting star

Habit Scapose, perennial herbs without rhizomes but with numerous bulblets on the roots, the flowering stems 1-3 dm. tall, Scapose, perennial herbs from slender rhizomes, forming large clumps, the flowering stems 1-6 dm. tall, glabrous to glandular-pubescent.
Leaves

Leaves basal, usually glabrous, the blades ovate to deltoid-elliptic, usually entire, narrowed abruptly to petioles + as long to nearly as long.

Leaves basal, the blades oblanceolate, gradually tapered to long petioles, entire to serrulate, 0.5-4 dm. long.

Flowers

Flowers 2-15 in an umbel, terminal on the scape, 4- or 5-parted;

calyx purple-flecked, with lanceolate lobes 6-8 mm. long;

corolla 15-25 mm. long, the lobes deep magenta to light orchid, grading to yellow at the base and on the tube, the base of the tube reddish-purple;

stamens clustered around the style, opposite the petals, the filaments united to form a tube 2-4 mm. long, deep reddish-purple;

anthers 4-6 mm. long, deep red to purple;

style single, slightly exceeding the stamens, the stigma not enlarged.

Flowers 3-20 in an umbel, terminal on the scape, 4- or 5-parted;

calyx tube 2-5 mm. long, the lobes acute, 5-10 mm. long;

corolla lobes 1-2.5 cm. long, purplish, mauve, or yellowish to white, the corolla tube yellow with a reddish band;

stamens clustered around the style, opposite the petals, the filaments distinct, 1 mm. long, blackish-purple;

anthers 6-10 mm. long, yellow to reddish;

style single, barely exceeding the stamens, the stigma capitate, twice the width of the style.

Fruits

Capsule cylindric-ovoid, 7-12 mm. long, with the tip dropping off to release the seeds.

Capsule ovoid, 7-11 mm. long, with the tip dropping off to release the seeds.

Dodecatheon hendersonii

Dodecatheon jeffreyi

Flowering time March-June June-August
Habitat Woods and prairies, at low elevations in our area. Wet meadows and stream banks, mid- to high elevations in the mountains.
Distribution
Occurring west of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to Montana and Wyoming.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Native Native
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
D. alpinum, D. austrofrigidum, D. conjugens, D. dentatum, D. jeffreyi, D. poeticum, D. pulchellum
D. alpinum, D. austrofrigidum, D. conjugens, D. dentatum, D. hendersonii, D. poeticum, D. pulchellum
Web links