Burke: Lithophragma glabrum

	Lithophragma glabrum
	bulbiferous prairie star, bulbous woodlandstar
Habit	Glandular-pubescent, reddish-purple perennial from slender rhizomes bearing numerous rice-grain bulblets, the stems 5-25 cm. tall.
Leaves	Leaves mostly basal, with petioles 1-2.5 cm. long, the blades orbicular-reniform, 1-2 cm. broad, usually cleft to the base into 5 wedge-shaped segments, which usually have 3 rounded teeth; cauline leaves sub-sessile, similar but smaller, often with reddish-purple bulblets in their axils.
Flowers	Inflorescence congested at the tip of the stem to more elongate and racemose; calyx cup-shaped, 2.5-4 mm. long, the lobes triangular, 1 mm. or less long; petals pale pink to purplish-pink, with a short claw and obovate blade up to 8 mm. long, usually 5-cleft and the segments toothed.
Fruits	Ovary about 1/3 inferior; carpels 3, with short beaks; seeds covered with minute spines.

	Lithophragma glabrum
Flowering time	April-June
Habitat	Grasslands and sagebrush desert to ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forest openings.
Distribution	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	L. parviflorum, L. tenellum
Web links	Local floras: BC, CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Lithophragma glabrum

bulbiferous prairie star, bulbous woodlandstar

Habit

Glandular-pubescent, reddish-purple perennial from slender rhizomes bearing numerous rice-grain bulblets, the stems 5-25 cm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves mostly basal, with petioles 1-2.5 cm. long, the blades orbicular-reniform, 1-2 cm. broad, usually cleft to the base into 5 wedge-shaped segments, which usually have 3 rounded teeth;

cauline leaves sub-sessile, similar but smaller, often with reddish-purple bulblets in their axils.

Flowers

Inflorescence congested at the tip of the stem to more elongate and racemose;

calyx cup-shaped, 2.5-4 mm. long, the lobes triangular, 1 mm. or less long;

petals pale pink to purplish-pink, with a short claw and obovate blade up to 8 mm. long, usually 5-cleft and the segments toothed.

Fruits

Ovary about 1/3 inferior;

carpels 3, with short beaks;

seeds covered with minute spines.