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Dodecatheon dentatum

dentate shooting star, tooth American cowslip, white shooting star

Dodecatheon conjugens

Bonneville shooting star, desert shootingstar, slim-pod shooting star

Habit Plants 15–40(–50) cm; scape glabrous. Plants 5–30(–40) cm; scape usually glabrous, sometimes glandular-puberulent proximally.
Caudices

not obvious at anthesis, or sometimes erect to slightly horizontal, slender;

roots white or reddish;

bulblets absent.

not obvious at anthesis;

roots whitish;

bulblets absent.

Leaves

(3.5–)8–20(–30) × (1–)2.5–6(–7) cm;

petiole slightly winged;

blade ovate, base decurrent onto stem, abruptly tapering to petiole, margins subentire to sinuate or crenate, surfaces glabrous.

3–13(–18) × 0.7–2.5(–4) cm;

petiole slender (at least proximally);

blade narrowly oblanceolate to spatulate or obovate, base usually not decurrent onto stem, usually abruptly tapering to petiole, margins entire, surfaces glabrous or glandular-puberulent.

Inflorescences

(1–)2–5(–11)-flowered;

bracts lanceolate, 1.5–5(–8) mm, glabrous.

1–7(–10)-flowered;

bracts lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 3–10 mm, glandular-puberulent.

Pedicels

0.8–5 cm, glabrous.

1–5 cm, glabrous or glandular-puberulent.

Flowers

calyx light green, 4–6 mm, glabrous, tube 2–3.5 mm, lobes 5, 1.5–3(–4) mm;

corolla tube yellow with red, thin, wavy ring, lobes 5, white, 7–18(–20) mm;

filaments distinct, maroon to black, 0.1–0.5 mm;

anthers (4.5–)5–7.5 mm;

pollen sacs maroon to black, connective dark purple to maroon, smooth;

stigma not enlarged compared to style.

calyx light green to yellowish, sometimes finely purple-speckled or -dotted, 5–12 mm, glabrous or glandular-puberulent, tube 2–6 mm, lobes 5, 3–7 mm;

corolla tube yellowish with purplish red, thin, wavy ring, lobes 5, usually magenta, sometimes white, 7–25(–35) mm;

filaments usually distinct, yellowish or dark maroon, 0.5–1.5 mm, rarely partially connate and tube 0.5–1.5 × 1.5–5 mm;

anthers 5–9 mm;

pollen sacs usually maroon or yellow, sometimes yellowish and speckled maroon, rarely with reddish purple to purple speckles, connective usually maroon, sometimes yellowish or light blue to whitish, transversely rugose;

stigma not enlarged compared to style.

Capsules

pale greenish to tannish, dark yellow apically, valvate, narrowly ovoid, (6–)8–11 × 3–5 mm, glabrous;

walls thin, pliable.

tan, often striped with purple, usually operculate, rarely valvate, cylindric-ovoid, 8–17(–22) × 4–6(–8) mm, glabrous;

walls thin, pliable.

Seeds

without membrane along edges.

without membrane along edges.

2n

= 44.

= 44.

Dodecatheon dentatum

Dodecatheon conjugens

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Moist stream banks, cliff faces and steep slopes mainly in meadows and open oak and/or conifer woodlands
Elevation 60-2600 m (200-8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; NV; OR; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dodecatheon dentatum occurs mainly on the eastern slope of the Cascade Range from south-central British Columbia to central Washington, with disjunct populations near the Columbia River in southwestern Washington, the Columbia River Gorge, northeastern Oregon, and northern Idaho. In Idaho, this species occasionally forms hybrids with D. pulchellum var. pulchellum (Oberle 262, MO).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Both Dodecatheon conjugens and D. poeticum occur in proximity in the Columbia River gorge. Some specimens here assigned to var. conjugens may have scattered, minute glands on the pedicels that might indicate past hybridization with D. poeticum (e.g., G. N. Jones 6286, ORE; R. R. Halse 3790, OSC, WTU). Dodecatheon poeticum is densely glandular not only on the pedicels, but also on the calyx and scape. The type of minute glandular puberulence seen on var. conjugens found along the Columbia River west of The Dalles is somewhat similar to that seen on var. viscidum in western Montana and Canada. Some plants referred here to D. conjugens have slightly connate filaments that may indicate some intergradation with D. pulchellum var. pulchellum. This suggestion is supported by the tendency in the same plants to have narrower leaves.

Some newly emerged flowers tend to have connectives that are less rugose than normal. This is particularly true of some populations in southern Alberta and, to a lesser degree, in Saskatchewan.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf blades, scapes, and pedicels glabrous.
var. conjugens
1. Leaf blades, scapes proximally, and pedicels usually glandular-puberulent.
var. viscidum
Source FNA vol. 8, p. 278. FNA vol. 8, p. 271.
Parent taxa Primulaceae > Dodecatheon Primulaceae > Dodecatheon
Sibling taxa
D. alpinum, D. amethystinum, D. austrofrigidum, D. clevelandii, D. conjugens, D. ellisiae, D. frenchii, D. frigidum, D. hendersonii, D. jeffreyi, D. meadia, D. poeticum, D. pulchellum, D. redolens, D. subalpinum, D. utahense
D. alpinum, D. amethystinum, D. austrofrigidum, D. clevelandii, D. dentatum, D. ellisiae, D. frenchii, D. frigidum, D. hendersonii, D. jeffreyi, D. meadia, D. poeticum, D. pulchellum, D. redolens, D. subalpinum, D. utahense
Subordinate taxa
D. conjugens var. conjugens, D. conjugens var. viscidum
Synonyms D. latilobum, D. meadia var. latilobum, Primula latiloba Primula conjugens
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 119. 1838 , Greene: Erythea 3: 40. (1895)
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