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Dodecatheon dentatum

dentate shooting star, tooth American cowslip, white shooting star

Wasatch shootingstar

Habit Plants 15–40(–50) cm; scape glabrous. Plants (8–)10–25(–30) cm; scape glabrous.
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.

4–12(–20) × (1–)1.5–4(–4.5) cm;

petiole slender (at least basally);

blade oblanceolate to broadly elliptic, base slightly decurrent onto stem in some, abruptly tapering to petiole, margins slightly sinuate to subentire, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

(1–)2–5(–11)-flowered;

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

2–6(–9)-flowered;

bracts linear to narrowly lanceolate, 4–8(–10) mm, glabrous.

Pedicels

0.8–5 cm, glabrous.

(0.5–)0.8–3.5(–4.5) cm, glabrous.

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 green, speckled with maroon, 3–6 mm, glabrous, tube 1–3 mm, lobes 5, 2–3 mm;

corolla tube white or yellowish with reddish to maroon, thin, wavy ring, lobes 5, pale lavender to pink, (7–)10–16 mm;

filaments slightly connate, tube yellow with maroon speckles or stripes to purplish maroon, 0.5–1.8 × 0.5–1 mm;

anthers (5–)6–7.5 mm;

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

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.

light green to tan, often speckled with maroon, reddish brown apically, valvate, narrowly ovoid, 8–10 × 3–4 mm, glabrous;

walls thin, pliable.

Seeds

without membrane along edges.

without membrane along edges.

2n

= 44.

Dodecatheon dentatum

Dodecatheon utahense

Phenology Flowering late spring–summer. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Moist stream banks, cliff faces and steep slopes mainly in meadows and open oak and/or conifer woodlands Moist, shady limestone cliffs in open conifer woodlands
Elevation 60-2600 m (200-8500 ft) 2100-2900 m (6900-9500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
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.)

Of conservation concern.

Dodecatheon utahense is known only from from both sides of the road at Moss Ledge in Big Cottonwood Canyon and from the Lake Blance area, Salt Lake County. The plants can have a narrow caudex to which long trailing leaves and roots are attached, the plants often hanging from steep canyon walls. Other plants tend to occur in the cracks of the rocks on a compact caudex; these plants usually are upright and tend to be much shorter (to 20 cm) compared to the hanging plants.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 278. FNA vol. 8, p. 279.
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. conjugens, D. dentatum, D. ellisiae, D. frenchii, D. frigidum, D. hendersonii, D. jeffreyi, D. meadia, D. poeticum, D. pulchellum, D. redolens, D. subalpinum
Synonyms D. latilobum, D. meadia var. latilobum, Primula latiloba D. dentatum var. utahense, D. dentatum subsp. utahense, Primula utahensis
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 119. 1838 , (N. H. Holmgren) Reveal: Sida 22: 864. 2006 ,
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