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Bolander's woodland-star, hillstar

Habit Plants usually robust. Plants slender.
Flowering stems

branched, (rarely bearing bulbils in place of flowers), 25–85 cm.

simple, 20–50 cm.

Leaves

in basal rosette and cauline, basal unlobed or 3–5-lobed, never deeply lobed, cauline (2–3+), alternate, often 3–4-lobed, much reduced, similar to basal, (rarely with axillary bulbils);

stipules small, not decurrent on petiole, (margins fimbriate);

petiole usually to 25 cm;

blade green, orbiculate, surfaces hairy.

in basal rosette and cauline, basal digitately 3-lobed, segments again lobed, cauline (2–3), 3-foliolate or deeply lobed, reduced, similar to basal (except lobes longer);

stipules large, decurrent on petiole base;

petiole to 11 cm;

blade dark green or reddish green, orbiculate, (base hastate), surfaces densely hairy.

Inflorescences

1–3, erect, 3–5(–25)-flowered racemes, 2(–3)-branched, (10–85 cm).

usually 1, (lax), nodding, 4–8-flowered racemes, simple.

Pedicels

equaling or shorter than hypanthium, (flowers long-pedicellate).

not exceeding length of hypanthium.

Flowers

persistent, fragrant, horizontal;

hypanthium narrowly campanulate with obtuse base, usually not elongating in fruit, throat open, (length 2 times diam.);

sepals erect in bud, widely spreading after anthesis, triangular;

petals (completely exserted), widely spreading, white, ovate-elliptic, narrowly clawed, usually unlobed with serrations at base, sometimes 3–5-lobed, 4–7 mm, ultimate margins entire;

ovary to 1/2 inferior;

styles slightly exerted in fruit;

stigma papillae apical.

deciduous if unfertilized, fragrant, horizontal;

hypanthium elongate-obconic, elongating in fruit, abruptly expanding, open at throat, (9–11 mm, length 3–4 times diam.);

sepals erect, triangular;

petals widely spreading, pink, obovate-rhombic, narrowly clawed, 3-lobed, 4–14 mm, ultimate margins entire;

ovary 1/2+ to ± entirely inferior;

styles included in fruit;

stigma papillae in narrow subapical band.

Seeds

0.3–5 mm, tuberculate (tubercles in 3–19 rows, spinelike).

0.6–0.7 mm, smooth or wrinkled.

2n

= 14, 28, 35, 42.

= 28.

Lithophragma bolanderi

Lithophragma trifoliatum

Phenology Flowering May–Jun. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Well-drained, open, grassy areas of oak or coniferous-oak woodland Exposed runnels or near small streams, oak-coniferous woodland
Elevation 0-1500 m (0-4900 ft) 40-700 m (100-2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
Discussion

Lithophragma bolanderi is known from California along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada from Shasta County to the San Gabriel Mountains and the north-central inner coastal mountains around San Francisco Bay north to Mendocino County.

Variable vegetative features, such as petal shape, size of seeds, and general growth habit, are the result of environmental factors and gene interchange among species. Lithophragma bolanderi is best distinguished from L. heterophyllum by the shape of the hypanthium base, position of styles and stigmas in fruit, length of seed tubercles, and general outline of the petals.

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

Lithophragma trifoliatum is known from the western slope of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada in California. It is closely related to L. parviflorum and was considered a variety by P. E. Elvander (1993). The shape of the hypanthium, the fragrant flowers, the relatively large pink petals, and the relatively large seeds are distinctive. Lithophragma trifoliatum rarely produces seed; in cultivation, self-pollination was unsuccessful (R. L. Taylor 1965). It may represent a sterile derivative of L. parviflorum that now persists by vegetative reproduction.

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

Source FNA vol. 8, p. 82. FNA vol. 8, p. 80.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Lithophragma Saxifragaceae > Lithophragma
Sibling taxa
L. affine, L. campanulatum, L. cymbalaria, L. glabrum, L. heterophyllum, L. maximum, L. parviflorum, L. tenellum, L. trifoliatum
L. affine, L. bolanderi, L. campanulatum, L. cymbalaria, L. glabrum, L. heterophyllum, L. maximum, L. parviflorum, L. tenellum
Synonyms L. heterophyllum var. bolanderi, L. heterophyllum var. scabrellum, L. scabrellum, L. scabrellum var. peirsonii, Tellima heterophylla var. bolanderi, Tellima scabrella L. parviflorum var. trifoliatum
Name authority A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 535. 1865 , Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 200. 1905 (as trifoliata),
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