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bulbed woodland star, bulbiferous prairie-star, bulbous woodland-star, smooth fringecup, smooth woodland-star

Habit Plants (often red), usually fragile, (flowers sometimes replaced with bulbils). Plants slender.
Flowering stems

simple, 8–35 cm.

simple, 20–50 cm.

Leaves

in basal rosette and cauline, basal 3-lobed, (segments 3–4-lobed, round), cauline (2–4), 3-lobed or -foliolate, much reduced, similar to basal, (segments or leaflets simple or 1–3-lobed, often with axillary bulbils);

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

petiole 1–4(–8) cm;

blade green, orbiculate, base cordate, surfaces nearly glabrous or sparingly 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

solitary flowers or erect, 2–5(–7)-flowered racemes, often appearing corymbose, rarely branched unless plant with bulbils, (8–20 cm, flowers sometimes replaced with bulbils).

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

Pedicels

to 3–4 times length of hypanthium, (flowers long-pedicellate).

not exceeding length of hypanthium.

Flowers

persistent, not fragrant, horizontal;

hypanthium narrowly campanulate with acute or hemispheric base, elongating slightly in fruit, throat open, (length 2 times diam.);

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

petals (completely exserted), widely spreading, usually pink, rarely white, ovate, narrowly clawed, deeply and palmately 5-lobed, (without serrations at base, sinuses extending 4/5+ to base of lamina), 3.5–7 mm, ultimate margins entire;

ovary to 1/2 inferior;

styles slightly exserted 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

0.5–0.6 mm, tuberculate (tubercles in 3–19 rows, blunt or spinelike).

0.6–0.7 mm, smooth or wrinkled.

2n

= 14, 28.

= 28.

Lithophragma glabrum

Lithophragma trifoliatum

Phenology Flowering Feb–Sep. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Seacoast bluffs and rocky meadows, open forests, grasslands and sagebrush shrublands to dry, open, gravelly subalpine sites Exposed runnels or near small streams, oak-coniferous woodland
Elevation 30-3600 m (100-11800 ft) 40-700 m (100-2300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
Discussion

The presence or absence of bulbils is the only feature distinguishing Lithophragma glabrum and L. bulbiferum; for this reason L. bulbiferum is not recognized in this treatment. Bulbil production is extremely variable within the same clone in L. heterophyllum (R. L. Taylor 1965).

(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. 83. FNA vol. 8, p. 80.
Parent taxa Saxifragaceae > Lithophragma Saxifragaceae > Lithophragma
Sibling taxa
L. affine, L. bolanderi, L. campanulatum, L. cymbalaria, 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. bulbiferum, L. glabrum var. bulbiferum, L. tenellum var. floridum, Tellima bulbifera, Tellima glabra L. parviflorum var. trifoliatum
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 584. 1840 (as glabra) , Eastwood: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 32: 200. 1905 (as trifoliata),
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