Dodecatheon dentatum

Dodecatheon dentatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, known by the common names white shooting star and toothed American cowslip.

Dodecatheon dentatum

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Scientific classification
Kingdom:
(unranked):
(unranked):
(unranked):
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Dodecatheon
Species:
D. dentatum
Binomial name
Dodecatheon dentatum

It is native to areas of western North America, in Arizona, British Columbia, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington (state),[1] and Chihuahua in Mexico.[2]

Description

Dodecatheon dentatum is an herbaceous perennial growing to 40–50 cm (16–20 in) in height.

This species has toothed (dentate) leaves, hence one of its common names.[3] The leaves have pointed oval blades up to 10 cm long by 6 cm wide with wavy or toothed edges. Each is borne on a long, winged petiole.

The inflorescence contains 1 to 12 flowers. It arises on a tall, erect flowering stalk. The flower corolla has five white lobes each 1 or 2 centimeters long. They are reflexed away from the flower's center, which contains one style surrounded by large reddish, purplish or black anthers containing pollen.[4][5] Its bloom period is May to July.

It is the only shooting star to have populations with consistently white flowers.[3] In Utah, petals may be pink or pale violet; elsewhere petals are white or cream. Plants in Arizona and New Mexico have stamens with yellow filaments, in the Northwest filaments are dark maroon or black.[3]

Subspecies

This species is classified into several subspecies:[1][6]

  • Dodecatheon dentatum subsp. dentatum — white shootingstar, native to the Pacific Northwest.[7]
  • Dodecatheon dentatum subsp. ellisiae — Ellis' shootingstar, native to Arizona, New Mexico[8] and Chihuahua in Mexico. Also known as D. ellisiae.[2]
  • Dodecatheon dentatum subsp. utahense — pink flowering shootingstar, endemic to Utah.[9] Also known as D. utahense.[10]

Cultivation

Dodecatheon dentatum is cultivated as a perennial ornamental plant, used in traditional and native plant shade gardens.[3] It is of special value to native bumble bees.[3] The plants usually go dormant almost immediately after flowering.[3]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[11][12]

References

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