Primula hendersonii

Primula hendersonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to western North America, from California north to southern British Columbia and Idaho. Common names include broad-leaved shooting star, Henderson's shooting star, mosquito bills, and sailor caps.

Primula hendersonii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Primula
Species:
P. hendersonii
Binomial name
Primula hendersonii
(A. Gray) A.R. Mast & Reveal
Synonyms
List
  • Dodecatheon atratum Greene
  • Dodecatheon cruciatum Greene
  • Dodecatheon hansenii (Greene) H.J. Thomps.
  • Dodecatheon hendersonii A.Gray
  • Dodecatheon integrifolium var. latifolium Hooker
  • Dodecatheon meadia var. brevifolium A.Gray
  • Dodecatheon meadia var. ellipticum K.Brandegee
  • Dodecatheon meadia var. hendersonii (A. Gray) Brandegee
  • Dodecatheon meadia var. parvifolium (R.Knuth) E.D.Br.
  • Dodecatheon patulum var. parvifolium R.Knuth
  • Meadia hendersonii (A.Gray) Kuntze

Description

P. hendersonii is summer deciduous, dying back to the ground after the rains cease. It has basal clumps of leaves, 2–16 cm, with nodding flowers 6–25 mm long on stems 10–30 cm tall. The flowers are magenta to deep lavender to white, with the stamens thrust out and the sepals bent back. It is highly variable and hybridizes with Dodecatheon clevelandii, from which it can be distinguished by its reddish or purplish stem.

Distribution and habitat

In California, it occurs in the northwest (except the north coast), the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada foothills, the Central Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, the north Inner South Coast Ranges, and the San Bernardino Mountains. It is generally found in open woodlands, from sea level in British Columbia, up to 1,900 m (6,234 ft) altitude in California.

Cultivation

It needs good drainage, and needs a dry summer period. Plants germinated from seed may take 3–5 years to produce flowers. For some plants, with frequent light fertilization and moisture, dormancy may be delayed, and flowering time may be decreased to 1–2 years. Another technique to speed flowering is to place them in a cooler after dormancy, then bring them to a shadehouse in midsummer. It can be propagated by division in winter. It prefers shade when inland.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[1][2]

Uses

The leaves and roots can be eaten when roasted or boiled, but are reported to be poisonous when eaten raw.

References
  1. "RHS Plant Selector - Dodecatheon hendersonii". Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  2. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. Retrieved 6 February 2018.

Notes


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.