Kingdom Plantae Family Primulaceae Scientific name Dodecatheon redolens Rank Species | Order Ericales Genus Dodecatheon Higher classification Dodecatheon | |
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Similar Dodecatheon, Primulaceae, Dodecatheon alpinum, Dodecatheon dentatum, Dodecatheon poeticum | ||
Dodecatheon redolens, now reclassified as Primula fragrans, has the common name scented shooting star. It is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family.
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Distribution
This wildflower is native from California through Nevada to Utah. It grows in moist areas, especially in the Sierra Nevada and eastern Transverse Ranges.
Description
Dodecatheon redolens−Primula fragrans is a hairy, thick-rooted perennial with long, clumping leaves around the base.
It erects slim, tall, hairy stems which are dark in color and are topped with inflorescences of 5 to 10 showy flowers. Each flower nods with its mouth pointed to the ground when new, and becomes more erect with age. It has five reflexed sepals in shades of pink, lavender, or white which lie back against the body of the flower. Each sepal base has a blotch of bright yellow and is folded into a thick lip around the mouth of the flower. From the corolla mouth protrude large anthers which may be light pink to nearly black surrounding a threadlike stigma.