''Primula fragrans'',

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

''Dodecatheon redolens'',CalFlora: ''Primula fragrans''
/ref> has the common name scented shooting star. It is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family.

Description

''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

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s 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

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s 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 The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

which may be light pink to nearly black surrounding a threadlike stigma.

Distribution

This wildflower is native from

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

through

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

to western

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. It grows in moist areas, especially in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

and eastern

Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa B ...

References

External links

CalFlora Database: ''Primula fragrans'' (Scented shooting star)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Primula fragrans''USDA Plants Profile for ''Dodecatheon redolens''UC Photos gallery — ''Primula fragrans''
fragrans Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora of Utah Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Great Basin Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Primulaceae-stub