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:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Asterids
Order:
Ericales
Family:
Primulaceae
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
  1. USDA.gov: Dodecatheon dentatum
  2. Flora of North America.org: Dodecatheon ellisiae 2009
  3. NPIN: Dodecatheon dentatum
  4. Dodecatheon dentatum. Washington Burke Museum.
  5. Dodecatheon dentatum. Flora of North America.
  6. The Nature Conservancy.org: Dodecatheon dentatum
  7. USDA Plants Profile for Dodecatheon dentatum subsp. dentatum
  8. USDA Plants Profile for Dodecatheon dentatum subsp. ellisiae (Ellis' shootingstar)
  9. USDA Plants Profile for Dodecatheon dentatum subsp. utahense
  10. Flora of North America.org: Dodecatheon utahense 2009
  11. "Dodecatheon dentatum". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  12. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 29. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
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