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Dodecatheon dentatum

Dodecatheon dentatum Hook.

Dwarf Shootingstar, White Shootingstar

Primulaceae (Primrose Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: DODE

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A delicate, dwarf shooting stars, the flowering stem rising only 6 in. above the rosette of crinkled, toothed, basal leaves. Open umbels of white flowers top the flowering stem. Small, dart-like flowers pointing in all directions from ends of branches of an umbel on a stalk growing from a basal rosette of leaves. The petals are abruptly reflexed back over the short floral tube to resemble a jet-propelled missle with a nose-cone of showy, yellow stamens. In addition, there is a showy, reddish-purple spot at the base of each petal.

This species has toothed (dentate) leaves, hence one of its common names. It is the only shooting star to have populations with consistently white flowers. 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.