Lysimachia borealis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Primulaceae |
Genus: | Lysimachia |
Species: | L. borealis |
Binomial name | |
Lysimachia borealis (Raf.) U.Manns & Anderb. | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Lysimachia borealis (synonym Trientalis borealis), the starflower, is a North American woodland perennial that blooms between May and June. [4] [5]
Starflowers have creeping rhizomes with 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) vertical stalks. Each stalk has a whorl of 5–10 lanceolate leaves (up to 8 centimetres or 3.1 inches long) at its tip, with one to four (most often one or two) white flowers on smaller stalks extending from the center of the whorl. The flowers are about 15 mm (1⁄2 in) across and consist of five to nine petals that form a star-like shape. Its fruit is tiny, globe-shaped, pale blue, and matte. [6] [7]
Lysimachia borealis has three, fairly discrete phases of the life cycle each year: shoot development, rhizome growth, and tuber formation. [8] The species reproduces both sexually, by seed, and asexually, via tubers. [8] Flowers are pollinated primarily by halictid and andrenid bees. [9] In response to warming, L. borealis appears to shift reproductive effort away from sexual reproduction toward asexual vegetative spread. [10]
The species may show evidence for local adaptation, as northern and southern populations display differences in the timing of initiation of shoot growth and in the response of seeds to cold stratification. [8]
Starflower is a larval host for the weevil Pelenomus sulcicollis. [11]
Lysimachia borealis is found from Canada to north-central and eastern United States, primarily in boreal forest in Canada and in northern conifer-hardwood forests in the United States. [8] It is found in temperate climates. [12] The species is one of the ten most common herbaceous-layer native plants in eastern deciduous U.S. National Park forests. The Lysimachia Latifolia, (Pacific Starflower) which is a pinkish, purple variety, is native to the west coast of the United States and parts of western Canada. [13]
Two subspecies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
Lysimachia borealis is considered to be of "least concern" overall according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. [1] As of 2017, L. borealis is listed as endangered by Georgia and Kentucky and as threatened by Illinois and Tennessee. [16]
Alliaria petiolata, or garlic mustard, is a biennial flowering plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). It is native to Europe, western and central Asia, north-western Africa, Morocco, Iberia and the British Isles, north to northern Scandinavia, and east to northern Pakistan and Xinjiang in western China.
Lysimachia is a genus consisting of 182 accepted species of flowering plants traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study it was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae, before this family was later merged into the Primulaceae.
Linnaea borealis is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is the only species in the genus Linnaea. It is a boreal to subarctic woodland subshrub, commonly known as twinflower.
Clintonia borealis is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae. The specific epithet borealis means "of the north," which alludes to the fact that the species tends to thrive in the boreal forests of eastern Canada and northeastern United States.
Lysimachia europaea is a flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae, called by the common name chickweed-wintergreen or arctic starflower. It is a small herbaceous perennial plant with one or more whorls of leaves on a single slender erect stem. It is about 10 cm, 3.9 in high. The broad lanceolate leaves are pale green but take on a copper hue in late summer. The solitary white flowers are reminiscent of small wood anemones and appear in midsummer. The fruits are globular dry capsules but are seldom produced.
Packera obovata, commonly known as roundleaf ragwort, spoon-leaved ragwort, roundleaf groundsel, or squaw-weed, is an erect perennial herb in the Asteraceae (aster) family native to eastern North America. It was previously called Senecio obovatus. Basal and lower leaves are obovate with toothed margins, while upper leaves are pinnately divided. The ray flowers are yellow and the disk flowers orange-yellow, the inflorescences being held well above the foliage.
Trillium cuneatum, the little sweet betsy, also known as whip-poor-will flower, large toadshade, purple toadshade, and bloody butcher, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is a member of the Trillium cuneatum complex, a subgroup of the sessile-flowered trilliums. It is native to the southeastern United States but is especially common in a region that extends from southern Kentucky through central Tennessee to northern Alabama. In its native habitat, this perennial plant flowers from early March to late April. It is the largest of the eastern sessile-flowered trilliums.
Sporobolus virginicus, known by numerous common names including seashore dropseed, marine couch, sand couch, salt couch grass, saltwater couch, coastal rat-tail grass, and nioaka, is a species of grass with a wide distribution.
Lysimachia latifolia, sometimes called Trientalis latifolia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. It is known as starflower, chickweed-wintergreen, or Pacific starflower.
Thalassia testudinum, commonly known as turtlegrass, is a species of marine seagrass. It forms meadows in shallow sandy or muddy locations in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Turtle grass and other seagrasses form meadows which are important habitats and feeding grounds. The grass is eaten by turtles and herbivorous fish, supports many epiphytes, and provides habitat for juvenile fish and many invertebrate taxa.
Platanthera obtusata, common name blunt-leaved orchid or small northern bog orchid, is a small species of orchid in the genus Platanthera. It widespread across much of the colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere, though rare in some parts of its range. Two subspecies are recognized:
Mirabilis macfarlanei is a rare species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name MacFarlane's four o'clock. It is native to Idaho and Oregon in the United States, where it is only known from three river canyons. It faces a number of threats and is federally listed as a threatened species of the United States.
Lysimachia foemina is commonly known as blue pimpernel or poor man's weatherglass, and was formerly called Anagallis foemina. It is a low-growing annual herbaceous plant in the genus Lysimachia of the family Primulaceae. In a comparison of DNA sequences, L. foemina was shown to be most closely related to L. monelli. It had been thought by many to be closest to L. arvensis, and some authors had even included L. foemina as a subspecies of L. arvensis, as Anagallis arvensis subsp foemina. These three species were among several transferred from Anagallis to Lysimachia in a 2009 paper.
Cypripedium passerinum is a species of lady's slipper orchid known by the common names sparrow's-egg lady's-slipper, spotted lady's-slipper, and Franklin's lady's-slipper.
Oxalis montana is a species of flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae known by the common names mountain woodsorrel, wood shamrock, sours and white woodsorrel. It may also be called common woodsorrel, though this name also applies to its close relative, Oxalis acetosella.
Carex bigelowii is a species of sedge known by the common names Bigelow's sedge, Gwanmo sedge, and stiff sedge. It has an Arctic–alpine distribution in Eurasia and North America, and grows up to 50 centimetres (20 in) tall in a variety of habitats.
Trollius laxus is a rare flowering plant species in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to North America and is considered to have two subspecies, one with a distribution is the east and one in the west. Common names for Trollius laxus include American globeflower and American spreading globeflower. The American Globeflower, Trollius laxus is an endangered species of flowering plants Native to Northeastern United States. This species of plants is limited in range by their ability to exclusively survive in wetlands and marshes. Thus, clusters of the species are constantly threatened by the ever-changing hydrology of the range they are confined to.
Agave parviflora is a species of succulent perennial flowering plant in the asparagus family, known by the common names Santa Cruz striped agave, smallflower century plant, and small-flower agave. It is native to Arizona in the United States and Sonora in Mexico.
Oreojuncus trifidus is a species of rush known by the common names highland rush and three-leaved rush. It is native to the Northern Hemisphere, where it is an arctic/montane species with an amphi-atlantic distribution.
Trillium maculatum, the spotted wakerobin or spotted trillium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. It is a member of the Trillium cuneatum complex, a closely related group of sessile-flowered trilliums. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States, ranging across Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and northern Florida.