Primula pauciflora

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Primula pauciflora
Dodecatheon pulchellum ssp pulchellum 2.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Primulaceae
Genus: Primula
Section: Primula sect. Dodecatheon
Species:
P. pauciflora
Binomial name
Primula pauciflora
(Durand) A.R.Mast & Reveal
Synonyms

According to Plants of the World Online: [1]

  • Dodecatheon meadia var. pauciflorumDurand
  • Dodecatheon pauciflorum(Durand) Greene
  • Dodecatheon pulchellum subsp. pauciflorum(Durand) Hultén
  • Meadia pauciflora(Durand) Kuntze

According to the Jepson eFlora: [2]

  • Dodecatheon pulchellum(Raf.) Merr.
  • Dodecatheon pulchellum subsp. monanthum(Greene ex R.Knuth) H.J.Thomps. ex Munz, ined.
  • Dodecatheon pulchellum var. monanthum(Greene) B.Boivin
  • Dodecatheon pulchellum var. shoshonense(A.Nelson) Reveal
  • Primula pauciflora var. macrocarpa(A.Gray) Mast & Reveal
  • Primula pauciflora var. monantha(Greene) Mast & Reveal
  • Primula pauciflora var. shoshonensis(A. Nelson) Mast & Reveal

Primula pauciflora, the pretty shooting star, few-flowered shooting star, dark throat shooting star or prairie shooting star, is a species of flowering plant in the primula family Primulaceae. It is a widespread and very variable species, native to western North America, from Subarctic America to Mexico, [1] [3] often in xeric (extremely dry) and desert habitats. It is found in the Great Basin Deserts and Mojave Desert. Its synonyms include Dodecatheon pauciflorum and Dodecatheon pulchellum. [1] [2]

Contents

Description

Primula pauciflora is a widespread and highly variable polyploid complex (2n = 44, 88 and 132). The species is generally hairless, with a flowering stem 10–40 cm (4–16 in) tall. The inflorescence is made up of between 2 and fifteen flowers. The flower generally has 9–14 mm (0.4–0.6 in) long petals, magenta to lavender in color. [2]

Primula pauciflora has been divided into up to seven varieties each with their own often complex set of synonyms. Primula pauciflora var. pauciflora, synonym Dodecatheon pulchellum, is a herbaceous perennial with single, leafless flower stems, growing from very short erect root stocks with no bulblets. It grows to a height of 5–40 cm (2.0–15.7 in). Its leaves are basal, 2–15 cm long, blades oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, mostly entire to somewhat small-toothed, narrowed gradually to winged stalks nearly as long. Each plant has between 1 and 25 flowers clustered at the stem top. The calyx is usually purple-flecked, and the five lobes are 3 to 5 millimeters long. The corolla is 10 to 20 millimeters long, the 5 lobes swept backwards, purplish-lavender, seldom white, the short tube yellowish, usually with a purplish wavy line at the base. The filaments are joined into a yellowish tube 1.5–3 mm long, which is smooth or only slightly wrinkled. The 5 anthers are joined to a projecting point, usually yellowish to reddish-purple, 4–7 mm long. The stigma is slightly larger than the style. This plant flowers between April and August. The fruits are capsules, many-seeded, ovoid-cylindric, hairless to glandular-hairy, membranous to firm-walled, 5–15 mm long, opening from the tip into sharp teeth.[ citation needed ]

Varieties

As of April 2022, Plants of the World Online accepted seven varieties (distributions from the same source): [1]

Cultivation

Under the name Dodecatheon pulchellum, the plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [4] [5] If not provided adequate moisture in the growing season they will die back to the roots, but will return in the next year. [6] In cultivation it is hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F), but prefers a sheltered location in partial or full shade with neutral or acid soil, such as a woodland setting. [4] Though they need moisture, the pretty shooting-star also requires good drainage, not a boggy or riparian situation. When grown in good conditions the crown will become much larger with multiple blooming stems. Larger plants can be successfully divided for propagation in the late fall. [6]

Related Research Articles

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Fritillaria affinis, the chocolate lily, is a highly variable species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae native to western North America.

<i>Primula <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Dodecatheon</i> Section of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae

Primula sect. Dodecatheon is a section of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. Primula species in this section were formerly placed in a separate genus, Dodecatheon. The species have basal clumps of leaves and nodding flowers that are produced at the top of tall stems rising from where the leaves join the crown. The genus is largely confined to North America and part of northeastern Siberia. Common names include shooting star, American cowslip, mosquito bills, mad violets, and sailor caps. A few species are grown in gardens for their showy and unique flower display.

<i>Primula hendersonii</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Primula clevelandii</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula clevelandii, with the common name of Padre's shooting star, is a species of primrose.

<i>Primula meadia</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula meadia, known by the common names shooting star, eastern shooting star, American cowslip, roosterheads, and prairie pointers is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae. It is native to the eastern United States and Canada, spanning north from Manitoba and New York, south to Texas and Florida.

<i>Primula tetrandra</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula tetrandra, synonyms Dodecatheon tetrandrum and Dodecatheon alpinum, is a perennial plant in the primrose family, Primulaceae, known by the common name alpine shooting star.

<i>Primula conjugens</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula conjugens, synonym Dodecatheon conjugens, is a species of flowering perennial plant in the primrose family, known by the common name Bonneville shooting star.

<i>Primula jeffreyi</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula jeffreyi, synonym Dodecatheon jeffreyi, is a North American species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common names Sierra shooting star, Jeffrey's shooting star, and tall mountain shooting star.

<i>Primula fragrans</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula fragrans, synonym Dodecatheon redolens, has the common name scented shooting star. It is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family.

<i>Mimetes cucullatus</i> Endemic shrub in the family Proteaceae from South Africas Western Cape province

Mimetes cucullatus is an evergreen shrub with several, mostly not branching, upright stems of 1–2 m (3–7 ft) high, that has been assigned to the family Proteaceae. It is the most widespread and most common pagoda species that can cope with a relatively large range of environmental circumstances. It is known under several names including common pagoda in English and rooistompie in Afrikaans.

<i>Frankenia pauciflora</i> Species of plant

Frankenia pauciflora, the common sea-heath or southern sea-heath, is an evergreen shrub native to southern Australia. It is part of the Frankenia genus of the Frankeniaceae family.

<i>Brunfelsia pauciflora</i> Species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae

Brunfelsia pauciflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Solanaceae, the nightshades. It is endemic to Brazil, and it is grown in cultivation. A shrubby perennial plant grown in gardens, its common names include today, tomorrow together, yesterday, today and tomorrow, morning-noon-and-night, kiss me quick, and Brazil raintree.

<i>Primula latiloba</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula latiloba, synonyms Dodecatheon dentatum and Dodecatheon latilobum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, known by the common names white shooting star and toothed American cowslip.

<i>Primula austrofrigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula austrofrigida, syn. Dodecatheon austrofrigidum, is a species of flowering plant in the primrose family known by the common names frigid shooting star and tundra shooting star. It is native to Washington and Oregon in the United States, where it grows in the coastal mountain ranges, including those on the Olympic Peninsula.

<i>Primula poetica</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula poetica, synonym Dodecatheon poeticum, is commonly known as the poet's shooting star or the narcissus shooting star. P. poetica is a species of the genus Primula placed in section Dodecatheon. It is native to the states of Oregon and Washington in western North America. The section contains herbaceous flowering plants and is also a part of the primrose family Primulaceae. This plant has basal clumps of leaves and drooping flowers that occur at the apex of tall stems that rise from where the leaves join.

<i>Primula frigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula frigida, synonym Dodecatheon frigidum, commonly called the western arctic shootingstar, is a plant species found in arctic and subarctic regions in the northwestern part of North America and in Asiatic Russia.

<i>Paeonia corsica</i> Species of flowering plant

Paeonia corsica, also known as the Corsican peony, is a perennial herbaceous plant of 35–80 cm (14–31 in) high that belongs to the peonies. It naturally occurs on Corsica, Sardinia, on the Ionian islands and in western Greece. It has hairless green to purple stems, and the lower leaves consist mostly of nine leaflets with undersides which may carry felty hairs or are hairless. Its flowers have pink petals and purple filaments. Its vernacular name in Italian is peonia Corsa, and in French pivoine de Corse, both meaning "Corsican peony".

<i>Primula frenchii</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula frenchii, French's shootingstar, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. It is native to the central and southern United States, in southern Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Alabama. It grows in moist, shady areas such as ledges near streams and under sandstone cliffs.

Primula standleyana, synonym Dodecatheon ellisiae, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to Arizona, New Mexico and Northeast Mexico. It was first described by Paul Carpenter Standley in 1913 as Dodecatheon ellisiae. When the genus Dodecatheon was reduced to Primula sect. Dodecatheon following molecular phylogenetic studies, the species could not be transferred to Primula as Primula ellisiae, as that name had already been used for a different species. Accordingly, the replacement name Primula standleyana was provided.

Primula utahensis, synonym Dodecatheon utahense, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, native to Utah. It was first described by Noel Holmgren in 1994 as Dodecatheon dentatum var. utahense. In 2006, it was raised to a separate species as Dodecatheon utahense. When Dodecatheon was sunk into Primula in 2007, it was transferred to that genus as Primula utahensis.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Primula pauciflora (Durand) A.R.Mast & Reveal". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  2. 1 2 3 Rosatti, Thomas J. & Kelso, Sylvia (2013). "Primula pauciflora". Jepson eFlora, Revision 1. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  3. "Dodecatheon pulchellum (Raf.) Merr". USDA Plants Database. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  4. 1 2 "RHS Plantfinder - Dodecatheon pulchellum".
  5. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 33. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 Barr, Claude A. (1983). Jewels of the plains : wild flowers of the Great Plains grasslands and hills. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 67–68. ISBN   0-8166-1127-0.