Shooting-Star Dedecatheon meadia L.
Description:
The Shooting-star is a native, cool-season perennial belonging to the Primulaceae, or primrose family. It attains a height up to
60 cm.
Leaf: The long, strap-like, basal leaves occur in a rosette
and are pale-green with pink midrib.
Flower: It has very distinctive flower clusters at
the top of red or green stems. Each flower is on an arching stemlet
and has five, stiffly-curving petals bent straight
back from the pistil and closely pressed together. The swept-back petals
resemble small cyclamens. The flowers are in shades of pink, lavender, rose, or
white.
Blooming months: April-June
Stem: Red or green stems.
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Discussion:
This shooting-star shaped flower is appreciated for its delicate beauty.
Legend has it that a Native American brave shot his arrow into a cloud. The
brave disappeared, and the shooting star stood in his place.
Distribution: This species occurs in
prairies, on moist slops, and on rocky hillsides. Shooting-star occurs from
Native
or Introduced to
Location:
N41048.677’ W089040.972’
Copyright:
© 2004 Nancy Trainor,
References:
Keller, Carolyn. Prairie Plants of
Ladd, Doug. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, The Nature Conservancy, 1995.
Peterson, Roger Tory. Wildflowers Northeastern/North Central
Mohlenbroch, Robert H., and John W. Voigt. Prairie
Plants of
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