Dodecatheon pulchellum “Prairie Shooting Star” Primulaceae
Blackfoot River Recreation Corridor (BLM), MT
April 23, 2014
Robert Niese
Our two most common Shooting Stars in the Missoula area are D. conjugens and D. pulchellum. They are nearly identical and can even occur side-by-side on shrub-steppe hillsides, but a careful examination of the wrinkles at the base of the anthers and the shape of the stigma can usually assist in identification. D. pulchellum tends to have a slightly enlarged stigma and has anthers with wrinkles that run vertically. Conversely, D. conjugens has a narrow, almost imperceptible stigma and has wrinkles on its anthers that run horizontally. This individual has some nice vertical wrinkles and an obvious stigma.
Northwest Naturalist 