Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Primula poetica
narcissus shooting star, poet's shooting star
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central Washington to northern and northeastern Oregon.

Habitat: Grassy slopes to drier woods, usually where vernally moist, often near seeps or springs along basaltic outcrops.

Flowers: March-May

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees

Description:
General:

Scapose, perennial herbs without rhizomes or bulblets, finely glandular-pubescent throughout, the flowering stems 1-4 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Leaves basal, the blades oblong-lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4-15 cm. long, narrowed gradually to winged petioles about the same length, coarsely serrate to nearly entire.

Flowers:

Flowers 2-10 in an umbel, terminal on the scape, 5-parted; calyx greenish, the lobes 3-5 mm. long; corolla 12-20 mm. long, the lobes broad, bright pink to orchid, the tube yellow with a carmine band at the base; stamens clustered around the style, opposite the petals, the filaments united to form a tube 1.5-2.5 mm. long, deep purplish; anthers 5-7 mm. long, purple; style single, barely exceeding the stamens, the stigma slightly enlarged.

Fruits:

Capsule ovoid, 6-9 mm. long, opening by valves to the tip.

Accepted Name:
Primula poetica (L.F. Hend.) A.R. Mast & Reveal

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Dodecatheon poeticum L.F. Hend.
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Primula poetica in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Primula poetica checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Primula poetica information.

E-Flora BC: Primula poetica atlas page.

CalPhotos: Primula poetica photos.

USDA Plants: Primula poetica information.

31 photographs:
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