Lithophragma parviflorum

Common name: small-flowered woodland star or small-flowered prairie star

Abbreviation Code (Codon): LIPA

General: Glandular-pubescent perennial from slender rhizomes bearing numerous rice-grain bulblets, the stems 10-30 cm. tall, often purplish- or grayish-tinged above. Leaves: Leaves mostly basal, with petioles 2-6 cm. long, the blades 1-3 cm. broad, usually cleft to the base into 5 wedge-shaped segments that are bi-ternately to ternately cleft and lobed; cauline leaves 2, sub-sessile, cleft into narrower segments. Flowers: Inflorescence a congested raceme at first, becoming up to 15 cm. long, 5- to 11-flowered; calyx obconic, 4-6 mm. long, the 5 lobes triangular-ovate, 1-2 mm. long and broad; petals white to pinkish, 5-10 mm. long, obovate with a wedge-shaped base, digitally 3-cleft, narrowed abruptly to a short, slender claw. Fruit: Ovary nearly completely inferior; carpels 3.

Bloom Period

Distribution

Both sides of the Cascades, British Columbia to California, east to the Dakotas and Colorado

Habitat

Prairies, sagebrush desert and forest openings, sea level to mid-elevations in the mountains

Uses

Propagation

Seed

Seed sample from: 2010

Average Measurement: 0.5 x 0.3 x 0.2

Measurement Range: L: 0.3 - 0.6, W: 0.1 - 0.3, D: 0.1 - 0.6

Features

Shape: Seeds very small, hilum puckered, and located at tapered end of seed. Opposite apex also tapered.

Color: Seeds dark brown, and almost black at ridges and wrinkles.

Surface: Seeds have at least one major ridge that extends longitudinally from hilum to opposite apex. Seeds may have some other longitudinal ridging and wrinkling. Seeds very shiny, smooth, and iridescent.

Latitudinal Cross Section: elliptical

Longitudinal Cross Section: elliptical

Resouces

http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIPA5 http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=LIPA5 http://www.wnps.org/landscaping/herbarium/pages/lithophragma-parviflorum.html

Lithophragma parviflorum

Contents

Taxonomy

Description