Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Poet's Shooting Star



My favorite wildflower is in bloom on San Juan Island. I first discovered this species in my vascular plant diversity class at Reed College, and I first saw it on a field trip in the Columbia River Gorge and learned it was called Poet's Shooting Star. A member of the genus Dodecatheon, it is also known as American Cowslip, Mosquito Bills, Mad Violets, and Sailor Caps.

4 comments:

  1. Nice flowers monika, they remind me of our ''Naked ladies' where the flower comes before the leaves.

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  2. Gorgeous photos and flowers. I want a sweater that color! My TN wildflower book shows our native shooting stars bloom white...sigh.

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  3. Lovely flowers. I second Vickie's comment about them blooming in white here in the east... These also remind me of Bittersweet Nightshade (from a completely different family, though).

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  4. Warren - How interesting! I wonder where the energetic output for the flower comes from without photosynthesis...

    Vickie and Heather - Yeah, they wouldn't be nearly the same without that gorgeous color!

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