Dodecatheon pulchellum

Few-flowered shooting star (or darkthroat shootingstar or prairie shooting star or pretty shooting star) is native throughout western North America. I've so far found it on grass-covered hills with localized moist (but not saturated) soils owing to springtime melts.

Pollination of plants in the genus Dodecatheon is aided by buzz pollination (more), in which a strong pulse of rapid buzzing by a bee vibrates the anthers, causing the pollen to discharge.

The Primulaceae (or primrose family) are predominantly found in the northern hemisphere (map). Viewed together with the closely-related Myrsinaceae and Theophrastaceae, a representative of this trio of plant families can be found almost anywhere in the world, excluding central Africa, parts of Australia and polar regions.

More photographs of this species can be found on the stellar Burke Museum site: Dodecatheon pulchellum. Posted by: Daniel Mosquin    Source