Shooting Star; Dodecatheon hendersonii

Early Bloomer.  Five deep lavender or white petals, yellow band, nodding flowers bloom early in shady place.

Notes:  Primrose family.  The USDA lists 15 Species and 38 accepted taxa overall within the Dodecatheon (shooting star) genus.  This particular species is also called Mosquito Bills.  The distinctive looking flower is a very early bloomer, usually found on the left slopes as you approach the French Corral Creek Bridge. The stems and leaves are reported to be edible after boiling or roasting.  The name is from the Greek dodeka (twelve) and theos (a god).  According to historian Pliny, the flowers reminded him of a meeting of the 12 major Greek gods.

Click on species name below to go to USDA for this species.

Kingdom Plantae -- Plants
    Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular plants
        Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants
            Division Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants
                Class Magnoliopsida -- Dicotyledons
                    Subclass Dilleniidae
                        Order Primulales
                            Family Primulaceae -- Primrose family
                                Genus Dodecatheon L. -- shootingstar
                                    Species Dodecatheon hendersonii Gray 
                                    -- mosquito bills

Contains 4 Subspecies and 4 accepted taxa overall

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii)