Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Woodland Star

 Here are the beauties I mentioned yesterday.  They're still where I found them even though there's aggressive mowing going on all around.  These are in the Saxifrage family and are most often found growing in rocky crevices, hence the name "litho-." [See below]    This is the same family as the Indian Rhubarb or Umbrella Plant, and they're often found growing together.  However, these were growing in grass under a patch of willows.  Probably thin, rocky soil.
They have five petals, each divided into three lobes.  Very star-like.  Botanically, the Woodland Star is known as Lithophragma parviflorum.  There are many other species in the West.  AS if the Latin name weren't enough of a mouthful, I came across a plant physiology article on this plant and it mentioned a protein called phosphoeuolpyruvate carboxykinase. I think Woodland Star will do.

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