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Alpine Shootingstar (Primula tetrandra (Suksd.) A.R.Mast & Reveal)

Also known as alpine shooting star; also classified as Dodecatheon alpinum (A. Gray) Greene, Dodecatheon tetrandrum Suksd.

This genus was moved into the Primula genus in order to keep Primula monophyletic, but this species needed to be assigned a different epithet because the name Primula alpina has already been used (inconsistently) to refer to two different species native to Europe, although both these uses are improper. The epithet tetranda is taken from the older name Dodecatheon tetrandrum which was originally used to describe what was thought to be a separate species from what was called D. alpinum but was later merged into D. alpina. This unusual scenario explains why this species is usually referred to either as Dodecatheon alpinum or Primula tetranda.

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↑Range - Expand

LegendColor
Native
Not Present
Native or Not Present

This map is based on our research. We have checked its accuracy to Level 3 ecoregions. Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.

There are herbarium records in the area around Mt. Adams in Washington State, and both FNA and POWO report this species as native to Washington. BONAP reports the Washington records as false or unverified reports, but most other authorities seem to accept them. This discrepancy does not affect our ecoregion map because the reports are all in the Cascades, an ecoregion where this species is agreed to occur on the Oregon side of the border.

This species is closely related to Sierra shootingstar (Primula jeffreyi) and can be very hard to distinguish. FNA reports that plants have been observed in their range of overlap in the Sierra Nevada with intermediate characteristics between the two species. The section of the Primula genus is known to form sterile hybrids, but it is also possible that plants belonging to one species may take on morphological characteristics of the other when in similar habitats. We do not know if these particular species hybridize or not, but plants with intermediate characteristics can certainly be found in this region.

• Dodecatheon alpinum (alpine shootingstar) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)

• Dodecatheon alpinum | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)

• Dodecatheon alpinum | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)

• Dodecatheon alpinum | Flora of North America (About This Site)

• Primula tetrandra (Suksd.) A.R.Mast & Reveal | Plants of the World Online (POWO) (About This Site)

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