Henderson's Shooting Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii)
Aliases: Mosquito Bills, Sailor Caps, Broad-Leaved Shooting Star
Family: Primrose (Primulaceae)
Several varieties of Shooting Star grow in the Yosemite area, and they all look essentially alike. One way to separate Henderson's Shooting Star from the pack is by when and where it grows: none of the other Dodecatheons bloom before May or grow below 3,500 feet, so if the one you're looking at is blooming early and/or in the foothills, you've almost certainly found Dodecatheon hendersonii.
Blooms: February - May
Dodecatheon hendersonii etymology: Dodecatheon is the Greek name for the Twelve Olympians, the upper crust gods of the Greek pantheon - possibly because the flowers resemble thunderbolts cast down from Mt. Olympus (though come to think of it, what do thunderbolts look like?) by said gods. This is merely speculation, though. Hendersonii honors Louis Forniquet Henderson (1853 - 1942), who was, among other things, the first ever botany professor at the University of Idaho.
This Photo: On the Hite Cove trail, mid March
More Henderson's Shooting Star
 The Leaves |
 Pale Version |
 Even Paler Version |