Lithophragma cymbalaria
Encyclopedia
Lithophragma cymbalaria is a species of flowering plant in the saxifrage family
known by the common name mission woodland star. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from moist, shady habitat in the coastal mountain ranges and canyons from the San Francisco Bay Area
to the Los Angeles
region. It is a rhizomatous
perennial herb growing erect or leaning with a slender naked flowering stem. The small leaves are mostly located on the lower part of the stem, each divided into three rounded lobes. The stem bears 2 to 8 flowers, each in a cuplike calyx of red or green sepal
s. The five petals are white, under one centimeter long, and smooth along the edges or very shallowly toothed.
Saxifragaceae
Saxifragaceae is a plant family with about 460 known species in 36 genera. In Europe there are 12 genera.The flowers are hermaphroditic and actinomorphic...
known by the common name mission woodland star. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known from moist, shady habitat in the coastal mountain ranges and canyons from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
to the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
region. It is a rhizomatous
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
perennial herb growing erect or leaning with a slender naked flowering stem. The small leaves are mostly located on the lower part of the stem, each divided into three rounded lobes. The stem bears 2 to 8 flowers, each in a cuplike calyx of red or green sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s. The five petals are white, under one centimeter long, and smooth along the edges or very shallowly toothed.