WILDFLOWERS OF NEW MEXICO

Like a trail of fire from a meteor rocketing across the sky, the deep pink petals of this mountainous, damp-habitat flower point backwards. Up to six or more dainty flowers bloom on an erect, 4–18-inch long stem growing from a basal cluster of leaves.

FLOWERS: April–August. Buds and flowers nod downward i in clusters on a leafless stem; floral tube 1/4–3/4-inch long (7–20 mm), with 5 pink, purple, or yellow petal-like lobes 1/4–5/8-inch long (7–15 mm) pointing backwards, with a wavy red line around the white throat; stamens project forward like a dart point.

LEAVES: Basal. Blade 1 1/2–5 inches (4–25 cm) long, 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide in middle tapering to a point, margins entire.

HABITAT: Spruce-aspen, conifer forests, damp woods, wet meadows, seep springs; gravelly, wet soils.

ELEVATION: 7,900–12,200 feet.

RANGE: Mountains of Western U. S. to Alaska.

SIMILAR SPECIES: Highly variable with numerous varieties throughout its range. The white-flowering P. standleyana grows has broad, oval leaves. The genus Dodecatheon is now lumped with Primroses, Primula.

NM COUNTIES: NM mountains in mid- to high-elevation, moist habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Colfax, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Mora, Otero,  Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Taos.