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Western rock jasmine

Androsace occidentalis Pursh

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Western rock jasmine
Western rock jasmine
Western rock jasmine
Western rock jasmine
Western rock jasmine
Western rock jasmine

Morphology

Stem
Flowering stalks erect, slender, leafless, rough with star-shaped hairs; often several arched-ascending lateral stalks.
Leaves
In basal rosette, simple, nearly sessile, oblong-lanceolate, to 3/4 inch long, 1/4 inch wide, short stiff-hairy above, glabrous below; margins entire or sometimes minutely toothed above middle; tips rounded.
Inflorescence
Umbels, erect or ascending, 2-10-flowered, terminal; subtending bracts ovate to ovate-lanceolate, minutely pubescent; tips pointed.
Flower
On stalks usually less than 1 inch long; calyces persistent, 5-lobed, lobes erect at flowering, sometimes spreading in fruit, tips often reddish; corollas 5-parted, about 1/10 inch wide, shorter than or about equal to calyx, white or pinkish, lobes overlapping; stamens 5.
Fruit
Capsules, rounded, included in calyx tubes; seeds numerous, tiny, black.

Ecology

Habitat
Dry, open, prairies, hillsides, ravines, and rocky open woods, on sandy or limestone soils.
Distribution
Throughout Kansas.

Additional Notes

Comments

Western rock jasmine is diminutive and easily overlooked. It sometimes is used in rock gardens and can be raised from seeds.

Quick Facts
Plant Type
Wildflower
Family
Primulaceae - Primrose Family
Life Span
Annual
Height
1-4 inches
Last Updated
2007-10-26
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Blooms: March, April, May