|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
|||||||||
| THE LILY FAMILY | |||||||||
| The lilies are well-known in Saskatchewan. The most easily recognizable lily is the western red lily, our provincial flower. These plants are perennial herbs that grow from an underground bulb. The leaves are either on the stem or in basal rosettes. If the leaves are on the stem, they are alternately arranged and sheathing at the base. The inflorescences are at the top of the plant and are in an unbranched or umbrella-like cluster. Occasionally the flowers may be solitary. The flowers are usually regular in shape and have coloured tepals. The tepals frequently have stripes or spots. Each flower has six stamens and a superior ovary. The fruit is a capsule. | |||||||||
| COMMON GOLDSTAR | |||||||||
| LATIN NAME: Hypoxis hirsuta | |||||||||
| WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? | |||||||||
| Common goldstar grows to about 30 cm tall from a membranous-coated corm. The leaves are basal and can be hairless to very hairy. The flowers are in an umbrella-like cluster. The tepals are shorter than the flower stalks but longer than the ovary and are yellow in colour. The six stamens are turned inwards. The ovary is inferior and is densely hairy. | |||||||||
| WHERE DOES IT GROW? | |||||||||
| Common goldstar grows in dry grasslands. | |||||||||
| WHERE IS IT FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN? | |||||||||
| This species is found in southeastern Saskatchewan in the Mixed Grassland ecoregion. | |||||||||
| WHY IS IT RARE? | |||||||||
| Common goldstar is threatened in Saskatchewan because it is at the northern end of its range and is rarely found in this province. No immediate threats have been identified for this species. | |||||||||
| HOW TO IDENTIFY COMMON GOLDSTAR | |||||||||
| * Are the flowers yellow? * Is the ovary densely hairy? * Are the leaves grass-like? * Did you find it in southeastern Saskatchewan? | |||||||||
| If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have found common goldstar! | |||||||||
