SafePlants

Bloomeria crocea: Common Goldenstar

Bloomeria crocea, commonly known as Goldenstar or Common Goldenstar, is a captivating perennial herb native to California and northern Baja California.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Bloomeria crocea
• Synonyms: Bloomeria crocea (Torr.) Coville
• Variety: Bloomeria crocea (Torr.) Coville var. crocea
• Family: Themidaceae (as inferred from related text, though not explicitly stated for this species)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to southern California and northern Baja California.
• A geophyte, indicating it thrives in environments with a period of dormancy, often surviving underground via bulbs or corms.

Morphological Characteristics

• Perennial herb reaching 8-20 inches (0.2-0.5 meters) in height.
• Grows from a corm approximately 5/8 inch (15 mm) thick, covered in brown fibers.
• Stem is scapose, meaning it has a leafless flower stalk rising directly from the corm.
• Basal leaves are few, linear, and carinate (keeled).
• Produces golden, star-like flowers with separate petal-like parts, blooming from May to June.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant grows from a corm covered with brown fibers.

Quirky Facts

• The name "geophyte" indicates its adaptation to survive periods of environmental stress, often drought, by retreating into an underground storage organ like a corm.
• Other plants also have "Goldenstar" as a common name including the Star Ascidian (Botryllus schlosseri), Eastern Yellow Stargrass (Hypoxis hirsuta), Golden Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), and Chrysogonum virginianum.

Further Resources

• Discover Life: Provides information on the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Bloomeria crocea.
• CalPhotos: Offers a collection of photographs of Bloomeria crocea.