Trientalis

Trientalis borealis (synonym Lysimachia borealis), the star-shaped flower, is a perennial wild flowering plant native to the North American forests that bloom from May to June. The genus name Trientalis is derived from a Latin word and means a third of a foot.

Trientalis Flower

It is an indication of the height of the plant. The starflower, which has been classified in the Primulaceae (primrose) family, is apparently now incorporated into other genera of the genus Lysimachia and received a new species name: Lysimachia borealis. This change is the result of new analyzes of morphological and molecular data.

Borealis Flowers

The genus Lysimachia comprises around 150 species[1] of herbaceous and perennial shrubs that grow mainly in meadows and moist forests in the subtropics.

Lysimachia Borealis

The species name (Borealis) refers to the north. However, this wildflower also grows in the Midwest and high altitudes of the southern Appalachians. Starflowers have trailing rhizomes with upright 8-inch stems.

Trientalis Borealis

Each stem has a whorl of 5 to 9 lance-shaped leaves at its end, with 1 or 2 white, green, or brown flowers on smaller stems extending from the center of the whorl. The flowers are approximately 15mm in diameter and consist of 5 to 9 petals that form a star shape.

White Trientalis Flowers

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BioExplorer.net. (2023, March 27). Trientalis. Bio Explorer. https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/trientalis/.
BioExplorer.net. "Trientalis" Bio Explorer, 27 March 2023, https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/trientalis/.
BioExplorer.net. "Trientalis" Bio Explorer, March 27 2023. https://www.bioexplorer.net/plants/flowers/trientalis/.
Key References
  • [1]“Adirondack Wildflowers: Starflower | Trientalis borealis Raf.”. Accessed November 29, 2021. Link.

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