A member of the Primrose family (Primulaceae).  The shooting star has 4 or 5 petals, and the color ranges from magenta to lavender with a yellow or white band.

Shooting stars are the harbingers of spring, they bloom earlier than most other wildflowers in the foothills.  Later in the spring and summer, at higher elevations, 2 different shooting stars, Dodecatheon jeffreyi or subalpinum can be found adding a splash of pink to the wet meadows.  2 - 24 inches.   APRIL - MAY