Dodecathon meadia

The common name shooting star refers to the shape of the flowers, while “Dodecatheon” means “twelve gods,” referring to primrose being a plant under protection by the twelve gods of Olympus.  And that primrose was originally in the genus Dodecatheon and, ironically, now Dodecatheon has been reclassified as Primula, the genus of primrose.  The specific epithet “meadia” refers to Dr. Richard Mead, an 18th century English physician.