Long-stalked Starwort
Stellaria longipes
July 2012
Tuolumne Meadows
This amazing and tiny little flower is easy to miss if you're moving too fast through Tuolumne Meadows. Long-stalked starwort is common at a wide variety of elevations but extra-special to see in Tuolumne Meadows as it sits low upon the ground in stark contrast with the vast views of the enormous peaks surrounding the meadow. Unlike the seemingly eternal views in the distance, this ephemeral little beauty gets harder and harder to find as visitors step off trails and trample it without ever noticing.