Ecology/Biology:

S. stellata grows in patches of clones by vegetative growth from its rhizomes (7). Part of the reason why S. stellata is so widespread is due to the fact that it has two types of morphologically distinct rhizomes enabling it to tolerate a diverse range of habitats (1). Short rhizomes allow above-ground growth to occur in the same spot every season while long rhizomes allow vegetative growth horizontally (1, 7, 2). This allows S. stellata the flexibility to produce aerial vegetation only in favorable microclimates even if favorable microclimates are separated by unfavorable regions (a common scenario for understory plants in woodland habitats) (1, 7, 2). Furthermore, S. stellata is efficient in resource uptake since it has both shallow and deep-reaching roots that allow it to uptake water from underground reserves while economizing on nutrients in the top layers of soil (1,7,2). Roots of S. stellata are not long lived; old rhizomes segments tend to have fewer roots than new segments even though new aerial shoots are still developed from old segments (1). However, the deep-reaching tap-roots, which only make up 4% of total root biomass, can survive for several years growing to depths of 0.34 m (2).
Flowers of S. stellata are pollinated by firefles, bees, and butterflies and flowering rate is highly dependent on ramet size (7). Relatively few plants have developed from seeds indicating that S. stellata must rely on vegetative reproduction as the main form of propagation (2). Immature berries avoid predation by creating toxins, however when the berries ripen they are highly edible encouraging birds and rodents to disperse the seeds (4, 7, 6).

Distribution:

S. stellata is a perennial herb native to North America (3, 4). It inhabits a wide range of habitats in Utah and can be found in hanging gardens, pinyon-juniper communities, sagebrush, and in the understory of a variety of woodland communities (3, 4). Generally, it is grows in sandy, partially sunny areas, in moist and dry habitats at elevations of 1125 to 3115 m (3, 9, 4).