Some rare plants are more difficult to study than others.
Dodecatheon austrofrigidum , the frigid shootingstar, is one such species. Shootingstars belong to the primrose family, Primulaceae. Jeffrey's shootingstar is relatively easy to find in the wild. Dodecatheon austrofrigidum , however, is known from only seven locations, most of which are difficult to reach. Inhabiting steep basalt slopes along rivers and ridges in western Oregon and Washington, it must be remarkably tough to survive at all.