Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis. Note the narrow, petal-like outer stamens between the petals.
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis. Note the narrow, petal-like outer stamens between the petals.
The
photo at right shows a close-up side view of the flower of blazing-star mentzelia.
Note the shiny but rough textured calyx and peduncle. Photographed in the Columbia
River Gorge west of Maryhill.
Blazingstar mentzelia is a biennial to short-lived perennial wildflower with one stem branched more commonly above, but occasionally near the base. The stem arises 30-100 cm from a deep taproot. The herbage consists of rough, barbed hairs throughout, or on occasion, plants may have glabrous stems near the base. The leaves are alternate on the stem with the lower ones short petiolate and oblanceolate in outline, measuring up to 15 cm long. The margins are wavy and sharply pinnatifid with the segments directed downwards. The upper leaves are sessile, oblong to ovate-oblong in shape and less deeply lobed.
The flowers are terminal at the ends of the side branches or in the upper leaf axils. Each flower is subtended by one to several linear bracts. The calyx is 1-2.5 cm long with linear lobes from 1.5-4 cm long. The lemon-yellow petals are 2.5-8 cm long and are narrowly oblong or oblong-lanceolate in shape. The numerous stamens are about 2/3 the length of the petals. The 5 outermost stamens often lack anthers and are broader and petal-like (See photo above.). The style is slightly longer than the stamens with the stigma from 3-4 mm long.
Blazingstar mentzelia may be found in sandy or dry soils in desert valleys and slopes.
Blazingstar mentzelia may be found from British Columbia south to the east of the Cascade Mts to California and east to Montana and south to Wyoming and Utah.
