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Mentzelia montana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mentzelia montana
A small flower with five radially symmetrical yellow petals, more orange towards the base. In the center many, thin, hairlike stamens tipped with bright yellow pollen. One is face on towards the left and one is side on to the right showing the green tapered cylinder under the flower. Several others have lost their petals and have just the remains of five short sepals at the top. All are covered in a dusting of short hairs. The stems are reddish and branch towards the top to hold several flowers, buds, or developing seed capsules.

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Cornales
Family: Loasaceae
Genus: Mentzelia
Species:
M. montana
Binomial name
Mentzelia montana
(Davidson) Davidson
Synonyms[2]
  • Acrolasia montana Davidson

Mentzelia montana, known by the common name variegated bract blazingstar, is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae.

Description

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Mentzelia montana is an annual herb producing an erect stem approaching 0.5 metres (1.6 ft) in maximum height. The leaves are mostly unlobed, the longest in the basal rosette up to 13 centimeters long and those higher on the stem reduced in size.[3]

The inflorescence is a narrow series of clusters of small flowers, each flower accompanied by a single toothed bract with a white base and green tip. The five yellow petals of the flower are up to 7 millimeters long and are sometimes marked with red at the bases.[3]

The fruit is a narrow utricle up to 2 centimeters containing several tiny, angular seeds.

Taxonomy

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The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains.[4]

Distribution and habitat

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The plant is native to much of western North America including the western United States and northern Mexico. It is a member of the flora in many types of habitat, including coniferous forests, chaparral, sagebrush scrub, and deserts.[3]

References

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  1. ^ NatureServe (31 January 2025). "Mentzelia montana". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Mentzelia montana (Davidson) Davidson". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Jepson Flora Project
  4. ^ Archibald William Smith A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, p. 239, at Google Books
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