Mentzelia dispersa
Encyclopedia
Mentzelia dispersa is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae
known by the common name bushy blazingstar. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to California
to the Dakotas
, where it grows in many types of habitat.
The lightly hairy inflorescence
is an open cluster of flowers each with five small, shiny yellow petals a few millimeters long. The fruit is a narrow, straight or curving utricle up to 2.5 centimeters long which contains many tiny angular seeds.
Loasaceae
The Loasaceae is a family of 15-20 genera and about 200-260 species of flowering plants in the order Cornales, native to the Americas and Africa. The family comprises annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous plants, and a few shrubs and small trees.Genera...
known by the common name bushy blazingstar. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to the Dakotas
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, where it grows in many types of habitat.
Description
It is an annual herb producing an erect stem up to nearly half a meter in maximum height. The leaves are divided into lobes and teeth, the longest in the basal rosette approaching 10 centimeters long and those higher on the stem reduced in size.The lightly hairy inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is an open cluster of flowers each with five small, shiny yellow petals a few millimeters long. The fruit is a narrow, straight or curving utricle up to 2.5 centimeters long which contains many tiny angular seeds.