Mentzelia eremophila
Encyclopedia
Mentzelia eremophila is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae
known by the common names pinyon blazingstar and solitary blazingstar.
of California
, where it grows in sandy scrub and sometimes disturbed areas.
The inflorescence
is a cluster of flowers each with five shiny yellow petals one to over two centimeters long. The fruit is a narrow, curving utricle up to 4 centimeters long which contains many tiny seeds. The grainlike seeds are each about a millimeter long and appear bumpy under magnification
.
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 names pinyon blazingstar and solitary blazingstar.
Distribution
It is endemic to the Mojave DesertMojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of 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...
, where it grows in sandy scrub and sometimes disturbed areas.
Description
It is an annual herb producing an erect light brown to nearly white stem up to about 43 centimeters in maximum height. The leaves are divided deeply into lobes, the longest in the basal rosette approaching 10 centimeters long and those higher on the stem reduced in size.The 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 a cluster of flowers each with five shiny yellow petals one to over two centimeters long. The fruit is a narrow, curving utricle up to 4 centimeters long which contains many tiny seeds. The grainlike seeds are each about a millimeter long and appear bumpy under magnification
Magnification
Magnification is the process of enlarging something only in appearance, not in physical size. This enlargement is quantified by a calculated number also called "magnification"...
.