Mentzelia oreophila
Encyclopedia
Mentzelia oreophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae
known by the common name Argus blazingstar. It is native to the Southwestern United States
and the Mojave Desert
sky island
s in California
. It grows in rocky desert and scrub habitat.
The inflorescence
is an array of many flowers. Each flower has five narrow yellow petals and five staminode
s which look very similar to, and may be mistaken for, more petals. At the center of the flower are many whiskery stamen
s. The fruit is cup-shaped utricle up to a centimeter long and wide. It contains many tiny winged, lens-shaped seeds which are 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 name Argus blazingstar. It is native to the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and the Mojave Desert
Mojave 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...
sky island
Sky island
Sky islands are mountains that are isolated by surrounding lowlands of a dramatically different environment, a situation which, in combination with the altitudinal zonation of ecosystems, has significant implications for natural habitats. Endemism, vertical migration, and relict populations are...
s in 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...
. It grows in rocky desert and scrub habitat.
Description
It is a perennial herb producing several tangling, sometimes multibranched stems up to 40 centimeters long which are whitish in color and peeling in texture. The leaves are wavy and sometimes toothed, the upper ones clasping the stem.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 an array of many flowers. Each flower has five narrow yellow petals and five staminode
Staminode
In botany, a staminode is an often rudimentary, sterile or abortive stamen. This means that it does not produce pollen. Staminodes are frequently inconspicuous and stamen-like, usually occurring at the inner whorl of the flower, but are also sometimes long enough to protrude from the...
s which look very similar to, and may be mistaken for, more petals. At the center of the flower are many whiskery stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s. The fruit is cup-shaped utricle up to a centimeter long and wide. It contains many tiny winged, lens-shaped seeds which are bumpy under magnification.