| Mentzelia mollis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Cornales |
| Family: | Loasaceae |
| Genus: | Mentzelia |
| Species: | M. mollis |
| Binomial name | |
| Mentzelia mollis | |
Mentzelia mollis is a species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common names soft blazingstar, [1] smooth blazingstar, and smooth stickleaf. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada. [2] [3]
This annual herb grows 5 to 12 centimeters tall with a thick, branching, erect stem. The leaves are lance-shaped and mostly smooth-edged. It produces flowers with bright yellow flowers with petals about a centimeter long and with many stamens in the middle. Flowering occurs in May and June. [2] The flowers are visited by bumblebees. [3] The fruit is a four-sided capsule about 2.5 centimeters long. [2]
This plant grows on deposits of montmorillonite, a slick, powdery clay soil. It also grows on volcanic ash soils high in potassium. The substrate is also high in calcium and sodium. Summer soil temperatures are hot. [3] The soils are mostly barren of vegetation but may host other annuals such as Monolepis pusilla , Mentzelia albicaulis , Cleomella macbrideana , and Phacelia humilis . [4] Only 10 to 12 inches of annual precipitation falls in the area. [3]
This species is distributed in Malheur County, Oregon, Owyhee County, Idaho, and Humboldt County, Nevada. [5] Threats include habitat destruction from mining activity and off-road vehicle use. [2] [5]
Mentzelia crocea, the Sierra blazingstar or saffron blazing star, is an annual wildflower endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California.
Mentzelia albicaulis is a species of flowering plants in the family Loasaceae known by the common names whitestem blazingstar, white-stemmed stickleaf, and small flowered blazing star. It is native to much of western North America, where it grows in mountain, desert, and plateau habitat.
Mentzelia congesta is a species of flowering plants in the family Loasaceae known by the common name united blazingstar.
Mentzelia gracilenta, known by the common names blazing star, grass blazingstar, and slender blazing star, is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae.
Mentzelia nitens is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common names shining blazingstar and Venus blazingstar. It is native to the Mojave Desert and adjacent desert and mountain areas of eastern California and southern Nevada.
Mentzelia pectinata is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common name San Joaquin blazingstar.
Mentzelia reflexa is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common name reflexed blazingstar.
Mentzelia veatchiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common name Veatch's blazingstar.
Wyethia mollis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name woolly mule's ears. The plant is hairy to woolly in texture, sometimes losing its hairs with age.
Mentzelia leucophylla, known by the common name Ash Meadows blazingstar, is a rare species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae. It is endemic to southwestern Nevada, in the Western United States.
Phacelia argillacea is a rare species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common names clay phacelia and Atwood's phacelia. It is endemic to Utah in the United States, where it is known only from one canyon in Utah County. It is "one of Utah's most endangered species"; it is "one of the nation's rarest plants" and is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States.
Mentzelia goodrichii is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common name Goodrich's blazingstar. It is endemic to Utah in the United States, where it is known only from Duchesne County.
Mentzelia springeri is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae known by the common name Santa Fe blazingstar. It is endemic to New Mexico in the United States, where it occurs in the Jemez Mountains.
Artemisia rigida is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names scabland sagebrush and stiff sagebrush. It is native to the northwestern United States, in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. It has been recorded in western Montana but these sightings may have been misidentifications.
Hackelia cronquistii is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Cronquist's stickseed.
Mentzelia densa is a species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common names Royal Gorge blazingstar and Royal Gorge stickleaf. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it occurs in the Arkansas River Valley in Fremont and Chaffee Counties.
Mentzelia packardiae is a species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common names Packard's blazingstar and Packard's stickleaf. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from a small area in Oregon and Nevada.
Senecio ertterae is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Ertter's ragwort. It is endemic to Oregon, United States.
Mentzelia chrysantha is a species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common names gold blazingstar and golden blazingstar. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States.
Oenothera harringtonii is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names Arkansas Valley evening primrose and Colorado Springs evening primrose. It is endemic to the state of Colorado in the United States.
