Mentzelia mollis

Mentzelia mollis
Mentzelia mollis
Conservation status
Imperiled  (NatureServe)
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 M.Peck

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]}

Description

Mentzelia mollisflowers

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]}

References

1. NRCS. "Mentzelia mollis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 7 July 2015.
2. Mentzelia mollis. The Nature Conservancy.
3. Mentzelia mollis. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
4. Mentzelia mollis. Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine Nevada Natural Heritage Program.
5. Mentzelia mollis. Oregon Department of Agriculture.