The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

10-petal western star, evening starflower, gumbo-lily, tenpetal blazingstar

Grand Canyon blazingstar

Habit Plants biennial or perennial, bushlike, perennials with ground-level caudices. Plants perennial, bushlike, with subterranean caudices or rhizomes.
Stems

solitary, erect, straight;

branches distal or along entire stem, proximal or distal longest, antrorse, straight to upcurved; hairy.

multiple, erect or decumbent, zigzag;

branches along entire stem, all ± equal, antrorse, upcurved; hairy.

Leaves

blade 72–295 × 14–45 mm, widest intersinus distance 10.1–23.3 mm;

proximal oblanceolate or elliptic, margins serrate to pinnate, teeth or lobes 16–26, slightly antrorse, 1–16.5 mm;

distal elliptic to lanceolate, base clasping or not, margins serrate to pinnate, teeth or lobes 9–20, slightly antrorse, 5.3–13.7 mm;

surfaces with needlelike trichomes.

blade 16–31 × 3.9–9.2 mm, widest intersinus distance 3–-8.3 mm;

proximal oblanceolate to elliptic, margins entire or dentate, teeth 0–4(–6), perpendicular to leaf axis, 0.2–1.3 mm;

distal oblanceolate to elliptic, base not clasping, margins entire or dentate, teeth 0–4, perpendicular to leaf axis, 0.4–2 mm;

abaxial surface with simple grappling-hook (occasionally absent) and complex grappling-hook trichomes, adaxial surface with complex grappling-hook and needlelike trichomes.

Bracts

margins pinnate.

margins entire.

Flowers

petals white, 47–75 × 13–22.7 mm, apex acute to attenuate, glabrous abaxially;

stamens white to yellow, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments spatulate, strongly clawed, 48–75 × 12–23 mm, without anthers, second whorl with anthers;

anthers straight after dehiscence, epidermis smooth;

styles 36–53 mm.

petals white, 9–15 × 1.8–2.4 mm, apex rounded to acute, glabrous abaxially;

stamens white, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments narrowly spatulate, slightly clawed, 7.1–13 × 0.5–1.4 mm, with anthers, second whorl with anthers;

anthers twisted or straight after dehiscence, epidermis papillate;

styles 4.8–-7.3 mm.

Capsules

cylindric, 30–43 × 12–17 mm, base tapering, not longitudinally ridged.

cup-shaped, 4.5–8(–13) × 4.5–7 mm, base rounded, not longitudinally ridged.

Seeds

2.3–4 mm;

coat anticlinal cell walls straight, papillae 4–10 per cell.

coat anticlinal cell walls straight, papillae usually 6–9 per cell.

2n

= 22.

Mentzelia decapetala

Mentzelia canyonensis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Oct). Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat Rock outcrops, slopes, dry short-grass prairies, riverbanks, roadsides, loam, limestone, sandy, silty, clayey, and gravelly soils. Loose, rocky soils primarily on steep, degraded slopes, less frequently on stream bottoms, Muav limestones and Bright Angel shales.
Elevation 300–2400 m. (1000–7900 ft.) 800–1600 m. (2600–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; KS; MN; MT; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; UT; WY; AB; MB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Mentzelia decapetala is introduced in Grundy County, Illinois. It appears to be native throughout the rest of its distribution.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Mentzelia canyonensis is known only from the Grand Canyon and Little Colorado River canyon in Coconino County.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 504. FNA vol. 12, p. 504.
Parent taxa Loasaceae > Mentzelia > sect. Bartonia Loasaceae > Mentzelia > sect. Bartonia
Sibling taxa
M. affinis, M. albescens, M. albicaulis, M. argillicola, M. argillosa, M. aspera, M. asperula, M. candelariae, M. canyonensis, M. chrysantha, M. collomiae, M. congesta, M. conspicua, M. crocea, M. cronquistii, M. densa, M. desertorum, M. dispersa, M. eremophila, M. filifolia, M. floridana, M. flumensevera, M. goodrichii, M. gracilenta, M. hirsutissima, M. holmgreniorum, M. hualapaiensis, M. humilis, M. integra, M. involucrata, M. inyoensis, M. isolata, M. jonesii, M. laciniata, M. laevicaulis, M. lagarosa, M. leucophylla, M. librina, M. lindheimeri, M. lindleyi, M. longiloba, M. marginata, M. memorabilis, M. mexicana, M. micrantha, M. mollis, M. monoensis, M. montana, M. multicaulis, M. multiflora, M. nitens, M. nuda, M. obscura, M. oligosperma, M. oreophila, M. pachyrhiza, M. packardiae, M. paradoxensis, M. pectinata, M. perennis, M. polita, M. procera, M. pterosperma, M. puberula, M. pumila, M. ravenii, M. reflexa, M. reverchonii, M. rhizomata, M. rusbyi, M. saxicola, M. shultziorum, M. sivinskii, M. speciosa, M. springeri, M. strictissima, M. thompsonii, M. tiehmii, M. todiltoensis, M. torreyi, M. tricuspis, M. tridentata, M. uintahensis, M. veatchiana
M. affinis, M. albescens, M. albicaulis, M. argillicola, M. argillosa, M. aspera, M. asperula, M. candelariae, M. chrysantha, M. collomiae, M. congesta, M. conspicua, M. crocea, M. cronquistii, M. decapetala, M. densa, M. desertorum, M. dispersa, M. eremophila, M. filifolia, M. floridana, M. flumensevera, M. goodrichii, M. gracilenta, M. hirsutissima, M. holmgreniorum, M. hualapaiensis, M. humilis, M. integra, M. involucrata, M. inyoensis, M. isolata, M. jonesii, M. laciniata, M. laevicaulis, M. lagarosa, M. leucophylla, M. librina, M. lindheimeri, M. lindleyi, M. longiloba, M. marginata, M. memorabilis, M. mexicana, M. micrantha, M. mollis, M. monoensis, M. montana, M. multicaulis, M. multiflora, M. nitens, M. nuda, M. obscura, M. oligosperma, M. oreophila, M. pachyrhiza, M. packardiae, M. paradoxensis, M. pectinata, M. perennis, M. polita, M. procera, M. pterosperma, M. puberula, M. pumila, M. ravenii, M. reflexa, M. reverchonii, M. rhizomata, M. rusbyi, M. saxicola, M. shultziorum, M. sivinskii, M. speciosa, M. springeri, M. strictissima, M. thompsonii, M. tiehmii, M. todiltoensis, M. torreyi, M. tricuspis, M. tridentata, M. uintahensis, M. veatchiana
Synonyms Bartonia decapetala
Name authority (Pursh) Urban: Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 10: 263. (1892) J. J. Schenk: W. C. Hodgson & L. Hufford, Brittonia 65: 410, figs. 1,2. (2013)
Web links