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

manystem blazingstar, multiple-branch blazingstar

Habit Plants biennial or perennial, bushlike, perennials with ground-level caudices. Plants perennial, bushlike, with subterranean caudices or sometimes 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 or straight;

branches distal or along entire stem, distal longest or all ± equal, antrorse, straight to 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 20–49(–57) × 4.2–19 mm, widest intersinus distance 1.1–5.3 mm;

proximal oblanceolate to elliptic, margins pinnate to pinnatisect, lobes 4–10, slightly antrorse, 0.7–7.6 mm;

distal linear to lanceolate, base not clasping, margins entire or pinnate, lobes 0–10, slightly antrorse, 1.9–7.8 mm;

abaxial surface with simple grappling-hook trichomes, adaxial surface with 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 golden yellow, 10.6–17.9 × 5.1–9 mm, apex obtuse, glabrous abaxially;

stamens golden yellow, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments oblanceolate, slightly clawed, 6.5–10.5 × 2–4.5 mm, with anthers, second whorl with anthers;

anthers twisted or straight after dehiscence, epidermis smooth;

styles 6–11.5 mm.

Capsules

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

cup-shaped to cylindric, 6–13.6 × 3.4–6 mm, base tapering to 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 4–9 per cell.

2n

= 22.

= 22.

Mentzelia decapetala

Mentzelia multicaulis

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Oct). Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Rock outcrops, slopes, dry short-grass prairies, riverbanks, roadsides, loam, limestone, sandy, silty, clayey, and gravelly soils. Sparsely vegetated steep slopes, drainage gullies, roadcuts.
Elevation 300–2400 m. (1000–7900 ft.) 2000–2500 m. (6600–8200 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
CO
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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 multicaulis is known to occur in Eagle, Grand, and Summit counties.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 504. FNA vol. 12, p. 511.
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. canyonensis, 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. 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 Touterea multicaulis
Name authority (Pursh) Urban: Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 10: 263. (1892) (Osterhout) J. Darlington: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 156. (1934)
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