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

Argus blazing star, Darlington's blazing star, pubescent blazingstar

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

solitary, erect, straight;

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

multiple, erect or decumbent, straight;

branches along entire stem, distal longest, 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 18.8–62.7 × 11–36 mm, widest intersinus distance 8.9–28.8 mm;

proximal broadly elliptic to obovate, margins dentate to serrate, teeth 8–12, slightly antrorse or perpendicular to leaf axis, 1–4 × 1.7–6 mm;

distal ovate or obovate, base not clasping, margins dentate to serrate, teeth 6–12, slightly antrorse or perpendicular to leaf axis, 1–3.5 mm;

abaxial surface with complex grappling-hook trichomes, adaxial surface with 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, 6.7–9.5(–12.6) × 2.3–5.8 mm, apex rounded, glabrous abaxially;

stamens golden yellow, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments narrowly spatulate, slightly clawed, 5.4–9.2(–11) × 1.3–2.7 mm, with anthers, second whorl with anthers;

anthers twisted after dehiscence, epidermis smooth;

styles 4.1–6.8(–9) mm.

Capsules

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

cup-shaped, 5–9.8 × 5–8 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 3–5 per cell.

2n

= 22.

= 20, 22.

Mentzelia decapetala

Mentzelia puberula

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Oct). Flowering Feb–Oct.
Habitat Rock outcrops, slopes, dry short-grass prairies, riverbanks, roadsides, loam, limestone, sandy, silty, clayey, and gravelly soils. Bases of steep cliffs in crevices composed of basalt, granite, and limestone, steep gravelly and sandy slopes, sandy washes.
Elevation 300–2400 m. (1000–7900 ft.) 90–2200 m. (300–7200 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; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[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.)

Populations of Mentzelia puberula are associated with the Colorado River in Arizona, California, Nevada, and northern Mexico. Disjunct populations also occur in the Gila Mountains of Arizona.

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

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 504. FNA vol. 12, p. 514.
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. 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. 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. Darlington: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 21: 177. (1934)
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