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

Rusby's blazingstar, Rusby's stickleaf

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

solitary, erect, straight;

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

solitary, erect, straight;

branches distal, distal longest, antrorse, straight; 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 41–123 × 6.4–26.4 mm, widest intersinus distance 4.8–18 mm;

proximal spatulate, elliptic, or lanceolate, margins dentate, teeth 10–24, perpendicular to leaf axis, 0.6–3.6 mm;

distal lanceolate, base not clasping, margins dentate, teeth 10–22, perpendicular to leaf axis, 1.2–6 mm;

abaxial surface with simple grappling-hook, complex grappling-hook, and needlelike trichomes, adaxial surface with simple grappling-hook and needlelike trichomes.

Bracts

margins pinnate.

margins pinnate.

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 light yellow, 11.8–23.8 × 3–6.9 mm, apex acute, glabrous abaxially;

stamens light yellow, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments narrowly spatulate, slightly clawed, 9.2–19.5 × 1.5–4.5 mm, usually without, rarely with, anthers, second whorl with anthers;

anthers straight after dehiscence, epidermis smooth;

styles 9–14 mm.

Capsules

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

cylindric, (13–)18.8–29 × 7–10.5 mm, base tapering to rounded, longitudinally ridged.

Seeds

2.3–4 mm;

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

coat anticlinal cell walls sinuous, papillae 23–54 per cell.

2n

= 22.

= 20.

Mentzelia decapetala

Mentzelia rusbyi

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug(–Oct). Flowering Jul–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Rock outcrops, slopes, dry short-grass prairies, riverbanks, roadsides, loam, limestone, sandy, silty, clayey, and gravelly soils. Mesic habitats, moist washes, roadsides, roadcuts, steep to gentle slopes, disturbed sites, rocky soils composed of sand and loam.
Elevation 300–2400 m. (1000–7900 ft.) 1800–3100 m. (5900–10200 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; CO; NM; UT; WY
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 12, p. 504. FNA vol. 12, p. 508.
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. puberula, M. pumila, M. ravenii, M. reflexa, M. reverchonii, M. rhizomata, 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 Nuttallia rusbyi
Name authority (Pursh) Urban: Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 10: 263. (1892) Wooton: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 261. (1898)
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