Mentzelia dispersa |
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bushy blazing-star, bushy mentzelia, Nada stickleaf, Nevada blazingstar, scattered blazing star |
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Habit | Plants wandlike or candelabra-form, 10–40(–50) cm. |
Basal leaves | persisting; petiole present or absent; blade elliptic to linear, margins usually dentate, sinuses extending less than 1/4 to midvein, or entire, rarely deeply lobed. |
Cauline leaves | petiole present or absent (proximal leaves), absent (distal leaves); blade elliptic to linear (proximal leaves), orbiculate to linear (distal leaves), to 10 cm, margins usually dentate, sinuses extending less than 1/4 to midvein, or entire, rarely deeply lobed. |
Bracts | green, orbiculate to ovate, 2.1–6.5 × 1.1–3 mm, width 1/3–7/8 length, not concealing capsule, margins 3-lobed or entire. |
Flowers | sepals 1–3.5 mm; petals usually yellow, rarely orange, proximally, yellow distally, 2–6(–8) mm, apex rounded; stamens 20–40, 2–4.5 mm, filaments monomorphic, filiform, unlobed; styles 2–3.5(–5) mm. |
Capsules | narrow-cylindric, 7–30 × 1–2.5 mm, axillary curved to 30° at maturity, usually inconspicuously longitudinally ribbed. |
Seeds | 10–20, in 1 row distal to mid fruit, tan, dark-mottled or not, triangular prisms, surface ± smooth under 10x magnification; recurved flap over hilum absent; seed coat cell outer periclinal wall flat. |
2n | = 18, 36, 72. |
Mentzelia dispersa |
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Phenology | Flowering (Apr–)May–Aug(–Sep). |
Habitat | Loamy to sandy or rocky slopes, grasslands, scrub, dry forests, roadsides. |
Elevation | 400–3100 m. (1300–10200 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; CA; CO; ID; MT; ND; NV; OR; SD; UT; WA; WY; BC
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Discussion | Mentzelia dispersa is the only polyploid species solely derived from the “Affines” clade and may be an autopolyploid complex (J. M. Brokaw and L. Hufford 2010, 2010b). Morphological characters that consistently distinguish cytotypes within M. dispersa have not been found. Mentzelia dispersa is most easily confused with M. affinis (see discussion under 65. M. affinis) but is phylogenetically distinct (Brokaw and Hufford 2010, 2010b). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 536. |
Parent taxa | Loasaceae > Mentzelia > sect. Trachyphytum |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | M. albicaulis var. integrifolia, M. dispersa var. compacta, M. dispersa var. latifolia, M. dispersa var. obtusa, M. pinetorum |
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 11: 137. (1876) |
Web links |
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