Mentzelia eremophila |
Mentzelia crocea |
|
---|---|---|
pinyon blazing star, solitary blazing star |
saffron blazing star, Sierra blazingstar |
|
Habit | Plants candelabra-form, (7–)30–50(–60) cm. | Plants candelabra-form, 30–70(–100) cm. |
Basal leaves | persisting; petiole present or absent; blade linear-lanceolate to linear, margins very deeply lobed, lobes slender. |
persisting; petiole present or absent; blade lanceolate to linear, margins usually shallowly, rarely deeply, lobed. |
Cauline leaves | petiole absent; blade ovate-lanceolate to linear, to 15 cm, margins deeply to shallowly lobed or entire. |
petiole absent; blade ovate to lanceolate, to 40 cm, margins deeply to shallowly lobed. |
Bracts | green, ovate to lanceolate, 4.8–12.4 × 0.9–3.5 mm, width 1/8–1/2 length, not concealing capsule, margins usually entire, rarely 2-lobed. |
green, broadly ovate to lanceolate, 6–12.7 × 3.5–7.7 mm, width 1/2–4/5 length, not concealing capsule, margins 3–10-lobed. |
Flowers | sepals (7–)9–16 mm; petals yellow, 12–25 mm, apex acute or mucronate; stamens 20+, 3–10 mm, filaments monomorphic, filiform, unlobed; styles 7–15 mm. |
sepals 7–20 mm; petals usually orange, rarely yellow, proximally, yellow distally, usually elliptic to ovate, rarely obovate, 21–42 × 8–17(–21) mm, apex acute; stamens 20+, 11–40 mm, filaments heteromorphic, 5 outermost linear, inner filiform, unlobed; styles 20–35 mm. |
Capsules | clavate, 19–40 × 2–3.5 mm, axillary curved to 270° at maturity, usually inconspicuously longitudinally ribbed. |
clavate, 20–35 × 3–5 mm, axillary curved to 45° at maturity, usually inconspicuously longitudinally ribbed. |
Seeds | 30–60, in 2+ rows distal to mid fruit, tan, usually dark-mottled, usually irregularly polygonal, occasionally triangular prisms proximal to mid fruit, surface colliculate under 10x magnification; recurved flap over hilum usually present; seed coat cell outer periclinal wall domed, domes on seed edges less than 1/2 as tall as wide at maturity. |
30–40, in 2+ rows distal to mid fruit, tan, dark-mottled, irregularly polygonal, surface minutely tessellate under 10x magnification; recurved flap over hilum absent; seed coat cell outer periclinal wall domed, domes on seed edges less than 1/2 as tall as wide at maturity. |
2n | = 18. |
= 36. |
Mentzelia eremophila |
Mentzelia crocea |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–May. | Flowering May–Jun. |
Habitat | Rocky slopes, washes, canyons, creosote-bush scrub. | Rocky slopes, roadsides, grasslands, oak-pine woodlands. |
Elevation | 600–1300 m. (2000–4300 ft.) | 150–1700 m. (500–5600 ft.) |
Distribution |
CA
|
CA |
Discussion | Mentzelia eremophila is narrowly distributed in eastern Kern and northwestern San Bernardino counties. It is morphologically similar and closely related to M. nitens (J. M. Brokaw and L. Hufford 2010). However, M. eremophila generally has longer sepals, petals, and styles, and populations of M. nitens have not been found south of Inyo County in California. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Mentzelia crocea and M. lindleyi are very similar morphologically and are most reliably distinguished geographically, with M. crocea occurring on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada and M. lindleyi occurring in the Coast Ranges. Low fertility of interspecific crosses supports recognition as separate species (H. J. Thompson 1960), which has been substantiated by genetic differences and non-sister relationships of the two species (J. M. Brokaw and L. Hufford 2010b). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 12, p. 537. | FNA vol. 12, p. 536. |
Parent taxa | Loasaceae > Mentzelia > sect. Trachyphytum | Loasaceae > Mentzelia > sect. Trachyphytum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | M. lindleyi var. eremophila | M. lindleyi subsp. crocea |
Name authority | (Jepson) H. J. Thompson & J. E. Roberts: Phytologia 21: 281. (1971) | Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 7: 110. (1877) |
Web links |