Mentzelia packardiae
Mentzelia reflexa
Packard's blazingstar, Packard's mentzelia, Packard's stick-leaf
Panamint blazingstar, reflexed blazing star
persisting or not.
petioles present;
blade oblanceolate to lanceolate, to 10 cm;
margins shallowly lobed, lobes rounded.
petiole present or absent (proximal leaves), absent (distal leaves);
blade lanceolate to linear (proximal leaves), ovate to linear (distal leaves), to 10(–14) cm, margins dentate or entire (proximal leaves), entire (distal leaves).
petioles usually present, rarely absent;
blade broadly ovate to lanceolate, to 10 cm, base not cordate-clasping, margins dentate to serrate.
green, ovate to elliptic, 4.3–8.3 × 1.9–3.2 mm, width 1/3–2/3 length, not concealing capsule, margins entire.
green, inconspicuous, not concealing pedicel, ovary, or capsule.
sepals 4–10 mm;
petals orange proximally, yellow distally, 10–20 mm, apex rounded to retuse;
stamens 20+, 4–13 mm, filaments monomorphic, filiform, unlobed;
styles 6–14 mm.
petals pale yellow to white, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 6–12 mm, apex acute;
stamens 3–12 mm (fertile 3–8 mm), 1/2 to ± equal petal length, 1–3(–5) outermost staminodial and petaloid (flowers appearing to have 6–8(–10) petals);
filaments heteromorphic, 1–3(–5) outermost oblanceolate, inner linear, all unlobed;
style 5–6.5 mm.
narrow-cylindric, 8–35 × 2.5–4 mm, axillary curved to 45° at maturity, often prominently longitudinally ribbed.
cylindric to ovoid, 9–13 × 5–7 mm, proximal nodding, distal erect.
10–20, in 1 row distal to mid fruit, tan, dark-mottled or not, triangular prisms, surface ±smooth to minutely tessellate under 10x magnification; recurved flap over hilum absent;
seed coat cell outer periclinal wall flat to slightly convex.
constricted and grooved at middle;
seed coat anticlinal cell walls straight, obscure.
= 72.
= 20.
Mentzelia packardiae
Mentzelia reflexa
Mentzelia packardiae is the most narrowly distributed species in sect. Trachyphytum, known only from the Leslie Gulch area in eastern Malheur County. During most years, M. packardiae is predominantly limited to barren, ash-derived gravel slopes. A reported collection from Elko County, Nevada, is most likely from a large-flowered population of M. dispersa (N. H. Holmgren et al. 2005). Mentzelia packardiae can be distinguished from M. dispersa by its larger flowers with longer petals [10–20 mm versus 2–6(–8) mm] and styles [6–14 mm versus 2–3.5(–5) mm], and its wider capsules (2.5–4 mm versus 1–2.5 mm).
Mentzelia packardiae is listed as threatened by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Mentzelia reflexa has been placed in other sections, including Octopetaleia Urban & Gilg (I. Urban and E. Gilg 1900) and Bartonia (J. Darlington 1934), due to the presence of three petaloid staminodes, giving an appearance of eight nearly equal petals (specimens subsequently have been found with as few as one and rarely as many as five staminodes). However, G. S. Daniels (1970) placed it in sect. Bicuspidaria based on characteristics including leaf, capsule, and seed shapes, which are very similar to those of M. tricuspis and M. tridentata. Phylogenetic studies subsequently have supported inclusion of M. reflexa in sect. Bicuspidaria (L. Hufford et al. 2003).
Mentzelia reflexa is found in the eastern Mojave Desert.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
