Al Schneider's Rocky Mountains Plant Descriptions

Bractless Blazingstar
Mentzelia nuda
Blazing-Star family (Loasaceae)

A number of Mentzelias inhabit our Colorado Rockies regions at low elevations, usually on dry, open grasslands and Pinyon/Juniper forest lands. The large bright flowers of this are always a treat to find. Stanley Welsh, author of "A Utah Flora", says, "Plants in this are sometimes difficult to place with certainty.... The notorious variability of plant size, leaf size, shape, and lobbing, flower size, and size and shape of contributes to the difficulty." The Mentzelia was named for Christian Mentzel (1622-1701), German botanist and botanical author.


©2008 Ernie Marx

Description

or from enlarged roots. Stems to 20" tall, often branched at base of plant. Leaves to 3+", narrow, with stiff, hooked hairs. Flower petals to almost 2 inches long, very light yellow to white. 30 . 1/2-1+" long with 50-80 seeds.

Field Marks

Tall wildflower with large, light yellow star-shaped flowers.

© Al Schneider

stamen -- the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower; The stamen consists of an anther supported by a filament.

A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.

capsule -- a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. In most cases the capsule splits apart to release seeds.

biennial -- a plant which lives for two years, producing a basal rosette of leaves the first year and a full plant, flower, and seed the second year followed by the death of the entire plant at the end of the second year.

genus -- A subdivision of a botanical Family in which all members have a significant number of similar characteristics.

wing -- Pea flowers have wings.