Mentzelia mollis is a species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common names soft blazingstar,[1] smooth blazingstar, and smooth stickleaf. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada.[2][3]
| Mentzelia mollis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Cornales |
| Family: | Loasaceae |
| Genus: | Mentzelia |
| Species: | M. mollis
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| Binomial name | |
| Mentzelia mollis | |
Description
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This annual herb grows 5 to 12 centimeters tall with a thick, branching, erect stem. The leaves are lance-shaped and mostly smooth-edged. It produces flowers with bright yellow flowers with petals about a centimeter long and with many stamens in the middle. Flowering occurs in May and June.[2] The flowers are visited by bumblebees.[3] The fruit is a four-sided capsule about 2.5 centimeters long.[2]
This plant grows on deposits of montmorillonite, a slick, powdery clay soil. It also grows on volcanic ash soils high in potassium. The substrate is also high in calcium and sodium. Summer soil temperatures are hot.[3] The soils are mostly barren of vegetation but may host other annuals such as Monolepis pusilla, Mentzelia albicaulis, Cleomella macbrideana, and Phacelia humilis.[4] Only 10 to 12 inches of annual precipitation falls in the area.[3]
This species is distributed in Malheur County, Oregon, Owyhee County, Idaho, and Humboldt County, Nevada.[5] Threats include habitat destruction from mining activity and off-road vehicle use.[2][5]
References
edit- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Mentzelia mollis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d Mentzelia mollis. The Nature Conservancy.
- ^ a b c d Mentzelia mollis. Archived 2011-10-26 at the Wayback Machine Center for Plant Conservation.
- ^ Mentzelia mollis. Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine Nevada Natural Heritage Program.
- ^ a b Mentzelia mollis. Oregon Department of Agriculture.