Mentzelia crocea
Mentzelia crocea, the Sierra blazingstar or saffron blazing star, is an annual wildflower endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California.
| Mentzelia crocea | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Cornales |
| Family: | Loasaceae |
| Genus: | Mentzelia |
| Species: | M. crocea |
| Binomial name | |
| Mentzelia crocea | |
The flowering plant can be found up to 4,920 feet (1,500 m) elevation.
Description
The stem grows up to a meter tall. The lobed leaves in the basal rosette are up to 20 centimeters long; those farther up the stem are smaller. The flower has 5 shiny yellow petals with orange spots at the bases. The petals may reach 3.6 centimeters in length. At the center are many long, whiskery stamens which may approach 3 centimeters long.
The fruit is a narrow utricle up to 3.5 centimeters long containing many tiny seeds which can be seen to be covered in minute bumps when viewed under magnification.
References
- Mentzelia crocea, Jepson Flora Project
- Mentzelia crocea in the CalPhotos Photo Database, University of California, Berkeley
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