Mentzelia pterosperma Eastw.
Family: Loasaceae
Wing-Seed Blazingstar,  more...
[Nuttallia pterosperma (Eastw.) Greene]
Mentzelia pterosperma image
Photo ©Al Schneider, swcoloradowildflowers.com  

Plant: perennial herb; stems to 25 cm tall, producing branches along their entire length

Leaves: to 6 cm long, to 2.5 cm wide, sessile, oblanceolate, or obovate to broadly lanceolate; margins mostly crenate to toothed, the lowest leaves sometimes entire or lobed; upper leaves with clasping bases, without clasping basal lobes

INFLORESCENCE: cymose

Flowers: pedicillate, subtended by 0-1 linear-lanceolate, entire bracts; petals yellow,10-15 (-20) mm long, 3-6 mm wide, with trichomes at apex only; staminodia 0(-5), smaller than petals; stamens with broad filaments common in outer whorl; style (8-)10-15 mm long; stigmatic papillae inconspicuous

Fruit: CAPSULES cup-shaped to cylindric, 9-15 mm long. SEEDS horizontal, winged, oval to obovate, flattened; testa cells with straight to slightly curved adjoining walls, the surface walls with ca. 10-15 bumps

Misc: Commonly on sandy clays, sometimes also on gypsum; 900-1350 m (2900-4500 ft; May-Sep

REFERENCES: Christy, Charlotte M. 1998. Loasaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. 30(2): 96.

Mentzelia pterosperma image
Photo ©Al Schneider, swcoloradowildflowers.com  
Mentzelia pterosperma image
Photo ©Al Schneider, swcoloradowildflowers.com  
Mentzelia pterosperma image
Photo ©Al Schneider, swcoloradowildflowers.com