Mentzelia torreyi
Encyclopedia
Mentzelia torreyi is a species of flowering plant in the family Loasaceae
known by the common name Torrey's blazingstar. It is native to the western United States where it grows in the Great Basin
and surrounding areas in desert, scrub, woodland, and other habitat.
The inflorescence
is a cluster of flowers each with yellow petals up to 1.5 centimeters long and many whiskery stamen
s each up to a centimeter in length. The fruit is an urn-shaped utricle containing many tiny bullet-shaped seeds.
Loasaceae
The Loasaceae is a family of 15-20 genera and about 200-260 species of flowering plants in the order Cornales, native to the Americas and Africa. The family comprises annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous plants, and a few shrubs and small trees.Genera...
known by the common name Torrey's blazingstar. It is native to the western United States where it grows in the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and surrounding areas in desert, scrub, woodland, and other habitat.
Description
It is a perennial herb growing in a small clump 10 to 16 centimeters high. The leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long, sometimes divided into a few narrow lobes with rolled edges.The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a cluster of flowers each with yellow petals up to 1.5 centimeters long and many whiskery stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s each up to a centimeter in length. The fruit is an urn-shaped utricle containing many tiny bullet-shaped seeds.