E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Mentzelia laevicaulis var. parviflora (Hook.) Torr. & A. Gray (Douglas ex Hook.) C.L. Hitchc.
blazing-star (smoothstem blazingstar)
Loasaceae (Loasa family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Mentzelia laevicaulis var. parviflora
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Species Information

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Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Biennial or short-lived perennial herb from a deep taproot; stems ascending to erect, several, branched, angular, harshly barbed-hairy throughout but nearly glabrous near the bases, 0.3-1 m tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves linear to shallowly lobed, 10-15 cm long; stem leaves alternate, unstalked, oblong to egg-shaped but less deeply lobed.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of numerous flowers in a compact terminal or axillary cluster; petals 5, lemon yellow, 2.5-8 cm long; calyces 1-2.5 mm long; stamens 2/3 the length of the petals; bracts linear.

Fruits:
Capsules, oblong, 1.5-3.5 cm long; seeds numerous, flattened, winged, greyish-green or brownish.

Notes:
Two, sometimes difficult to separate, varieties are recognized in BC:

1. Petals at least 4-8 cm long; fruits usually over 2 cm long ...................var. laevicaulis

1. Petals 1.5-4 cm long; fruits usually less than 2 cm long...................... var. parviflora (Dougl. ex Hook.) C.L. Hitchc.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Key to the Species and Taxonomic Notes

1. Plants biennials or perennials; seeds flattened...........................M. laevicaulis

1. Plants annuals; seeds not flattened.

2. Basal leaves linear to shallowly lobed; seeds obscurely rough-pimply and apparently smooth 10X magnification; flower bracts mostly egg-shaped to narrowly egg-shaped; inflorescence congested............................M. dispersa

2. Basal leaves oblanceolate, deeply pinnatifid with deeply notched lobes; seeds conspicuously rough-pimply under 10X magnification; flower bracts narrowly to broadly lanceolate; inflorescence not congested.......................M. albicaulis

Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry slopes in the steppe and lower montane zones; frequent in SC BC; S to MT, UT and CA.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Status Information

Scientific Name	Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis	Native	SU	Unknown	Not Listed
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. parviflora	Native	S4	Yellow	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Mentzelia brandegeei S. Wats.
Mentzelia douglasii H. St. John

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-11-25 1:12:12 AM ]

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