Mentzelia laevicaulis

Mentzelia laevicaulis is a showy wildflower native to western North America. Its common names include giant blazingstar[1] and smoothstem blazingstar.[1]

Mentzelia laevicaulis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Cornales
Family: Loasaceae
Genus: Mentzelia
Species:
M. laevicaulis
Binomial name
Mentzelia laevicaulis

This is a widespread plant which can be found in sandy, rocky, and disturbed areas, such as roadsides.

Description
Yellow blazing star (Mentzelia laevicaulis)

It grows a weedy-looking, branched stem which may reach a meter in height. The whitish-green stem and its lateral branches bear the occasional triangular sawtoothed leaf. The plant bears capsule fruits containing winged seeds.

At the tip of each branch blooms a spectacular yellow flower. The star-shaped flower has five narrow, pointed petals with shiny yellow surfaces, each up to 8 centimeters long. Between the petals are long, thin yellow sepals. The center of the open-faced flower is filled with a great many whiskery yellow stamens. Beneath the petals are long, curling bracts.

Mentzelia laevicaulis (Losaceae botanical family)
gollark: Who are they shooting at?
gollark: Except that's a tiny amount and that varies with environmental conditions a ton.
gollark: Good luck fitting more than a few hundred bits.
gollark: Grind up the flash chips and put them in water.
gollark: Water is *not* a good medium because stuff moves around a ton.

References
  1. "Mentzelia laevicaulis". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 5 September 2014.

Media related to Mentzelia laevicaulis at Wikimedia Commons

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