Mentzelia montana

(Davidson) Davidson in A. Davidson and G. L. Moxley

Fl. S. Calif., 240. 1923.

Common names: Mountain blazingstar
Basionym: Acrolasia montana Davidson Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 5: 18. 1906
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 539. Mentioned on page 533, 534, 540, 543.

Plants wandlike or candelabra-form, (5–) 20–40 (–50) cm. Basal leaves persisting; petiole present or absent; blade lanceolate to linear, margins usually deeply to shallowly lobed, rarely entire. Cauline leaves: petiole present or absent (proximal leaves), absent (distal leaves); blade lanceolate to linear (proximal leaves), ovatelanceolate to linear (distal leaves), to 13 cm, margins deeply to shallowly lobed or entire. Bracts usually green with prominent white base conspicuously extending outwards from midvein, rarely green, usually obovate, rarely lanceolate, 5.9–9.2 × 1.7–5 mm, width 1/5–2/3 length, not concealing capsule, margins usually 3–7-lobed, lateral lobes usually prominent, rarely entire. Flowers: sepals 1–4; petals orange proximally, yellow distally, 2–6 (–8) mm, apex retuse or rounded; stamens 20–40, 2–7 mm, filaments monomorphic, filiform, unlobed; styles 1.5–3.5 (–6) mm. Capsules cylindric or clavate, 6–17 (–20) × 2–3 mm, axillary curved to 45° at maturity, usually inconspicuously longitudinally ribbed. Seeds 15–35, in 2+ rows distal to mid fruit, tan, moderately to densely dark-mottled, usually irregularly polygonal, occasionally triangular prisms proximal to mid fruit, surface tuberculate under 10× magnification; recurved flap over hilum absent; seed-coat cell outer periclinal wall domed, domes on seed edges more than 1/2 as tall as wide at maturity. 2n = 36.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Aug.
Habitat: Open, disturbed slopes or flats, grasslands, sagebrush scrub, coniferous forests.
Elevation: 600–3400 m.

Distribution

V12 966-distribution-map.jpg

Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo., Mexico (Baja California)

Discussion

Mentzelia montana is widely distributed and, in portions of its range, difficult to distinguish from M. albicaulis. Mentzelia montana is morphologically intermediate to M. albicaulis and M. congesta, but ecologically more similar to M. congesta (J. M. Brokaw 2009). Mentzelia montana generally occurs at higher elevations than M. albicaulis and is best distinguished morphologically from M. albicaulis by capsule and bract characteristics. Capsules of M. montana are usually not longer than 17 millimeters or curved more than 45°, whereas those of M. albicaulis are often longer and more curved. Both species may have bracts with some lobes and whitish base, but only M. montana has populations in which these features are prominent. Sepal and petal lengths, which have sometimes been used to distinguish these species, overlap completely.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"not elongating" is not a number.

... more about "Mentzelia montana"
monomorphic +
unlobed +  and filiform +
rounded +  and retuse +
Joshua M. Brokaw +
(Davidson) Davidson in A. Davidson and G. L. Moxley +
not +  and persistent +
Acrolasia montana +
lanceolate;linear ovatelanceolate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (13 cm130 mm <br />0.13 m <br />) +
1/(1/5-2/3) +
0.59 cm5.9 mm <br />0.0059 m <br /> (0.92 cm9.2 mm <br />0.0092 m <br />) +
lanceolate;obovate +
0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
clavate +  and cylindric +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Mountain blazingstar +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, Oreg. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Wash. +, Wyo. +  and Mexico (Baja California) +
600–3400 m. +
curved +  and straight +
s--shaped +, clavate +, urceolate +, ovoid +, cylindric +, subcylindric +, lingulate +  and cup-shaped +
Open, disturbed slopes or flats, grasslands, sagebrush scrub, coniferous forests. +
free +  and adnate +
2-lobed +, unlobed +  and filiform +
cauline +  and basal +
3-7-lobed +, entire +  and lobed +
elliptic +  and linear +
apical +, subapical +  and inferior +
inconspicuous +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
yellow +  and orange +
connate +  and distinct +
spreading +  and erect +
hairy +  and glabrous +
obovate +, oblanceolate +, elliptic +, ovate +  and spatulate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Flowering Apr–Aug. +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Fl. S. Calif., +
tan +  and moderately densely dark-mottled +
triangular +  and polygonal +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
persistent +
1 +  and 4 +
lanceolate +  and narrowly ovate +
adnate +, free +  and distinct +
included +  and exserted +
20 +  and 40 +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
decumbent +, clambering +  and erect +
papillate +
3-lobed +  and lingulate +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
tuberculate +
Mentzelia montana +
Mentzelia sect. Trachyphytum +
species +
dendritic +  and unbranched +
straight +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
candelabra-form +  and wand-like +