Mentzelia cronquistii

Plants biennial, candelabra-form. Stems solitary, erect, straight; branches distal or along entire stem, proximal longer than distal, all usually extending to near the distal end of plant, antrorse, straight; hairy. Leaves: blade 21–101 × 4–10.7 (–19.3) mm, widest intersinus distance 1.8–7.3 (–12.6) mm; proximal oblanceolate, lanceolate, or elliptic, margins dentate to pinnate, teeth or lobes 8–28, perpendicular to leaf axis, 1.2–6 (–9) mm, always some more than 4 mm; distal oblanceolate, elliptic, or lanceolate, base not clasping, margins dentate to pinnate, teeth or lobes 6–18, perpendicular to leaf axis, 1.1–5 (–6.9) mm; abaxial surface with simple grappling-hook, complex grappling-hook, and needlelike trichomes, adaxial surface with simple grappling-hook, needlelike, and occasionally complex grappling-hook trichomes. Bracts: margins entire or toothed to pinnate. Flowers: petals golden yellow, 9–16.6 × 2.5–5.1 mm, apex usually rounded, rarely acute, hairy abaxially; stamens golden yellow, 5 outermost petaloid, filaments narrowly spatulate, slightly clawed, 7.3–13.2 × 1.8–4.3 mm, usually without, rarely with anthers, second whorl with anthers; anthers straight after dehiscence, epidermis papillate or not; styles 6.5–10 mm. Capsules cupshaped, 5.9–10.6 (–11.4) × 5–7.6 mm, base tapering to rounded, not longitudinally ridged. Seeds: coat anticlinal cell-walls wavy, papillae 8–13 per cell. 2n = 20.

Phenology: Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat: Sandy and rocky soils, washes, roadside banks, steep slopes.
Elevation: 800–2300 m.

Ariz., Colo., N.Mex., Utah.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa