Mentzelia packardiae

Mentzelia packardiae

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Cornales
Family: Loasaceae
Genus: Mentzelia
Species: M. packardiae
Binomial name
Mentzelia packardiae
Glad

Mentzelia packardiae is a species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common names Packard's blazingstar and Packard's stickleaf. It is native to the western United States, where it is known from a small area in Oregon and Nevada.[1]

This annual herb produces erect white to pale green stems up to 40 centimeters tall. The basal leaves are linear and leaves higher on the stem are linear or lance-shaped. Flowers occur along the stem and at its tip. Each has five oval or round petals up to 1.5 centimeters long which are yellow, sometimes with a red spot at the base. The fruit is a capsule up to 3 centimeters long which contains 10 to 20 seeds.[2]

This plant grows on dry, potassium-rich volcanic ash soils.[1] The soils are green-tinged.[2] Associated plants include Senecio ertterae, Trifolium owyheense, and Phacelia lutea.[1][3]

Threats to this rare plant include mining, recreational activity, off-road vehicles, and road construction.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Mentzelia packardiae. Center for Plant Conservation.
  2. 1 2 Mentzelia packardiae. The Nature Conservancy.
  3. Mentzelia packardiae. Oregon Department of Agriculture.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, May 09, 2012. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.