Mentzelia albicaulis
Small flowered blazing star
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Loasaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Mentzelia albicaulis (Small flowered blazing star) is a native California herb in the Loasaceae family, recognized by smallest petals and distinctive seed coat texture.
Small flowered blazing star is a California native annual found in the Tehachapi Mountains, southern Great Basin, southern Baja California desert ranges, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert in sand dunes, gravel fans, washes, creosote-bush scrub, and pinyon/juniper woodland at elevations below 2,300 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces yellow flowers with orange bases, 2 to 7 millimeters long in delicate clusters. Growing with erect to decumbent stems 5 to 42 centimeters tall, ranging from glabrous to hairy with variable texture. Its leaves measure 1 to 11 centimeters long, with proximal leaves showing distinctive lobes while distal leaves remain entire or slightly lobed. The fruit is generally curved less than 180 degrees, 8 to 28 millimeters long, with tan to dark-mottled or black seeds featuring irregularly rounded or angular shapes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; smallest petals and distinctive seed coat texture
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sand dunes, gravel fans, washes, creosote-bush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: < 2300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, Lassen, Plumas, Imperial, Modoc, Los Angeles, Monterey, Mono, Tulare, Ventura, Siskiyou, Glenn, Alpine, Sierra, Santa Clara, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Shasta, Placer, San Benito, Orange, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to British Columbia, Nebraska, Baja California
Bloom period
Mentzelia albicaulis blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Camissoniopsis: Mentzelia has many stamens and 3 stigmas; Camissoniopsis has 8 stamens and 4 stigmas.; vs Leptosiphon: Mentzelia has free petals and many stamens; Leptosiphon has fused petals forming a tube.; vs Emmenanthe: Mentzelia has free petals and 3 stigmas; Emmenanthe has fused bell-shaped petals.; vs Eschscholzia: Mentzelia has many stamens and 3 stigmas; Eschscholzia has many stamens and 4 stigmas.; vs Potentilla: Mentzelia has 3 stigmas and capsule fruit; Potentilla has many pistils and achene fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mentzelia albicaulis native to California?
Yes. Mentzelia albicaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Mentzelia albicaulis bloom?
Mentzelia albicaulis blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Mentzelia albicaulis grow?
Mentzelia albicaulis occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, Lassen, Plumas, Imperial and other counties, at elevations of < 2300 m.
What plant family does Mentzelia albicaulis belong to?
Mentzelia albicaulis is in the Loasaceae family, genus Mentzelia.
What habitat does Mentzelia albicaulis grow in?
Mentzelia albicaulis grows in Sand dunes, gravel fans, washes, creosote-bush scrub, pinyon/juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.