Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis
(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Loasaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis is a native California herb in the Loasaceae family, recognized by large perennial with big golden flowers.
Mentzelia laevicaulis is a California native perennial found in sandy to rocky slopes, washes, and roadcuts at elevations below 2,900 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces striking golden yellow flowers with white to pale yellow outer petals, 40 to 80 millimeters long with deeply acute tips. Growing with erect stems 22 to 100 centimeters tall, it can be glabrous or hairy depending on the individual plant. Its lower leaves are large and oblanceolate with pinnate lobes up to 24 centimeters long, while upper leaves are smaller, lanceolate, and often dentate or serrate. The fruit is an erect cylindrical capsule 15 to 44 millimeters long, containing pale gray to light brown seeds with distinctive white or light brown wings.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; large perennial with big golden flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy to rocky slopes, washes, roadcuts
Elevation: < 2900 m
Outside California: to Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona
Bloom period
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis blooms May-Oct.
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 laevicaulis var. laevicaulis native to California?
Yes. Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis bloom?
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis blooms May-Oct.
What plant family does Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis belong to?
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis is in the Loasaceae family, genus Mentzelia.
What habitat does Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis grow in?
Mentzelia laevicaulis var. laevicaulis grows in Sandy to rocky slopes, washes, roadcuts.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.