Mentzelia lindleyi

Lindley's blazing star

Family: Loasaceae · Type: annual · Native

Lindley's blazing star is a California native annual found in the San Joaquin Valley, eastern San Francisco Bay, and northern Santa Clara Ridge in rocky coastal-sage scrub and oak/pine woodland at elevations below 1,350 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with orange bases, 20 to 40 millimeters wide, creating a vivid display against open slopes. Growing with erect hairy stems 10 to 70 centimeters tall, it develops a robust and striking presence in its native habitats. Its leaves extend 2 to 17 centimeters long and are generally deeply lobed, providing a textured backdrop to the brilliant flowers. The plant produces elongated fruits 25 to 40 millimeters long that are generally erect or slightly curved, bearing irregularly rounded seeds with intricate surface textures.

Habitat: Rocky, open slopes, coastal-sage scrub, oak/pine woodland

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: < 1350 m

Bioregions: SnJV, e SnFrB, n SCoRI.

California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Merced, Alameda, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Tulare, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Benito, Contra Costa, Solano, Plumas, Mariposa, Monterey, Kern

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.