Mentzelia nitens

Shining blazing star

Family: Loasaceae · Type: annual · Native

Shining blazing star is a California native annual found in the northern Mojave Desert and southeastern California in sandy washes to rocky slopes at elevations of 400 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with orange-yellow bases, measuring 7 to 18 millimeters long and generally obovate in shape. Growing 4 to 34 centimeters tall with erect to decumbent stems that are glabrous to hairy, the plant displays variable growth patterns. Its leaves vary from toothed or lobed in the lower portions to entire or slightly lobed in the upper portions, typically measuring less than 15 centimeters in length. The fruit is generally curved, measuring 13 to 26 millimeters long, with distinctive tan seeds that have a conspicuous recurved flap over the attachment scar.

Habitat: Sandy washes to rocky slopes

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 400-2000 m

Bioregions: SNE, n DMoj

California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Mono, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Imperial

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