Mentzelia pectinata
San joaquin blazing star
(c) Steve Berardi, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Loasaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Mentzelia pectinata (San joaquin blazing star) is a native California herb in the Loasaceae family, recognized by orange petals with red bases and distinctively shaped angular seeds.
San joaquin blazing star is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern San Joaquin Valley, southern Coast Ranges, and northern Western Transverse Ranges in grassland and oak woodland habitats at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces striking orange to yellow flowers with red to orange bases, petals 8 to 22 millimeters long. Growing 8 to 54 centimeters tall with erect to decumbent stems covered in fine hairs, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its leaves range from 2 to 12 centimeters long, generally toothed or lobed with variable shapes. The fruit is an erect to slightly curved capsule 12 to 35 millimeters long, containing small tan seeds with irregularly angular surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; orange petals with red bases and distinctively shaped angular seeds
Habitat and range
Habitat: Slopes of sandy to gray-white, calcium-rich soils, grassland to oak woodland
Elevation: < 1400 m.
California counties: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Los Angeles, Kern, Kings, Merced, San Joaquin, Tulare, Monterey, Fresno, Alameda, San Diego
Bloom period
Mentzelia pectinata blooms Mar-May.
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 pectinata native to California?
Yes. Mentzelia pectinata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Mentzelia pectinata bloom?
Mentzelia pectinata blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Mentzelia pectinata grow?
Mentzelia pectinata occurs in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Los Angeles, Kern, Kings, Merced, San Joaquin and other counties, at elevations of < 1400 m..
What plant family does Mentzelia pectinata belong to?
Mentzelia pectinata is in the Loasaceae family, genus Mentzelia.
What habitat does Mentzelia pectinata grow in?
Mentzelia pectinata grows in Slopes of sandy to gray-white, calcium-rich soils, grassland to oak 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.