Mentzelia ravenii

Grass blazingstar

Family: Loasaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Grass blazingstar is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native annual found in the eastern Peninsular Ranges, southwestern Mojave Desert, and western Colorado Desert in sandy desert foothills and creosote-bush scrub at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with orange bases, 5 to 11 millimeters long, emerging from white-based bracts. Growing with erect, hairy stems 5 to 45 centimeters tall, it has a delicate and distinctive branching structure. Its leaves vary from deeply lobed proximal leaves to toothed or lobed distal leaves measuring 1 to 18 centimeters long, creating a textured appearance. The fruit is an erect to slightly curved capsule 8 to 23 millimeters long, containing irregularly angular tan seeds with dark mottling.

Habitat: Sandy desert foothills, roadsides, creosote-bush scrub, Joshua-tree woodland

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 1200 m

Bioregions: SnGb, e PR, sw DMoj, w DSon.

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