Mentzelia torreyi
Torrey's blazing star
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Loasaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2
Mentzelia torreyi (Torrey's blazing star) is a native California herb in the Loasaceae family, recognized by distinctive perennial with deeply divided leaves and rolled margins.
Torrey's blazing star is a rare California native perennial ranked 2B.2 by CNPS, found in the southern eastern California desert regions in sandy to alkaline slopes, scrub, and pinyon woodland at elevations of 900 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces orange to pale yellow flowers 9 to 15 millimeters long with oblanceolate petals. Growing with multiple stems 10 to 20 centimeters tall emerging from a thick caudex, the plant has erect to decumbent stems covered in fine hairs. Its leaves are 2 to 4 centimeters long, deeply pinnate-lobed with zero to seven narrow linear lobes and margins rolled under. The fruit is an urn-shaped capsule 4 to 8 millimeters long, gradually narrowing towards the top.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; distinctive perennial with deeply divided leaves and rolled margins
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandy to alkaline fine-textured, slopes, scrub, pinyon woodland
Elevation: 900-2100 m
California counties: Mono, Inyo
Outside California: to Oregon, Idaho
Bloom period
Mentzelia torreyi blooms Jun-Aug.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.2
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 torreyi native to California?
Yes. Mentzelia torreyi is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Mentzelia torreyi bloom?
Mentzelia torreyi blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Mentzelia torreyi grow?
Mentzelia torreyi occurs in Mono, Inyo, at elevations of 900-2100 m.
What plant family does Mentzelia torreyi belong to?
Mentzelia torreyi is in the Loasaceae family, genus Mentzelia.
Is Mentzelia torreyi rare or endangered?
Mentzelia torreyi carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Mentzelia tricuspis — Spiny-hair blazing star
- Mentzelia tridentata — Creamy blazing star
- Mentzelia veatchiana — Veatch's blazing star
- Mentzelia affinis — Yellow blazing star
- Mentzelia albicaulis — Small flowered blazing star
- Mentzelia congesta — Clustered blazing star
- Petalonyx linearis — Long leaved sandpaper plant
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.