San Joaquin Blazingstar

Description

Mentzelia pectinata is an annual herb producing an erect, green stem up to about half a meter tall. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters long in the basal rosette and divided into comblike lobes, and those higher on the stem are reduced in size.The inflorescence is a cluster of flowers with orange to yellow petals up to 2 centimeters long and often marked with red near the bases. At the center of the flower are many whiskery stamens. The fruit is a narrow, straight utricle up to 3.5 centimeters long which contains many tiny, angular seeds.