Argus blazingstar facts for kids

Mentzelia oreophila is a type of flowering plant often called the Argus blazingstar. It belongs to the Loasaceae family. You can find this plant growing naturally in the Southwestern United States. It also lives in the Mojave Desert and special mountain areas called sky islands in California. It likes to grow in rocky desert places and scrublands.

What Does Argus Blazingstar Look Like?

The Argus blazingstar is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows several stems that can get up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. These stems might tangle together and sometimes have many branches. They are usually whitish and have a peeling texture.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of this plant are often wavy. Some of them have small teeth along their edges. The leaves closer to the top of the stem wrap around it.

The plant produces many flowers together in a group. This group of flowers is called an inflorescence. Each flower has five thin, yellow petals. It also has five staminodes. These staminodes look a lot like extra petals, so you might confuse them.

In the middle of each flower, there are many stamens. These stamens look like tiny whiskers. They are important for the plant's reproduction.

Fruit and Seeds

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit is shaped like a cup. It is called a utricle and can be up to one centimeter (about 0.4 inches) long and wide.

Inside the utricle, there are many tiny seeds. These seeds are shaped like lenses and have small wings. If you look at them very closely with a magnifying glass, you'll see they have a bumpy surface.