Bushy blazingstar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bushy blazingstar |
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Scientific classification | |
Genus: |
Mentzelia
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Species: |
dispersa
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Bushy Blazingstar (scientific name: Mentzelia dispersa) is a cool flowering plant. It belongs to the Loasaceae family, which is also known as the stickleaf family. This plant grows naturally across western North America. You can find it from British Columbia in Canada all the way down to California in the United States. It also grows east to the Dakotas. This plant is very adaptable and can be found in many different types of places.
What Does Bushy Blazingstar Look Like?
The Bushy Blazingstar is an annual herb. This means it completes its whole life cycle in just one year. It grows a straight stem that can reach almost half a meter tall. That's about the length of a standard ruler!
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of this plant are quite interesting. They are divided into different shapes, like lobes and teeth. The longest leaves are found at the bottom of the plant, forming a group called a basal rosette. These can be up to 10 centimeters long. Leaves higher up on the stem are smaller.
The plant produces clusters of small, bright yellow flowers. These flowers have five shiny petals, each only a few millimeters long. The plant also has light hairs on its surface.
Seeds and Fruit
After the flowers bloom, the plant forms a special kind of fruit called a utricle. This fruit is narrow and can be straight or slightly curved. It grows up to 2.5 centimeters long. Inside each utricle, you'll find many tiny seeds. These seeds have interesting angular shapes.