Mentzelia polita

PLANTS: Perennials. STEMS: to 25 cm tall, occasionally producing branches in their lower halves. LEAVES: to 5 cm long, to 3 mm wide, sessile, linear or sometimes narrowly oblanceolate or lanceolate; margins entire, occasionally few-toothed; upper leaves without clasping bases. FLOWERS: pedicillate, subtended by 0-1 linear entire bracts; petals yellow, 7-10 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, with trichomes at apex only; staminodia 0-5, slightly to definitely smaller than petals; outer 2 whorls of stamens with broadened filaments; style 5-6 mm long; stigmatic papillae inconspicuous. CAPSULES: cylindric to subglobose, 3-5 mm long. SEEDS: horizontal, winged, oval to obovate, flattened; testa cells with straight adjoining walls, the surface walls with ca. 10 bumps. 2n = 22. NOTES: Restricted to gypsum or mixed gypsum and clay soils (Map 2C): n Mohave Co.; 1350-1500 m (4500-5000 ft); July-Sep; s CA, s NV. Best recognized by its many slender stems, small fruits and mostly linear and entire leaves. REFERENCES: Christy, Charlotte M. 1998. Loasaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. 30(2): 96.