Stickleaf
Mentzelia oligosperma Nutt.
Images
Click on image to view full size
Morphology
- Stem
- Ascending to erect, 1 to several, much-branched, whitish, rough, brittle.
- Leaves
- Alternate, simple, sessile, ovate to rhombic, .5 to 2.5 inches long, 1/4 to 1 inch wide, rough-hairy; margins coarsely toothed to basally lobed; tips blunt or pointed.
- Inflorescence
- 1- to few-flowered, in leaf axils near branch tips.
- Flower
- 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide; sepals 5, lanceolate, tapering to very slender points; petals 5, yellow to orange; tips pointed; stamens 15-40, about as long as petals.
- Fruit
- Capsules, cylindric to club-shaped, to 1/2 inch long, slightly curved; seeds 1-4, oblong, not sharply angular.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry rocky sites, particularly limestone and gypsum hillsides, ledges and bluffs.
- Distribution
- Throughout, but more frequently in east of Kansas.
Additional Notes
Comments
Hooked hairs on the leaves allow them to cling tightly to clothing or fur. Entwined in sheep's wool, the leaves can lower the wool's market value.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Loasaceae - Stickleaf Family
- Life Span
- Perennial
- Height
- 8-36 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-07-27
Color Groups
Yellow Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: June, July, August, September