About Mentzelia montana (A.Davidson) A.Davidson
Mentzelia montana is an annual herb that grows an erect stem reaching a maximum height near 0.5 meters, or 1.6 feet. Most of its leaves are unlobed: the longest leaves, located in the basal rosette, can grow up to 13 centimeters long, while leaves growing higher on the stem are smaller in size. Its inflorescence forms a narrow arrangement of small flower clusters. Each individual flower is accompanied by a single toothed bract that has a white base and a green tip. The flower has five yellow petals, each up to 7 millimeters long, and these petals are sometimes marked with red at their bases. The fruit is a narrow utricle that can reach up to 2 centimeters in length, and it contains several tiny, angular seeds. This plant is native to most of western North America, which includes the western United States and northern Mexico. It grows in many habitat types, including coniferous forests, chaparral, sagebrush scrub, and deserts, where it is part of the local native flora.
