Blazingstars near and far: FF & FOTD

Today I’m featuring photographs of blazingstars near and far.

The first picture shows the Sierra blazingstar, or saffron blazing star, Mentzelia crocea. I took this picture in Kings Canyon National Park, California. This 3-foot tall plant blooms from April to June. I like the numerous delicate stamens in the middle of each flower. It is classified as an annual wildflower.

This blazingstar grows in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. It grows in a relatively small area of California. It is endemic to that region.

The next photo shows the giant blazingstar, or smoothstem blazingstar, Mentzelia laevicaulis. I took this photo at Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, Oregon. Pilot Butte is an extinct cinder cone in Bend, Oregon. This species grows from 3-6 feet tall and blooms from June to September. The petals are narrower on their flowers, but they still have a lot of stamens. It is classified as a biennial or short-lived perennial wildflower.

The giant blazingstar grows from southern Canada through the western United States. It’s much more widespread than the Sierra blazingstar.

As I noted on a previous post, the flowers stay open from mid-morning through the night. Blazingstars attract pollinators during evening hours, including hawk moths. The giant blazingstar can also self-pollinate.

Friday Flowers (FF)

Flower of the Day (FOTD)

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