Taxon Details

Mentzelia tridentata

creamy blazing star

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Taxon Summary:

Mentzelia tridentata, commonly known as creamy blazing star, is a annual herb in the Loasaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from 700 to 1175 meters. Mentzelia tridentata is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification

Scientific Name: Mentzelia tridentata (A. Davids.) H.J. Thomps. & Joyce Roberts
Common Name: creamy blazing star
Family:	Loasaceae
Element Code:	PDLOA031U0
USDA Plants Symbol:	METR4
Synonyms/Other Names:
Name Status:	JEF, FNA, POWO, IPNI, Tropicos

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Fed List:	None
State List:	None
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:
Add Date:	2001-01-01
Date Edited:	2024-11-05

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: annual herb

Blooming Period: Mar-May

Elevation:
700 - 1175 meters
2295 - 3855 feet

General Habitats:

Mojavean desert scrub

Microhabitat Details:

Microhabitat:

Gravelly
Rocky
Sandy

Notes

Notes: Threatened by vehicles, mining, and grazing. See Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 9:71 (1910) for original description, and Phytologia 21(4):287 (1971) for revised nomenclature.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

THREAT LIST:
Threat List Total:	5
	Total EOs	% of EOs
EOs with Threat Listed:	10	20 %
ORV activity	9	17%
Military operations	7	13%
Mining	2	3%
Development	1	1%
Grazing	1	1%

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Element Occurrence Ranks:
Total Occurrences:					51
A	B	C	D	X	U
4	8	0	2	0	37

Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years	19
Recent <=20 Years	32

Presence:
Presumed Extant	51
Possibly Extirpated	0
Presumed Extirpated	0

Location

California Endemic:

California Island:

States: Name (Code)
California (CA)

California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Kern (KRN), San Bernardino (SBD)

Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Ballarat (3611712), Barstow (3411781), Barstow SE (3411771), Bird Spring (3511723), Camp Rock Mine (3411666), Cantil (3511738), Daggett (3411678), Fry Mountains (3411656), Grand View Mine (3411657), Haiwee Reservoirs (3611728), Iron Ridge (3411655), Lane Mountain (3511618), Little Lake (3511788), Minneola (3411677), Nebo (3411688), Newberry Springs (3411676), Old Woman Springs (3411646), Ord Mountain (3411667), Panamint (3611711), Parker (3411423), Saltdale NW (3511748), Snaggletooth (3411456), Volcano Peak (3511787), West Ord Mountain (3411668), White Horse Mtn. (3411658), Yermo (3411687)

Notes:

Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
*		Presumed extirpated
(?)		Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.

Regional Map

Map

Presumed Extant

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CNPS Rare Plant Inventory