| Mentzelia leucophylla | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
|
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe) |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Cornales |
| Family: | Loasaceae |
| Genus: | Mentzelia |
| Species: | M. leucophylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Mentzelia leucophylla Brandeg. |
|
Mentzelia leucophylla is a rare species of flowering plant in the Loasaceae known by the common name Ash Meadows blazingstar. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where it is known only from Nye County. It is one of several rare plants to be found only in Ash Meadows, an area with a unique desert wetland ecosystem.[1] It is threatened by the degradation of its habitat, and it is federally listed as a threatened species of the United States.[1]
This is a biennial or perennial herb growing up to half a meter tall. The stem and herbage are coated in tiny white hairs, making them pale and velvety. The wide inflorescence bears bright yellow flowers in May through September. The flowers open for a short time in the afternoon.[1][2]
Ash Meadows is a stretch of desert floor with areas of wetland habitat kept moist by springs and seeps originating from a supply of groundwater.[1] This water supports a variety of flora and fauna, including many rare and endemic taxa such as Ash Meadows milkvetch (Astragalus phoenix) and Ash Meadows sunray (Enceliopsis nudicaulis var. corrugata), which are found growing alongside the blazingstar.[1] The substrate is fine-grained sand and clay crusted with salt and alkaline in pH. The area is generally dominated by shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia) and associated halophytic vegetation.[3]
For many decades the Ash Meadows area has been disturbed by a number of human activities, including peat mining, construction of roads, real estate development, and agricultural practices such as plowing, water diversion, and grazing.[1] The pumping of groundwater proved to be a serious threat, as it lowered the high water table that supports the ecosystem.[1]