Scientific Family
Loasaceae
Synonyms
Bartonia multiflora, Nuttallia multiflora
Other common names
Adonis stickleaf
desert stickleaf
desert blazingstar
manyflowered mentzelia
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
To 2-1/2 feet
Riparian
Yes
Bright yellow flowers are loosely clustered at the top of white, upright, branched stems. The green leaves are lobed and have hooked hairs on their lower surface which cause them to stick to clothing, thus the common name stickleaf.
White stems with short stiff hairs; long narrow leaves with rounded teeth or shallow pinnate lobes, upper leaves clasping the stem; showy, large yellow flowers; distinguished from many others in the genus by being perennial and taller.
Habitat
Desert, upland, mountain in full sun. Commonly found on sand and gravel bars.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
100
High elevation
7500
Flower Characteristics
The bright yellow flowers have 5 petals and 5 staminodes that are petal-like and many stamens. Flowers are 2 inches across; they open later in the afternoon and close in the morning.
Flower color
Bright yellow
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems turn upward. Green leaves are long and narrow, lobed and without stems. The lower surface of the leaves has hooked hairs which cause them to stick to clothing.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Capsules are straight and cylindric.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Brown
Small, broadly winged seeds are densely covered with minute rounded projections.