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- Loasaceae
- Mentzelia
- Mentzelia oligosperma
Mentzelia oligosperma — stickleaf mentzelia
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Facts
Stickleaf mentzelia is native to central and southern North America, and has not been found elsewhere, except in Massachusetts, in the waste area of a nineteenth-century wool-carding factory. The leaves are covered with hooked hairs and cling tightly to clothing or sheeps' wool.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit length
- 10 mm
-
Clonal plantlets
- Bulbils
- the plant does not appear to have bulbils
- Bulblets replace flowers
- there are no bulblets where the flowers are located
-
Flowers
- Calyx symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
- Corona lobe length
- 0 mm
- Epicalyx
- the flower does not have an epicalyx
- Epicalyx number of parts
- 0
- Flower description
- the flower has an inferior ovary, with or without a hypanthium
- Flower petal color
- yellow
- Flower reproductive parts
- the flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Flowers sunken into stem
- no
- Form of style
- the style is lobed at the tip, and unbranched
- Fusion of sepals and petals
- both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused
- Horns in hoods (Asclepias)
- NA
- Hypanthium
- the flower has a hypanthium
- Inner tepals (Rumex)
- NA
- Nectar spur
- the flower has no nectar spurs
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Number of sepals, petals or tepals
- there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
- Number of styles
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
- Petal and sepal colors
- yellow
- Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal hairs (Viola)
- NA
- Petal number
- 5
- Petal tips (Cuscuta)
- NA
- Reproductive system
- NA
- Sepal appendages
- the sepals do not have appendages on them
- Sepal appendages (Oenothera)
- NA
- Sepal number
- 5
- Stamen attachment
- the stamens are attached at or near the bases of the petals or tepals
- Stamen number
- 13 or more
- Stamen position relative to petals
- NA
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not attached to one another
- Stigma position
- the stigmas are positioned at the tip of the style
- Style petal-like
- the styles are not petal-like
- Umbel flower reproductive parts
- NA
-
Fruits or seeds
- Achene surface (Polygonum)
- NA
- Capsule color (Viola)
- NA
- Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence
- NA
- Fruit features (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Fruit length
- 10 mm
- Fruit locules
- one
- Fruit shape
- the fruit is roughly cylindrical (with parallel sides that do not taper, and flat across the top and bottom)
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)
- Legumes (Fabaceae)
- NA
- Mericarp length
- anything
- Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)
- NA
- Placenta arrangement
- the plant has parietal placentation, where ovules develop on the wall or slight outgrowths of the wall forming broken partitions within a compound ovary
- Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit compression
- NA
- Schizocarpic fruit segments
- 0
- Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit does not have wings on it
-
Glands or sap
- Glands on leaf blade
- the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
- Sap color
- the sap is clear
-
Growth form
- Growth form
-
- the plant is a subshrub (small shrub with partially herbaceous stems)
- the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)
- Lifespan
- the plant lives more than two years
- Parasitism
- the plant is not parasitic
- Plant color
- the leaves or young stems of the plant are green
- Spines on plant
- there are spines on the plant
-
Leaves
- Bracteole number (Apiaceae)
- 0
- Bracts in plantain (Plantago)
- NA
- Hairs on underside of leaf
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)
- the leaf has no stalk
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade length
- 30–60 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf form
- the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf teeth and lobes
-
- the leaf blade margin has forward-pointing teeth
- the leaf blade margin is wavy, but does not have teeth
- Leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf variation
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Stipule features
- NA
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Branched tendrils
- NA
- Hair between stem nodes
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- Hairs between stem nodes
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are branched
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Plant height
- Up to 100 cm
- Stem hair distribution
- the hairs on the stem are distributed more of less uniformly
- Stem orientation
- the stems are upright or angled outwards
- Tendril origin
- NA
- Tendrils
- the plant does not have tendrils
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Mentzelia oligosperma Nutt. ex Sims. E
stickleaf mentzelia. MA. Wool waste.