Blazing Mentzelia Bloom

One of the cooler wildflowers, Mentzelia has some stunning blossoms.

Mentzelia is in the Loasa Family, which is noted for the sandpaper-like surface of the leaves, which is caused by some of the strangest plant hairs known. The hairs are broad-based, shaped like a pagoda, each cell capped by a ring of stuff, curved hooks, which, unlike the corners of pagoada roofs, curve down, not up (description taken from Weber). If you see one of these plants touch some of the foliage with your finger and be amazed at how well it sticks to your skin thanks to those hairs. This "stickiness" results in the fruits and foliage of the plant sticking to about any article of clothing and going for a ride.

MentzeliaMentzelia nudaNatureFlowerMacroBokehFloraWildflowerBlazing StarColoradoPurgatory RiverBransonLoasaLoaLoasaceaeExcellenceFlickrGoldflowersPurgatoire RiverPurgatoirePurgatoire River BasinSECO2007Southeast ColoradoMichael Menefee