Mentzelia involucrata is an
annual plant growing to a height of 3–32 cm, with larger
leaves forming a basal rosette, and smaller leaves along the
stem. The leaves are between 2 and 18 cm long, with an irregularly toothed margin. They are also known to be sessile with leaves that range from lanceolate to elliptic. The
flowers are generally borne singly, and subtended by 4–5 bracts; they have five
sepals 7–23 mm long and five cream-yellow
petals 13–62 mm long. The
fruit is 14–22 mm long and 5–10 mm wide, and contains rough ash-white
seeds that are 1–3 cm long. The bracts of this species are distinctive in that they are almost entirely white, with a green border. The
involucrata is of interest because it is involved in a competition for pollinators that has resulted in
mimicry. It produces nectar to attract bees of the genus
Xeralictus. In areas where their range overlaps,
Mohavea confertiflora (Ghost Flower), which does not produce nectar, has adapted a morphology resembling
Mentzelia involucrata. Recent studies have suggested that in addition to mimicry of
M. involucrata,
Mohavea confertiflora flowers contain marks that resemble female
Xeralictus, to attract male bees that would otherwise ignore the flowers . The habitat of the
Mentzelia involucrata includes open, rocky or sandy places with creosote-bush scrubs, washes, fans, and steep slopes. They are typically found in elevations greater than 50 meters and just below 900 meters.
Ethnobotany Mentzelia seeds have been identified as a staple food source for
Native American tribes of the
Great Basin. In an
ethnobotanical study of the
Kawaiisu people, Zigmond (1981) noted that
Mentzelia (
kuʼu) was mentioned whenever his informants were asked to list important foods, and its gathering appeared frequently in mythology. The seeds were gathered in June after flowers lost their petals, and used immediately or stored. They were parched with hot coals, then ground on a
metate; the resulting food had a
peanut butter-like consistency. Zigmond also claimed that clay pots were filled with
Mentzelia seeds before firing, but others have questioned whether this would be possible without destroying the pots through heat shock. ==References==