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Desert stickleaf
Mentzelia tricuspis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G4
State (S-rank): S1
External links
Species range
Estimate from download of data from Utah Rare Plant Database on July 18, 2024.
Geocat 5 observations: Extent of Occurrence: 36.152 km2.
Historic observations over 40 years old were not used.
Creosote bush, Joshua tree, and other warm desert shrub communities at ca 730 m in Washington Co.; Nev., Ariz., and Calif.; 7 (i). The large, cream colored flowers of this plant, a plant of sandy sites, are easily discerned on the sandy stretches between Mesquite and Las Vegas, and in years of adequate moisture the plants may stain hillsides and flats with their cream-colored flowers that open wide in evening (Welsh et al. 2015).
Threats or limiting factors
The main threats are from habitat degradation due to grazing, invasive weeds, drought, urban sprawl, and recreation. Occurrences in the Beaver Dam National Conservation Area may be protected from some of these threats.Threats compiled using observations and notes from Utah Rare Plant Database and Utah Geospatial Resource Center GIS Data downloaded in 2024. Severity of impacts are not well known so ranges are provided where appropriate.
All occurrences are within grazing allotments. Drought and climate change is also a threat and likely impacting this species through out it's range (Wrobleski, 2023). Invasive cheat grass and other annual weeds compete directly for resources and increases potential for fires. Recreational use of habitat, such as foot traffic and dispersed camping may pose a threat to some populations throughout its range. As the human population grows in areas within easy access to habitat and as recreational use increases, the impacts may become substantially more significant.
