Adonis blazing star, Buena mujer

Botanical Name	Mentzelia multiflora
Common Name	Adonis blazing star, Buena mujer (Spanish for good woman, because it sticks to a man with such constancy.)
Family	Loasaceae - Blazing star
Description	This perennial has narrow leaves with lobed margins and a sticky, rough, sandpaper-like texture. The tall, branched stems are whitish and satinish. It cannot grow in the shade. .
Mature Size	Up to 3’
Bloom	July-August. Opens in the afternoon. The flower is up to 2” across with 10 pale yellow petals and many stamens.
Interesting Facts	Tewa Indians would rub this plant on a boy before he was put on a horse for the first time. His clothes were then replaced. This treatment was supposed to give him a good grip and enable him to ride without falling.
Traditional and Medicinal Uses	The seeds were eaten raw or cooked by the Hopi and Zuni people. They are said to have been parched and ground into a meal. This plant was used as a toothache medicine and as a diuretic. It was ground up and rubbed on rheumatic limbs. The leaves and roots have been used as a treatment for tuberculosis.

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	Photo by Janice Tucker for SFBG