I saw this little yellow flower growing on sandy soil and was confounded by what it was. Part of the confusion is that it's a new family for this blog, the Loasa Family (Loasaceae), and this is whitestem blazing star (Mentzelia albicaulisi).
It has five yellow petals and is found throughout western North America. For more info about whitestem blazingstar, click here.
This blog features a plant a day as I try to learn all the plants in the area where I live, in the central Great Basin. There are more than 1,000 plants known in this area, so it may take a few years!
Eventually I hope to have a photo for every plant listed in the Snake Range Key (link coming soon).