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Blazing Star
Loasa tricolor
γγ’γ΅
An annual herb native to South America. Its stinging hairs irritate the skin upon contact (similar to nettle), but the flowers are beautiful with a mix of white, red, and yellow. Rarely cultivated as an ornamental.
Identification Points
- βStems and leaves bear stinging hairs that penetrate the skin on contact
- βPetals multicolored in white, red, and yellow
- βAnnual herb native to South America
Habitat
Flower beds (rarely cultivated)
Season
Summerβautumn (flowers)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Growth form
Herb
Habitat
Cultivated
Petal count
Many
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Stamen count
3-4
Phylogenetic Positionγγ’γ΅η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Cucurbitales > Loasaceae
Divergence Era
Paleogene (ca. 50 million years ago)
Evolution Notes
Loasaceae belongs to Malpighiales along with Cucurbitaceae and Violaceae, characterized by stinging-hair defense and specialized floral structures, endemic to South America.
View on evolution timeline βSources & References
AI-generated, needs verification