Named to honor Andrew Allen Veatch: Veatch's stickleaf (Mentzelia veatchiana)

Veatch's stickleaf on a dry slope near Reno, Nevada

Mentzelia veatchiana is a flowering-plant species in the Loasa family (Loasaceae). It is native to western North America. The species is common on dry slopes and flats in the Great Basin; for example, on south-facing slopes of the Peavine Mountain near Reno's Keystone trailheads.

Mentzelia veatchiana has two frequently used common names:

• Veatch's stickleaf (also written Veatch's stick-leaf)
• Veatch's blazingstar (also written Veatch's blazing star)
  

These two common names as well as the epithet of the scientific name refer to Andrew Allen Veatch (1832-1872). 

Steven Veatch writes in a blog post that Andrew's father, Dr. John Allen Veatch, headed for the Comstock Lode in Nevada to explore the new gold and silver mining district. There, Dr. Veatch practiced medicine and worked in geology. Steven Veatch continues [1]:

His son Andrew was superintendent of the reduction works of the Central Mill in the district. Andrew Veatch studied mining and became a prominent mining engineer. I'm not certain how Andrew died, only that he didn't outlive his father and was sadly buried in 1872, at the young age of 40, in California. Mentzelia veatchiana or Veatch's blazingstar, when discovered and described by scientists, was named to honor Andrew Veatch.

The boldface mark-up of the scientific and common name in the quoted text were made by myself. Less common common names for Mentzelia veatchiana are whitestem stickleaf, whitestem blazingstar and—I like this one—yellowcomet [2-5].

Mentzelia veatchchiana, native to western North America

 

References and more to explore 

[1] Veatch, Steven. Dr. John Allen Veatch: A Wayfaring Pioneer in Science and Politics. Colorada Earth Science blog, March 25, 2013. URL: http://coloradoearthscience.blogspot.com/2013/03/dr-john-allen-veatch-wayfaring-pioneer.html (accessed April 20, 2022).

[2] Drefahl, Axel.Veatch's stickleaf on dry slopes of Mt. Peavine, Nevada. Trailing Ahead blog, May 5, 2012. URL: https://trailingahead.blogspot.com/2012/05/veatchs-stickleaf-on-dry-slopes-of-mt.html (accessed April 20, 2022).

[3] Mentzelia veatchiana; Yellowcomet. CalPhoto Photo Database. URL: https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+0403+0164  (accessed April 20, 2022).

[4] Mentzelia veatchiana; Whitestem stickleaf. CalPhoto Photo Database. URL: https://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?enlarge=0000+0000+1203+0336 (accessed April 20, 2022).

[5] Mentzelia veatchiana. Veatch's blazingstar, Whitestem blazingstar, Whitestem stickleaf. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. https://www.fws.gov/species/veatchs-blazingstar-mentzelia-veatchiana (accessed April 20, 2022).