Nuttallia pterosperma.  (Mentzelia)
Loasaceae (Loasa Family)

Desert, semi-desert. Open shrub and grasslands. Spring.

The lobed, undulating leaves of Nuttallia pterosperma are large, distinctive, and eye-catching.  The stem is stout, straight, and quite light white/yellow; plants grow to over a foot tall.  The buds are unusual in both their orange-to-green color and their open flared ends.   Flowers often open at night.

Leaves, buds, stems, and fruit of plants in Loasaceae are covered with stiff, hooking hairs that cling to fingers.

Thomas Nuttall was a widely-traveled botanical collector, highly respected Harvard Professor of Natural History, and expert taxonomist in the 19th century.  "Pterosperma" means "winged seed".