Artemisia bigelovii

Artemisia bigelovii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Artemisia
Species: A. bigelovii
Binomial name
Artemisia bigelovii
A.Gray
Synonyms[1]
  • Artemisia petrophila Wooton & Standl.
  • Seriphidium bigelowii (A.Gray) K.Bremer & Humphries, alternate spelling
  • Seriphidium bigelovii (A.Gray) K.Bremer & Humphries
  • Artemisia bigelowii A.Gray , alternate spelling[2]

Artemisia bigelovii is a North American species of sagebrush known by the common name Bigelow sagebrush or flat sagebrush.[3] It grows in the deserts of the southwestern United States.[4]

Distribution

It is native to California (Inyo + San Bernardino Counties),[3] Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.[5] It grows in desert, basin, grassland, and juniper woodland habitats. It is very drought-tolerant and lives in arid regions on sandy and limestone-rich soils.[6]

Description

Artemisia bigelovii is a shrub growing from a woody base and reaching a maximum height around 50 cm (20 inches). It has many slender, curving branches with shredding bark and is generally in overall habit.[4]

The stem branches and leaves are coated in silvery hairs, giving the plant a gray color. The leaves are less than 3 centimeters long and may end in a point or in three distinct teeth.[4]

The inflorescence is a panicle of flower heads containing yellowish disc florets and occasionally a small ray floret. The fruit is a tiny achene about a millimeter long.[4]

Uses

This species of sagebrush is good winter fodder for grazing animals and it is cultivated as plant cover on recovering rangeland and for erosion control.[6]

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List Artemisia bigelovii A.Gray
  2. ↑ International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Melbourne Code) see section 60.7, example 15
  3. 1 2 Calflora taxon report, University of California, Artemisia bigelovii A. Gray Bigelow sagebrush, Flat sagebrush
  4. 1 2 3 4 Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 512 Bigelow sagebrush Artemisia bigelovii A. Gray in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 110. 1857.
  5. ↑ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  6. 1 2 Forest Service Fire Ecology

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Artemisia bigelovii.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, January 10, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.