Artemisia bigelovii

Artemisia bigelovii

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Artemisia
Species:
A. bigelovii
Binomial name
Artemisia bigelovii
Synonyms[2]
  • 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[1]

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

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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

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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

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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

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