Artemisia spiciformis

Osterhout

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 507. 1900.

Common names: Snowfield sagebrush
Endemic
Synonyms: Artemisia tridentata subsp. spiciformis (Osterhout) Kartesz & Gandhi Seriphidium spiciforme (Osterhout) Y. R. Ling
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 515. Mentioned on page 510.

Shrubs, 30–80 cm (widely branched, gray-tomentose), aromatic; root-sprouting. Stems relatively numerous, brown or grayish green. Leaves ± deciduous (by late summer, turning yellow); blades lanceolate, oblanceolate, or cuneate, 2.5–5.5 × 0.8–1.2+ cm, entire or irregularly 3–6-lobed (lobes to 1/3 blade lengths, 1.5+ mm wide, rounded or acute; leaves of flowering stems usually smaller, entire), faces ± sericeous or tomentose. Heads (erect) in (leafy) paniculiform arrays 8–15(–25) × 0.5–3(–4) cm. Involucres ovoid or lanceoloid, (2.5–)4–6(–7) mm. Phyllaries lanceolate, sparsely to densely hairy. Florets 8–18(–27); corollas 2.5–3.5, glabrous. Cypselae 1–1.5 mm, glabrous or resinous. 2n = 18, 36, 54, 72.


Phenology: Flowering mid summer–fall.
Habitat: Moist open slopes, rocky meadows, streamsides, woodlands, late-lying snowfields
Elevation: 2100–3700 m

Distribution

V19-875-distribution-map.gif

Calif., Colo., Idaho, Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Often confused with Artemisia rothrockii, A. spiciformis has been recognized only recently as a widespread, high-elevation sagebrush of late-lying snowfields. Molecular analysis has not yet determined the degree to which this species intergrades with A. cana subsp. viscidula and A. tridentata subsp. vaseyana, the presumed parents of this putative hybrid. Because snow-field sagebrush produces fertile seeds and forms a stable community type, it is treated here as a distinct species.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Artemisia spiciformis"
Leila M. Shultz +
Osterhout +
Tridentatae +
Snowfield sagebrush +
Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Nev. +, Oreg. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
2100–3700 m +
Moist open slopes, rocky meadows, streamsides, woodlands, late-lying snowfields +
Flowering mid summer–fall. +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
Artemisia tridentata subsp. spiciformis +  and Seriphidium spiciforme +
Artemisia spiciformis +
Artemisia subg. Tridentatae +
species +