| 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 | |
|
Artemisia petrophila |
|
Artemisia bigelovii is a species of sagebrush known by the common name Bigelow sagebrush.
It is native to the southwestern United States, where 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.[1] This is a bushy shrub growing from a woody base and reaching a maximum height around half a meter. It has many slender, curving branches with shreddy bark and is generally rounded in shape. 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. 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. 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.[1]