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Major Plants of the Southwest Region

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Major Plants of the Southwest Region Major Plants of the Southwest Region K. Launchbaugh K. Launchbaugh K. Launchbaugh Rangeland Ecology 252 – Wildland Plant Identification Rangelands of the U.S. - Simplified Variation in Annual Precipitation Across U.S. Pacific Region Great Basin Plants of the Southwest Region GRASSES - - - - - - - - CYNODONTEAE Black Grama Bouteloua eriopoda Perennial Native CYNODONTEAE Tobosa Grass Hilaria mutica Perennial Native CYNODONTEA Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula Perennial Native FORBS & Woody Plants- - - - - - - - ASTEREA Broom Snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Perennial Native HELIANTHEAE Desert Marigold Baileya multiradiata Perennial Native HELIANTHEAE Tarbrush Flourensia cernua Perennial Native FABACEAE Catclaw Acacia Acacia greggii Perennial Native FABACEAE Purple Locoweed Oxytropis lambertii Perennial Native FABACEAE Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa Perennial Native ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Creosotebush Larrea tridentata Perennial Native CYNODONTEA Sideoats Grama Perennial | Native Bouteloua curtipendula A rhizomatous mid- grass that grows 1-3 feet tall Spicate branches are bent to one side - looks like it was pressed in a book Mike Haddock CYNODONTEA Sideoats Grama Perennial | Native Bouteloua curtipendula End of main seed stalk creates a zig-zag Lower leaf blade edges with evenly spaced hairs from pimple-like base Mike Haddock CYNODONTEAE Black Grama Perennial | Native Bouteloua eriopoda Stoloniferous grass forming a weak sod Not very tall <2 feet CYNODONTEAE Black Grama Perennial | Native Bouteloua eriopoda Internodes pubescent, covered by glabrous sheaths giving it an alternate Hairy “hairy/not-hair” appearance Internode Seedhead has 3-5 spicate, comb-like Glabrous branches per culm Sheath Awns as long or longer than spikelets CYNODONTEAE Tobosa Grass Perennial | Native Hilaria mutica Sod forming with thick and scaly rhizomes Leaf blade is flat or somewhat rolled inwards Gray-green color CYNODONTEAE Tobosa Grass Perennial | Native Hilaria mutica Lower nodes are hairy, upper nodes without hairs Seedhead is a bilateral spike Spikelets are “Fan-like” ASTEREAE Broom Snakeweed Perennial | Native Gutierrezia sarothrae Suffrutescent plant that grows up to 2 feet Branches arise from the base of the plant forming a “broom-like” structure Mike Haddock ASTEREAE Broom Snakeweed Perennial | Native Gutierrezia sarothrae Linear, sessile leaves Yellow flowers mostly the top of plants HELIANTHEAE Desert Marigold Perennial | Native Baileya multiradiata Low growing plants ½ to 1½ feet tall Woody caudex on top of taproot Leaves in basal rosette – woolly white hairs HELIANTHEAE Desert Marigold Perennial | Native Baileya multiradiata Flowers are composite with disk & ray flowers Bright yellow Ray flowers 3-toothed at tip HELIANTHEAE Tarbrush Perennial | Native Flourensia cernua Shrub varies in height up to 6 ft. Highly branched throughout Leaves entire, petiolate, and alternate, with road map venation Leaves and stem covered with small black glands HELIANTHEAE Tarbrush Perennial | Native Flourensia cernua Flowers yellow, discoid Heads nodding turning blackish at maturation Flowers from July to September FABACEAE Catclaw Acacia Perennial | Native Acacia greggii Shrub or small tree (3-5 feet tall) forming thickets Spines are “cat claws” on branches Leaves alternate & even- bipinnately compound FABACEAE Catclaw Acacia Perennial | Native Acacia greggii Flowers creamy-white or yellow Produces flat, curved legumes FABACEAE Purple Locoweed Perennial | Native Oxytropis lambertii 13 inches tall Compound leaves in basal rosette Leaves and stems arise directly from a branching base Mike Haddock FABACEAE Purple Locoweed Perennial | Native Oxytropis lambertii Flowers April to August – Purple/Blue Flowers elevated above leaves on stem Flowers “irregular” FABACEAE Honey Mesquite Perennial | Native Prosopis glandulosa Shrub or small tree 20-feet tall Small straight thorns Leaves alternate & bipinnately compound FABACEAE Honey Mesquite Perennial | Native Prosopis glandulosa Fruits are pods that are long and straight or slightly curved Inflorescences greenish-yellow to creamy yellow ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Creosotebush Perennial | Native Larrea tridentata Shrub up to 9 feet tall with no well- defined trunk Twigs slender with brown nodes Foliage emits creosote odor, particularly when wet or burned Leaves are opposite, bifoliate, and glossy ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Creosotebush Perennial | Native Larrea tridentata Flowers yellow with 5 petals Fruits are fuzzy white spheres.
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