PLANTS OF THE GREAT BASIN
Tony Svejcar University of Idaho Rangeland Program Plants of the Great Basin Region
~~GRASSES~~
ERAGROSTEA Distichlis spicata Inland Saltgrass Perennial Native
TRITICEAE Agropyron cristatum Crested Wheatgrass Perennial Introduced
TRITICEAE Elymus elymoides Bottlebrush Squirreltail Perennial Native
TRITICEAE Leymus cinereus Great Basin Wildrye Perennial Native ~~FORBS & WOODY PLANTS~~
ANTHEMIDEAE Artemisia spinescens Bud Sagebrush Perennial Native
ANTHEMIDEAE Artemisia tridentata Big Sagebrush Perennial Native
BRASSICACEAE Stanleya pinnata Desert Princesplume Perennial Native
CHENOPODIACEAE Atriplex confertifolia Shadscale Saltbrush Perennial Native
CHENOPODIACEAE Krascheninnikovia lanata Winterfat Perennial Native ERAGROSTEA Inland Saltgrass Distichlis spicata
▪ Sodgrass that spreads by scaly rhizomes ▪ Leaves stiffly 2-ranked, depart culm at 45° angle ▪ Sheaths closely overlapping and longer than internodes
Matt Lavin Patrick Alexander ERAGROSTEA Inland Saltgrass Distichlis spicata Perennial |Native ▪ Inflorescence is a contracted panicle - looks like a spike ▪ Spikelets 5-9 flowered, white and shiny
Max Licher Jim Morefield TRITICEAE Great Basin Wildrye Leymus cinereus Perennial |Native ▪ Stout, tall (3-6 feet), bunchgrass ▪ Starts growth in early spring, seeds mature by August ▪ Not tolerant of heavy grazing but not highly palatable
Tom Koerner/USFWS Josh Corbett TRITICEAE Great Basin Wildrye Leymus cinereus Perennial |Native ▪ Inflorescence a spike, relatively continuous ▪ 3-5 spikelets per node on rachis ▪ Bristles at the base of every spikelet ▪ Glumes are narrow, awn tipped
K. Launchbaugh
Josh Corbett TRITICEAE Crested Wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum Perennial |Introduced ▪ Strong bunchgrass ▪ Leaves mostly on lower half of the plants
J. Peterson K. Launchbaugh TRITICEAE Crested Wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum Perennial |Introduced ▪ Spike-type inflorescence ▪ Floret stacked closely together to form a “comb-like” spike ▪ Florets can be awn-tipped, but do not have strong awns
Matt Lavin Max Licher TRITICEAE Bottlebrush Squirreltail Elymus elymoides Perennial |Native ▪ Small bunchgrass ▪ Mostly basal leaves ▪ Seedheads droop over like a squirrel’s tail
Max Licher K. Launchbaugh TRITICEAE Bottlebrush Squirreltail Elymus elymoides Perennial |Native ▪ Long awns curve back at maturity giving bottlebrush appearances ▪ Spikelets 2-6 flowered; 2 spikelets per node
Patrick Alexander Tom Koerner/USFWS ANTHEMIDEAE Budsage Artmesisia spinescens Perennial |Native ▪ Small Shrub < 2 feet tall ▪ Rigid branches with spines
Matt Lavin G. Gust ANTHEMIDEAE Budsage Artmesisia spinescens Perennial |Native ▪ Bark gray to dark brown, new stems white and hairy ▪ Leaves 3-5 parted and clumped together in balls or “buds”
Andrey Zharkikh Matt Lavin ANTHEMIDEAE Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Perennial |Native ▪ Shrubs usually 2-3 feet tall but can be much taller ▪ Leaves 3-tipped (trident)
K. Launchbaugh ANTHEMIDEAE Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Perennial |Native ▪ Flowers not showy forming in axils of upper leaves ▪ Seeds very small
Andrey Zharkikh BRASSICACEAE Desert Princesplume Stanleya pinnata Perennial |Native ▪ 2 to 5 feet tall forb ▪ 1 to several stems from a woody base ▪ Located in dry hills, plains, valleys, and desert washes
Andrey Zharkikh Andrey Zharkikh BRASSICACEAE Desert Princesplume Stanleya pinnata Perennial |Native ▪ Inflorescence is raceme with many yellow flowers at tips of branches ▪ Yellow flowers with 4 petals ▪ Lower leaves deeply cleft while upper leaves entire, this is called “dimorphism”
Andrey Zharkikh Andrey Zharkikh CHENOPODIACEAE Shadscale Saltbush Atriplex confertifolia Perennial |Native ▪ Low growing densely branching shrubs ▪ Branches ending in sharp tips ▪ Leaves shape of fish scales ▪ Salt deposits on leaves
Max Licher CHENOPODIACEAE Shadscale Saltbush Atriplex confertifolia Perennial |Native ▪ Flowers very bland and indiscreet
Bryant Olsen Andrey Zharkikh CHENOPODIACEAE Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Perennial |Native ▪ Low growing shrubs ▪ Suffrutescent = woody base with herbaceous stems ▪ Leaves are wooly and margins roll under or “enrolled”
Andrey Zharkikh CHENOPODIACEAE Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Perennial |Native ▪ Flowers and seeds not showy & forming at ends of branches ▪ Lots of white hair around flowers & seeds
Matt Lavin
Andrey Zharkikh CHENOPODIACEAE Greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus Perennial |Native ▪ Large shrub with white, spiny stems ▪ Stems usually diverge from main branch at 90° angles ▪ Deciduous plant that flowers May-Aug
Matt Lavin CHENOPODIACEAE Greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus Perennial |Native ▪ Monoecious = male & female flowers separate but on same plant ▪ Male flowers, dense spike-like catkins ▪ Female flowers, lowers and disc-shaped
Male Flowers
Female Flowers
Andrey Zharkikh Andrey Zharkikh
Matt Lavin PLANTS OF THE GREAT BASIN
University of Idaho Rangeland Program Tony Svejcar