Artemisia cana

Pursh

Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 521. 1813.

IllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Seriphidium canum (Pursh) W. A. Weber
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 512. Mentioned on page 510, 511, 515, 517.

Shrubs, 50–150 cm (trunks definite, freely branched from bases, branches erect), pleasantly aromatic; root-sprouting. Stems light brown to gray-green (woody, somewhat pliable, leafy), persistently canescent to glabrescent. Leaves deciduous, whitish gray or green to dark gray-green; blades narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.2–1 cm, usually entire, sometimes irregularly lobed, sparsely to densely hairy. Heads in (congested, leafy) paniculiform arrays 10–20 × 0.2–7 cm. Involucres (subtended by green, leaflike bracts) narrowly to broadly campanulate, 3–4 × 2–5 mm. Phyllaries ovate or lanceolate (scarious margins nearly invisible), densely canescent. Florets 4–20; corollas 2–3 mm, resinous (style branches ellipsoid, to 2.3 mm, exsert, gland-dotted). Cypselae (light brown) 1–2.3 mm, resinous.

Distribution

V19-867-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Man., Sask., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., N.Dak., N.Mex., Nebr., Nev., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wyo.

Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Shrubs 100–150 cm; leaves 2–8 cm (entire); primarily e of continental divide Artemisia cana subsp. cana
1 Shrubs 50–90 cm; leaves 1.5–4 cm (usually some with irregular lobes); w of continental divide > 2
2 Stems felty-tomentose; leaves green to gray-green; involucres 4–5 mm diam.; California, Nevada, Oregon Artemisia cana subsp. bolanderi
2 Stems hairy (not felty-tomentose); leaves green to dark green; involucres 2–3(–4) mm diam.; Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming Artemisia cana subsp. viscidula
... more about "Artemisia cana"