Botanical description: This description covers characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (e.g., [14,23,28]).
Owyhee sage is a deciduous [43] native perennial subshrub [14,27] generally 4 to 20 inches (10-50 cm) in height [13,14,18,23,36,43]. The woody base ranges from 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm) tall [14], and the annual flowering branches are typically 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) long [13,14]. The leaves are 10 to 35 mm long [13,14,23] and lobed [14,23,28,43]. The raceme inflorescences have 4 to 14 flower heads on erect peduncles [13,14,23], with a disk from 3 to 6 mm wide [13]. The fruits are achenes [14,34]. Owyhee sage fruits have a short pappus [14,18,28,36], which is atypical of sagebrush species (Artemisia spp.) in this region [36]. Rosentreter (personal communication [44]) has observed that Owyhee sage seeds are rather large for Artemisia and are similar in size to seeds of stiff sagebrush. Root depth is apparently about 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm)(personal communication [31]). According to a fact sheet published by the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Owyhee sage is long lived [36], which is typical for sagebrush species [34].
Raunkiaer [40] life form:
Chamaephyte
Owyhee sage communities rarely burn due to a lack of fuels [37,45]. Therefore, they may serve as natural fire breaks. Fire is most likely to affect Owyhee sage where it is not a dominant species (personal communication [44]), in years with above average productivity, and on sites where invasive annuals have established. High mortality of Owyhee sagebrush is expected following fire. Recovery time is unknown, as are the factors that have the greatest influence on recovery time. In general, sagebrush sites may need assessment following fire to determine whether steps should be taken to prevent establishment of invasive species [26].
Due to the difficulty of burning, the lack of noticeable increases in forage production following burning on generally unproductive sites [9], and the forage value of some dwarf sagebrushes [2,6,56], prescribed fires are generally not recommended in dwarf sagebrush communities. In addition, the openness of Owyhee sage sites [13,23] and the occurrence of wind erosion in the Owyhee Uplands [11] suggest postfire erosion could pose a potential problem in some Owyhee sage communities. However, Owyhee sage occurs on sites with gentle topography and shallow soils, so the extent of erosion and its impacts on Owyhee sage are uncertain. Guidelines for burning big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) communities to improve habitat diversity or forage production include limiting burning to sites with at least 600 to 700 pounds of fine fuels per acre [2], 30% sagebrush cover, and 20% herbaceous perennial cover [39,56]. This suggests that conditions appropriate for burning are unlikely to occur in Owyhee sage sites.
Fire is likely rare in Owyhee sage communities due to a lack of fuel. Most of the cover in an Owyhee sage ephemeral wetland community in southwestern Idaho was soil and gravel [37]. Sites with Dermatocarpon lichen, which is associated with Owyhee sage, had sparse vegetation and litter [45]. Owyhee sage has been observed to accumulate little standing biomass (personal communication [31]). This lack of fuel and the rarity of fire in other dwarf sagebrush communities with similar lack of fuels [2,6,9,16,56] suggest Owyhee sage communities would have long fire-return intervals. Typically more than 600 to 700 pounds of herbaceous fuels per acre are necessary for fire to carry in sagebrush grasslands [2]. Thus, Owyhee sage is most likely to experience fire in communities dominated by other species, such as silver sagebrush (personal communication [44]). See the Fire Regime Table for further information on FIRE REGIMES of vegetation communities in which Owyhee sage may occur. Find further fire regime information for the plant communities in which this species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under "Find FIRE REGIMES".
Dwarf sagebrush communities [1,2,9], including those dominated by Owyhee sage (personal communication [44]), may serve as natural fire breaks. For instance, a low sagebrush community in Nevada did not burn on a hot day in mid-August despite wind speeds of up to 25 miles/hour (40.3 km/hour) [2]. Fire risk in dwarf sagebrush communities is likely to increase in years with above average production [9], or on sites invaded by annual grasses such as medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae) [55] or cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) [32]. Cheatgrass is a general concern in the Snake River Plain, where fire-return intervals decreased from 60 to 100 years to about 5 years following conversion of sagebrush steppe to annual grassland [53]. Grazing was of management concern in stiff and Owyhee sage communities due to possible invasion of cheatgrass and the resulting increases in fire frequency [26]. For more information on changes in fuel loads in low sagebrush communities, see its FEIS review.
Characteristic Owyhee sage sites are open [13,23] and occur at mid-elevations in shallow, ephemerally wet soils [24,26,42]. These conditions occur on large plateaus [24,37,43], in shallow depressions, adjacent to intermittent water courses [35,37,49], in rocky swales [14,24], moist clay bottoms [36], and mud flats [14]. Sites are generally cool [43] with dry summers [19,43]. Some Owyhee sage communities occur on exposed sites subject to frost heaving [45]. Communities are sparsely vegetated [13,23,37].
Elevation: Owyhee sage occurs on mid-elevation sites ranging from 4,000 [26,42] to 6,900 feet (1,220-2,100 m) [14]. In Idaho it occurs at elevations up to about 6,500 feet (1,950 m) [26,42]. In Blaine and Elmore Counties of Idaho, Owyhee sage typically occurs above 5,500 feet (1,680 m) and below 7,000 feet (2,130 m), between Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis) and mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. vaseyana) communities (personal communication [31]). It was collected in Elmore County, Idaho, at 5,500 feet (1,680 m) [18] and observed in Owyhee County, Idaho, at 5,720 feet (1,740 m) [20]. A fact sheet lists Owyhee sage occurring from 6,300 to 6,700 feet (1,920-2,042 m) in Nevada [36], while a flora of the Intermountain West notes its occurrence from 4,600 to 6,900 feet (1,400-2,100 m) [14].
Soil: Characteristic Owyhee sage sites have shallow [24,26,42], stony [20,26,42] soils over basalt bedrock [26,42] and are ephemerally saturated or flooded [24,26,42,49]. Examples include poorly drained basalt tables with skeletal soils [43] and the shallow and poorly drained soils in rocky swales of "biscuit and swale" patterned ground [24]. Topography and/or frozen soil limits drainage in winter and spring, resulting in saturated or flooded soils. By summer, Owyhee sage communities are dry [19,43]. Shallow soils of Owyhee sage sites are similar to low sagebrush sites [43], specifically those of gray low sagebrush (A. arbuscula subsp. arbuscula) and alkali sagebrush (personal communication [31]), except that Owyhee sage communities are restricted to sites with "very shallow to almost no soil over the skeletal basalt" [43]. Owyhee sage has also been observed in heavy clay soils [26,42]. In southwestern Idaho, scattered individuals occurred in a silver sagebrush community on deep alluvium of heavy clay with poor drainage [42]. Owyhee sage is fairly tolerant of alkaline [13,14,23] and saline [18] soils.
Climate: Average annual temperatures in regions where Owyhee sage may occur range from 35 °F (2 °C) in the Owyhee Uplands to 58 °F (13 °C) in the Snake River Plain. Average annual temperatures in southern Idaho range from 37 °F to 52 °F (2.8-11.1 °C) [26]. Annual temperatures in the Owyhee Uplands are slightly cooler, averaging 35 °F to 45 °F (2-8 °C) [11]. On the Snake River Plain annual temperatures are warmer, averaging 40 °F to 58 °F (4-13 °C) [12]. The growing season on the Owyhee Uplands is typically from 90 to 120 days but may be less than 60 days at high elevations [11]. On the Snake River Plain the growing season ranges from 60 to 165 days, with sites in the east or at high elevations having shorter growing seasons than those in the west or at low elevations [12].
Annual precipitation in regions where Owyhee sage may occur ranges from a low of 5 inches (127 mm) in parts of the Snake River Plain [12] to 20 inches (508 mm) in southern Idaho [26]. In southwestern Idaho, an area where Owyhee sage is fairly common, annual precipitation ranges from 7 to 15 inches (200-400 mm) [11,18]. Generally the western portion of Idaho receives most of this precipitation in winter, with less than 35% falling from April through September [26]. In the Owyhee Uplands of southwestern Idaho and adjacent Oregon, precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year but is lower from mid-summer to autumn. Thus summers are dry, with precipitation equaling about 20% of evaporation during the frost-free period [11]. Owyhee sage's ability to tolerate drought was ranked as intermediate [18].
Owyhee sage leaves are generally unpalatable, while the mature flowering stalks are eaten by many wildlife species [43] and domestic sheep [42]. Horses have been observed eating Owyhee sage leaves [43].
Cover value of Owyhee sage is low. However, where Owyhee sage communities are adjacent to big sagebrush they may provide strutting habitat and possibly limited forage for greater sage-grouse [19]
Owyhee sage occurs in sagebrush steppe [11], meadows [14,36,38], alkaline flats, and
sagebrush-juniper slopes [38]. Owyhee sage-dominated shrub communities [26,37]
are restricted in extent [49]. Species occurring in Owyhee sage communities in
southern Idaho included thymeleaf and mat buckwheats (Eriogonum thymoides and E. caespitosum, respectively), lava aster (Ionactis alpina), whip pussytoes (Antennaria flagellaris),
onespike danthonia (Danthonia unispicata), western needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale
ssp. occidentale), and barestem biscuitroot (Lomatium nudicaule) [42].
Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda) was one of only a few species that occurred in an
Owyhee sage community in southeastern Oregon [24]. Sandberg bluegrass and Wasatch desertparsley
(Lomatium bicolor var. leptocarpum) were the most prominent associates in an
Owyhee sage ephemeral wetland community in southwestern Idaho [37]. Owyhee sage was
observed in a low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) community with Hooker's balsamroot
(Balsamorhiza hookeri), Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), and hollyleaf clover
(Trifolium gymnocarpon) in Owyhee County, Idaho [20]. It occurred on a silver
sagebrush (Artemisia cana)-dominated site with alkali sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula
subsp. longiloba) in southern Idaho [42]. Owyhee sage was reported in
intermittent drainage ways of an area in Camas County, Idaho dominated primarily by alkali
sagebrush (USDI Bureau of Land Management and USDA Soil Conservation Service 1976 cited in [35]).
Species associated with the Owyhee Uplands that may occur on sites with Oywhee sagebrush
include thymeleaf buckwheat, Hooker's balsamroot, Cusick's beardtongue (Penstemon cusickii),
and narrowleaf mock goldenweed (Stenotus stenophyllus) [47].
Although Owyhee sage shrublands generally have low cover of biological soil crust [5,26],
unattached lichens in the genus Dermotocarpon occur on sites with Owyhee sage [26,45].
Sandberg bluegrass, whip pussytoes, and stiff sagebrush (Artemisia rigida)
are also associated with these sites [45]. The cyanobacterium Nostoc has been
collected from Owyhee sage sites in Idaho [26].
Artemisia papposa is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Owyhee sage, Owyhee sagebrush, and fuzzy sagebrush.[1] It is native to the Snake River Plain and surrounding areas in the northwestern United States, occurring in southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, and northern Nevada.[2][3]
This small aromatic shrub grows up to 15 or 20 centimeters tall with several grayish stems. The small gray-green leaves are usually lobed. The inflorescence is an array of several flower heads containing yellow ray and disc florets. The fruit is an achene. Unlike those of most other Artemisia, the achenes of this species are topped with pappi.[1][4][5]
Artemisia papposa grows on sagebrush steppe, and in meadows, alkali flats, and sagebrush-juniper associations. It grows alongside plants such as thymeleaf and mat buckwheats (Eriogonum thymoides and E. caespitosum, respectively), lava aster (Ionactis alpina), whip pussytoes (Antennaria flagellaris), onespike danthonia (Danthonia unispicata), western needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale), barestem biscuitroot (Lomatium nudicaule), and Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda). It occurs in mid-elevation habitat, often in shallow, rocky, poorly drained soils.[6][1]
Artemisia papposa is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Owyhee sage, Owyhee sagebrush, and fuzzy sagebrush. It is native to the Snake River Plain and surrounding areas in the northwestern United States, occurring in southern Idaho, eastern Oregon, and northern Nevada.
This small aromatic shrub grows up to 15 or 20 centimeters tall with several grayish stems. The small gray-green leaves are usually lobed. The inflorescence is an array of several flower heads containing yellow ray and disc florets. The fruit is an achene. Unlike those of most other Artemisia, the achenes of this species are topped with pappi.
Artemisia papposa grows on sagebrush steppe, and in meadows, alkali flats, and sagebrush-juniper associations. It grows alongside plants such as thymeleaf and mat buckwheats (Eriogonum thymoides and E. caespitosum, respectively), lava aster (Ionactis alpina), whip pussytoes (Antennaria flagellaris), onespike danthonia (Danthonia unispicata), western needlegrass (Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale), barestem biscuitroot (Lomatium nudicaule), and Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda). It occurs in mid-elevation habitat, often in shallow, rocky, poorly drained soils.
Artemisia papposa, es una especie de arbusto del género Artemisia, que se distribuye por Norteamérica.
Es un pequeño arbusto aromático que alcanza un tamaño de hasta 15 o 20 centímetros de altura, con varios tallos grisáceos. Las pequeñas hojas de color gris-verde son generalmente lobuladas. La inflorescencia es un conjunto de varias cabezas de las flores tienen rayos amarillos y flósculos del disco. El fruto es un aquenio.
A diferencia de las de la mayoría de otras Artemisias , los aquenios de esta especie están cubiertos con vilano.[1]
Es originaria de la llanura del río Snake y sus alrededores, en el noroeste de Estados Unidos, y se distribuye en Idaho, Oregon y Nevada.[2]
Esta planta crece en la estepa y en praderas, con pisos alcalinos y asociadas al enebro. Crece junto a plantas como Eriogonum thymoides y Eriogonum caespitosum, Ionactis alpina, Antennaria flagellaris, Danthonia unispicata, Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale), Lomatium nudicaule y Poa secunda. Se produce en un hábitat de elevación media, a menudo en suelos poco profundos, rocosos y mal drenados.[3]
Artemisia papposa fue descrita por S.F.Blake & Cronquist y publicado en Leaflets of Western Botany 6(2): 43–44, pl. 1. 1950.[4][5]
Hay dos teorías en la etimología de Artemisia: según la primera, debe su nombre a Artemisa, hermana gemela de Apolo y diosa griega de la caza y de las virtudes curativas, especialmente de los embarazos y los partos . Según la segunda teoría, el género fue otorgado en honor a Artemisia II, hermana y mujer de Mausolo, rey de la Caria, 353-352 a. C., que reinó después de la muerte del soberano. En su homenaje se erigió el Mausoleo de Halicarnaso, una de las siete maravillas del mundo. Era experta en botánica y en medicina.[6]
papposa: epíteto
Artemisia papposa, es una especie de arbusto del género Artemisia, que se distribuye por Norteamérica.
Artemisia papposa là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Cúc. Loài này được S.F.Blake & Cronquist mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1950.[1]
Artemisia papposa là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Cúc. Loài này được S.F.Blake & Cronquist mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1950.