Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus [Crinitaria viscidiflora]
Family
Asteraceae
CommonName
yellow rabbitbrush
Presence
YES
Status
native
EarliestDate
1878
LatestDate
2020
Ecosystem
foothill, montane, ruderal, urban
Geobotanical
SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos
Counties
Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
Passes
Poncha
WildlifePreserves
Great Sand Dunes
Other Localities
Alamosa (town), La Botica, Del Norte
Comments
All around the Watershed, yellow rabbitbrush is an essential member of the pinyon-juniper foothill ecosystem. The Watershed's variety is Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus (with stems pubescent). C. viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus is present in west-slope and north-central Colorado, but not the Valley (with stems glabrous). C. viscidiflorus is the most wide-spread species of yellow rabbitbush in the USA West, common in all states west of the Great Plains. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico to the Mexican border, but no farther. Note that the stickiness of the involucre is not a very trustworthy character. Best check the hairiness of the achenes.