Figure 41. — A large spread- 



ing rabbitbrush (C. 

 linifoliuS/) growing at 

 the Snow Field Station. 



Distribution and habitat .--Greenes rabbitbrush occurs on plains, valleys, and foot- 

 hills in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Overgrazing allows it to greatly in- 

 crease, sometimes forming a subclimax or even climax community (Halls and Clements 1923) . 



yse.--This species provides cover and browse in areas where it is abundant. 



Chrysothamnus linifolius Greene (spreading rabbitbrush) 



Spreading rabbitbrush is a tall, robust shrub up to 2.4 meters high (fig. 41). 

 Chrysothamnus linifolius spreads underground by lateral roots that form adventitious 

 shoots (fig. 42) (Anderson 1964). In the genus, only C. parryi shares the underground 

 spreading trait and then not nearly to the extent C. linifolius does. Leaves are large, 

 flat, green, glabrous, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2 to 5 cm long, and 4 to 8 mm 

 wide . 



Heads contain 4 to 6, usually 5 disc flowers and are arranged into broad, loose 

 cymes. The involucral bracts have obtuse tips with thickened green spots similar to 

 those of C. vaseyi. These spots, however, dry to a bro\sn color. Achenes are covered 



42 



