Figure 11. — Sand sage- 

 brush (A. filifoliaj 

 growing near Moccasin^ 

 Mohave Co., Arizona, 



is the closest ally to sand sagebrush. Birdfoot sagebrush is a low perennial subshrub 

 with limited distribution on dry plateaus and ridges in Wyoming and Idaho, and possibly 

 in Montana. In gross morphology, sand sagebrush and birdfoot sagebrush little resemble 

 one another, but their floral characteristics are quite similar. Their distributions 

 do not presently overlap and no intermediates between the two have been found. 



Distribution and habitat .- -Sand sagebrush is an excellent indicator of sand and is 

 probably the most widespread shrub on sand dunes and sandhills from Nebraska to Arizona 

 (Hall and Clements 1923). It occurs from Nevada and Utah east to Wyoming and western 

 Nebraska and south to Texas, Arizona, and Chihuahua, Mexico. 



Use . --The browse value of sand sagebrush depends on where it grows. It is seldom 

 eaten in grasslands where other food is adequate, but in more arid, desert regions, it 

 is often heavily used (Hall and Clements 1923). This species helps prevent wind erosion 

 by helping to stabilize light sandy soils. 



Artemisia frigida Willd. (fringed sagebrush^) 



Fringed sagebrush is a fragrant, aromatic, mat-forming perennial subshrub 2 to 5 

 dm tall (fig. 13), the lower woody stems are spreading and often much branched. Adven- 

 titious rooting is common when stems contact the soil. The upper herbaceous stems are 

 erect and leafy. The whole plant is densely silvery-canescent . 



The numerous small silky-canescent leaves are 6 to 12 mm long, and are 2 or 3 times 

 pinnately divided. 



This species has a deep perennial taproot with numerous extensive laterals that 

 help it withstand drought. This root system is also useful in stabilizing gullies and 

 preventing soil erosion. 



Numerous small flower heads are borne in nodding racemes or open panicles (fig. 

 12b). Small, densely hairy involucral bracts occur in several series around each floucr 

 head. Each head contains 10 to 17 outer, seed-producing, pistillate, ray flowers and 

 numerous (25 to 50) tubular-funnel form, perfect, seed-producing disc flowers. I'lower 

 receptacles are densely villous. 



Also called estafiata, prairie sagcwort , fringed wormwood, pasture sagebrush, 

 Arctic sagebrush, mountain sagebrush, wild sagebrush, and worm sagebrush. 



13 



