• ABBREVIATION
• SYNONYMS
• NRCS PLANT CODE
• COMMON NAMES
• TAXONOMY
• LIFE FORM
• FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS
• OTHER STATUS
• AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION

ABBREVIATION:

ARTTRIV

SYNONYMS:

Artemisia tridentata var. vaseyana (Rydb.) Bovin [31,35,142]

Seriphidium vaseyanum (Rydb.) Weber [134]

NRCS PLANT CODE [126]:

ARTRV

COMMON NAMES:

mountain big sagebrush

TAXONOMY:

The currently accepted scientific name of mountain big sagebrush is Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle (Asteraceae) [5,31,56].

There are 2 other widely distributed subspecies of big sagebrush (A. tridentata): basin big sagebrush (A. t. spp. tridentata) and Wyoming big sagebrush (A. t. spp. wyomingensis) [8,56,64]. There is substantial overlap in the distribution of big sagebrush species, and the 3 major subspecies sometimes tightly co-occur [74]. It is difficult to distinguish among them without chemical or molecular analysis [8,74,133,145]. Mountain big sagebrush contains chemical constituents that allow it to be distinguished from the other 2 major subspecies when subjected to an ultraviolet light test [74]. Morphological characteristics, especially leaf and shrub shape, have been relied upon to distinguish among big sagebrush subspecies [5,31,56]. Hybridization within these 3 subspecies of big sagebrush has been confirmed [42,43,46,73,74,115].

In addition to the 3 major subspecies mentioned above, at least 2 other subspecies of big sagebrush with limited distributions are recognized: A. t. spp. parishii [56] and A. t. spp. xericensis [64]. Each is commonly known as big sagebrush. Snowfield sagebrush has been classified both within the big sagebrush complex (A. t. spp. spiciformis) [45,64] and as a distinct species (A. spiciformis) [56].

In this report, the name "big sagebrush" is used when discussing the big sagebrush species complex. Infrataxa including mountain big sagebrush are referred to by the subspecific common names used above. Because the International Botanical Congress no longer recognizes varieties or forms of subspecies, forms and varieties within the vaseyana subspecies are treated here as A. t. spp. vaseyana. For more information about the species complex, please refer to the FEIS reports for other subspecies.

LIFE FORM:

Shrub

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS:

No special status

OTHER STATUS:

No entry

AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION:

Johnson, Kathleen A. (2000, November). Artemisia tridentata spp. vaseyana. In: Remainder of Citation

Related categories for SPECIES: Artemisia tridentata spp. vaseyana | Mountain Big Sagebrush