Flora of North America species comparison

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Artemisia bigelovii

Bigelow sage, Bigelow sagebrush, Bigelow sagewort, Bigelow's sage
Habit Shrubs, 20–40(–60) cm (branched from bases, rounded), mildly aromatic; not root-sprouting.
Stems

silvery, canescent (bark gray-brown).
Leaves

persistent, light gray-green;

blades narrowly cuneate, 0.5–3 × 0.2–0.5 cm, entire or 3(–5)-lobed (lobes 1.5–2 mm, less than 1/3 blade lengths, acute), faces silvery canescent.
Involucres

globose, 2–3 × 1.5–2.5 mm.
Florets

pistillate 0–2 (raylike, laminae to 1 mm);

bisexual 1–3;

corollas 1–1.5 mm (style branches of ray florets elongate, exsert, epapillate, tips acute; of disc florets, short, truncate, papillate).
Phyllaries

(8–15) ovate, canescent or tomentose.
Heads

(usually nodding) in arrays 6–25 × 1–4 cm (branches erect, somewhat curved).
Cypselae

(ellipsoid, 5-ribbed) 0.8–1 mm, glabrous.
2n

= 18, 36, 72.

Artemisia bigelovii
Phenology Flowering early summer–late fall.
Habitat Deserts, sandy or alkaline soils, rock outcrops
Elevation 1000–2500 m (3300–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Artemisia bigelovii of the southwestern deserts is easily confused in the field with A. tridentata, even though it is well distinguished ecologically and morphologically. Systematic placement within subg. Tridentatae remains problematic. Presence of “ray” florets (though rare) and vestigial spines on the pollen (R. P. Wodehouse 1935) suggest a relationship with groups ancestral to Tridentatae. The species also has the unusual characteristic of lignified trichomes (L. M. Shultz 1986b). Further research may help to determine proper placement; its affinities may be with members of subg. Artemisia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 19, p. 512.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Anthemideae > Artemisia > subg. Tridentatae
Sibling taxa
A. abrotanum, A. absinthium, A. alaskana, A. aleutica, A. annua, A. arbuscula, A. biennis, A. borealis, A. californica, A. campestris, A. cana, A. carruthii, A. douglasiana, A. dracunculus, A. filifolia, A. franserioides, A. frigida, A. furcata, A. globularia, A. glomerata, A. laciniata, A. longifolia, A. ludoviciana, A. michauxiana, A. nesiotica, A. norvegica, A. nova, A. packardiae, A. palmeri, A. papposa, A. pattersonii, A. pedatifida, A. pontica, A. porteri, A. pycnocephala, A. pygmaea, A. rigida, A. rothrockii, A. rupestris, A. scopulorum, A. senjavinensis, A. serrata, A. spiciformis, A. stelleriana, A. suksdorfii, A. tilesii, A. tridentata, A. tripartita, A. vulgaris
Synonyms A. petrophila, Seriphidium bigelovii
Name authority A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 110. (1857)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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