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Bigelow sage, Bigelow sagebrush, Bigelow sagewort, Bigelow's sage

congested sagewort, Pacific alpine wormwood

Habit Shrubs, 20–40(–60) cm (branched from bases, rounded), mildly aromatic; not root-sprouting. Perennials, 30–50(–100) cm (densely cespitose), mildly aromatic (not rhizomatous, caudices subterranean, branches clothed with persistent leaf bases).
Stems

silvery, canescent (bark gray-brown).

relatively numerous, ascending, brown, simple, hairy.

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.

mostly basal (cauline mostly 2–4, smaller), whitish;

blades (basal) flabellate, 0.5–1(–2) × 0.5–0.8(–1.5) cm, relatively deeply lobed (lobes 5–9, linear), faces strigillose.

Involucres

globose, 2–3 × 1.5–2.5 mm.

broadly campanulate, 3–4 × 3.5–5 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).

pistillate 4–5;

bisexual 10–15;

corollas yellow (3–5-toothed), 2–2.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose.

Phyllaries

(8–15) ovate, canescent or tomentose.

lanceolate (margins brownish), densely pilose.

Heads

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

(3–10, erect or nodding, peduncles 0 or to 15 mm) in subcapitate to corymbiform arrays 1–5 × 2–4 cm.

Cypselae

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

ellipsoid (flattened, margins ribbed), 1–1.5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 18, 36, 72.

= 18, 27, 36, 54.

Artemisia bigelovii

Artemisia glomerata

Phenology Flowering early summer–late fall. Flowering mid summer.
Habitat Deserts, sandy or alkaline soils, rock outcrops Arctic and alpine tundra and sandy slopes
Elevation 1000–2500 m (3300–8200 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; NM; NV; TX; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; YT
[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.)

Artemisia glomerata is similar to A. senjavinensis; it can be distinguished by its more deeply lobed leaves and sparser indument.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 19, p. 512. FNA vol. 19, p. 526.
Parent taxa Asteraceae > tribe Anthemideae > Artemisia > subg. Tridentatae Asteraceae > tribe Anthemideae > Artemisia > subg. Artemisia
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
A. abrotanum, A. absinthium, A. alaskana, A. aleutica, A. annua, A. arbuscula, A. biennis, A. bigelovii, 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. 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 Ajania glomerata, A. glomerata var. subglabra, A. norvegica var. glomerata
Name authority A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 110. (1857) Ledebour: Mém. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Pétersbourg Hist. Acad. 5: 564. (1815)
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