Selected North Dakota and Minnesota Range Plants (continued)EB-69, 1998 Common Name: Cudweed sagewort, White sage, Pasture sage Species: Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: A rhizomatous, aromatic, perennial forb 3-7 dm tall, usually a persistent dense, short, white, wooly pubescence to irregularly smooth and hairless. Leaves elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 3-11 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide, whole with a continuous margin to irregularly toothed or sometimes lobed, but the lobes are rather wide, more than 2 mm. Inflorescence broadly to narrowly paniculate; with a whorl of bracts under the flower clusters that are densely pubescent with short, wooly hairs, 2.5-4 mm tall or sometimes larger; receptacle naked; outer florets pistillate, center florets perfect. Achenes ellipsoid-cylindrical, smooth. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb which begins growing in May and June and flowers in August and September. Habitat: This species is very adapted and widespread, growing on most prairie sites, hillsides and ditches. The adaptability is probably due to the differences in varieties and subspecies in this species. Often found in colonies. Distribution: A widespread species found throughout North America. This species can be found throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Forage Value: This species is classified as having only fair to poor feed value to cattle, horses, sheep, and goats. Limited utilization will occur by cattle in the spring. Sheep graze it during the spring and early summer months. If more desirable plants are present, little to no use of this plant will occur. This species tends to increase under grazing pressure. Wildlife Value: This species tends to be used somewhat by elk and deer and is utilized more by antelope. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Big sagebrush Species: Artemisia tridentata Nutt. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: A large, deciduous, erect, branching shrub 4-20(30+) dm tall, very aromatic and with finely flattened, closely pressed hairs. Principal leaves narrowly triangular shaped at the base and three-toothed (tridentate) or wedge-shaped at the apex, up to 5 cm long. Inflorescence of numerous near-stalkless heads in a loose panicle; bracts whorled under flowers and pubescent, 2-4 mm tall; receptacle naked; florets all perfect. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season shrub which begins growing in early May, flowering in August and September, and reproducing primarily by seeds. Habitat: This species grows on open dry plains, valley basins, and on or along hills and buttes. Most abundant on dry, well-drained rocky or gravelly soils. Distribution: This is a widespread species, occurring throughout much of the western half of the United States and Canada. Found from western North Dakota to eastern Montana, in extreme northwestern Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and isolated in extreme northwest Texas. Considered abundant in the western half of North America, from the Great Plains west to British Columbia and southern California. Forage Value: This species is considered a poor to fair forage for cattle, good for sheep and goats, poor for horses. Typically has low palatability, but will be grazed by cattle when abundant and when more desirable species are lacking, and on range during winter months. Chemical analysis of big sagebrush leaves show high crude protein, usually greater than 20 percent, high carbohydrate content, and very high fat content when compared to alfalfa meal. Leaf material also contains about 3 percent volatile oil, causing low palatability with a bitter, pungent taste. Considered an increaser under livestock browsing. Wildlife Value: An extremely important food source and cover for antelope and sage grouse. Big sagebrush is also utilized extensively by mule deer, mountain sheep, rabbits, and some small mammals. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Black samson, Purple coneflower, Comb flower Species: Echinacea angustifolia DC. Synonym: Echinacea pallida Nutt. var. angustifolia (DC.) Cronq. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: Perennial 1-6 dm tall. Stems single to branched, variously hairy or covered with knobby, hairy projections to having stiff, straight hairs, especially above, sometimes smooth below. Leaves alternate, blades of the basal and lower stem leaves narrowly elliptic to much longer than broad to oblong, 5-30 cm long and 1-4 cm wide, entire or nearly so, petiolate, the upper leaves progressively smaller and becoming stalkless. Heads with whorled bracts under the flower, 6-11 mm long, disk 1.5 cm across; receptacle 1.5-3 cm tall; ray florets with ligule 2-4 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, mostly light pink to light purplish; disk florets with petals 6-8 mm long; body of the chaffy bracts 11-13 mm long, with an apical spine 2-3 mm long. Pollen grains yellow. Achene 4-5 mm long; pappus a toothed crown. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb beginning growth in May and flowering from June through August. Habitat: Black samson grows abundantly on most upland soil types but prefers dry prairies and rocky sidehills with weakly developed soils. Distribution: This plant occurs throughout the Great Plains region of the United States. It can be found throughout North Dakota. This species occurs primarily in the prairie region of Minnesota. The plant does not occur in the northeast or southeast regions of Minnesota. Forage Value: This species is palatable and nutritious to all classes of livestock, however it appears seldomly grazed. Black samson is considered a decreaser with grazing pressure. Wildlife Value: This species, particularily the foliage, is utilized by most grazing and browsing mammals, including white-tailed deer, mule deer, antelope, and many small mammals. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Blanket flower, Gaillardia Species: Gaillardia aristata Pursh Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: Perennial herb, 3-6 dm tall. Stems single or sometimes clustered, having stiff, long hairs that are constricted at regular intervals, arising from a slender taproot. Leaves oblong, 5-15 cm long, and up to 2.5 cm wide, entire to variously toothed, scattered along the stem or occasionally mostly basal. Heads solitary or few on long stalks; disk 1.5-3 cm across; bracts whorled beneath flower, tapering gradually to an abrupted point to slender point, 1-2 cm long, usually loose hairs; flowering parts covered with irregular but well-developed bristles, exceeding the achenes; ray florets with ligule 1-3 cm long, yellow and somewhat purplish toward the base; disk florets with petals purple or brownish-purple, densely hairy toward the apex; style appendages elongate. Achene about 4 mm long, covered with long hairs; body of pappus 6-7 mm long and abrupt terminal point to an awn 2 times as long as body. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb beginning growth in April or May and flowering in July and August. Habitat: Blanket flower is commonly found on prairies and open plains. Distribution: This species occurs from the Great Plains region, west to Alberta, British Columbia, and Oregon, south to New Mexico and Utah. It can be found growing throughout North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Forage Value: This plant is rarely grazed by livestock, providing limited feed value. This species is considered an increaser with grazing pressure but seldom becomes a nuisance plant. Wildlife Value: There is no evidence that this plant has any feed value for wildlife; however, the seeds may be used by some songbirds. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Names: Species: Grindelia squarrosa (Pursh) Dun. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: A biennial or short-lived perennial, smooth; stems 1-several, often solitary from a herbaceous base, 1-10 dm tall. Leaves egg-shaped or oblong, 1.5-7 cm long, 4-20 mm wide, obtuse to sharply tipped, regularly serrated to sometimes more coarsely toothed, or even entire, pits or dots abundant. Heads several to numerous, the disk 0.7-3 cm wide; bracts whorled beneath flower, strongly resinous, overlapping in several series, the tips recurving and reflexed; rays 12-37, 7-15 mm long, 0.75-2.5 mm broad. Achenes 2-3 mm long; pappus awns 2-8, finely serrated or subentire, 1/2-7/8 as long as disk florets. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb beginning growth in May and flowering from July through September. Habitat: This plant is most common to dry areas and quite drought tolerant. It grows on most soil types that lack desirable vegetation or having bare areas. It can be found growing along roadsides, waste places, depleted rangelands, and overgrazed pastures. Distribution: Curlycup gumweed can be found throughout the western two-thirds of the United States, becoming rare in the Pacific Coast states. It can be found throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Forage Value: This species has little forage value to all classes of livestock, considered unpalatable to cattle and horses. The flower heads will be occasionally eaten by sheep in abscence of other forages. This species is considered an increaser with grazing pressure. Wildlife Value: The foliage of this species has little feed value to wildlife. The seeds are utilized to a small extent by small rodents and songbirds. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Names: Broom snakeweed, Broomweed, Snakeweed, Matchweed, Turpentine-weed, Yellow top Species: Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh) Britt. & Rusby
Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: A perennial half-shrub, 2-10 dm tall. Stems bushy-branched upward from the woody base, herbage not hairy or lightly hairy, often sometimes covered with a resin. Leaves alternate, linear, 5-60 mm long and 1-3 mm wide. Heads numerous, clustered at the branch ends, giving the aspect of a single, large flat topped inflorescence; bracts whorled from beneath flower, 3-6 mm tall, 2 mm across, turbinate; whorled bracts narrow, green at the apex and along the midnerve; ray florets 3-8, fertile, the ligule 1-3 mm long, yellow; disk florets 2-6, fertile. Achenes with pappus of 8-10 sharply tipped scales, those of the ray achenes about 1/2 as long as those of the disk achenes. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season half-shrub beginning growth in May and flowering from August to September. Habitat: This plant has adapted to a wide variety of soil types, commonly found on dry prairies and hills, open plains, and upland sites. Distribution: Broom snakeweed occurs throughout the western half of the United States. It can be found growing throughout North Dakota, becoming more prominent from east to west. Forage Value: Broom snakeweed is considered a poor forage for all classes of livestock, with the spring growth sometimes toxic when eaten by cattle, sheep, horses, or goats, although very rare. This plant is utilized more on winter range when other forages are not available. This species is considered an increaser with grazing pressure. Wildlife Value: This plant provides important browse for antelope and rabbits and is used to a smaller extent by white-tailed deer and small mammals. The seeds are utilized by some upland gamebirds and songbirds. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Blue lettuce Species: Lactuca oblongifolia Nutt. Synonym: Lactuca pulchella (Pursh) DC Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: A herbaceous perennial, 0.3-1 m tall; stem smooth, arising singly or rarely loosely clustered form a deeply taprooted rhizomatous woody base; latex white. Lower stem leaves without a stalk, linear egg-shaped to oblong, variously pinnate-lobed to sharply serrated or entire, base shaped like an arrowhead to triangular, 9-13 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, abaxial midrib smooth; middle and upper stem leaves linear or broader than long or oblong, pinnate-lobed or entire. Inflorescence a flat-topped panicle of 20-50 heads; bracts whorled from beneath flower, 18, 12-13 mm long at anthesis, 15-17 mm long in fruit; florets 19-21; ligule blue to violet white, projected about 5 mm; style branches blue, projected about 2 mm beyond anther tube. Achene body reddish, 4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide, with 4-6 conspicuous ridges; beak whitish, stout, 1.5 mm long; pappus white, in 3 or 4 series, each bristle 8-10 mm long, 5-9 cells thick. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb that begins growth in April and flowers from July through September. Habitat: Blue lettuce is most commonly found in low, moist meadows. It also grows on foothills, marshes, canals, streambanks, roadsides, pastures, and fields. Distribution: Occurs from western Ontario, south to Missouri and Arkansas, west to southcentral California. It can be found throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Forage Value: This species provides no feed value to cattle and horses, fair for sheep. It is considered a noxious weed in some western states. Blue lettuce is considered an increaser with grazing pressure. Wildlife Value: The foliage of this species is seldom used by large or small mammals, occasionally grazed by white-tailed deer, antelope, and some small mammals. The seeds of this species are utilized by songbirds and upland gamebirds to a small extent. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Round-headed blazing star Species: Liatris ligulistylis (A. Nels.) K. Schum. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: Perennial 2-10 dm tall, smooth, especially above, but sometimes lightly pubescent. Leaves very numerous, the larger ones 8-25 cm long and 0.5-4 cm wide. Inflorescence spikelike, heads short with stalk and cluster of flowers to nearly without a stalk, terminal head conspicuously the largest; heads half spherical, 13-20 mm tall, bracts in a whorl and under the flower, weakly if at all spreading at end, margins thin, membranaceous, not green, and sometimes torn; florets 30-70+, petals smooth within. Pappus finely barbed. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb beginning growth in April and flowers from July through September. Habitat: Round-headed blazing star is associated with open, moist sites. Commonly found in wet meadow zones and ditches. Distribution: This plant is scattered throughout southern Canada, south to Colorado, New Mexico, and Missouri. It can be found throughout moist areas of North Dakota, primarily in the eastern half of the state, becoming more common going from west to east. This species occurs in all but the northeastern region of Minnesota. Forage Value: This species provides fair grazing value for cattle and horses, is good for sheep, especially prior to flowering. Round-headed blazing star is considered an increaser under grazing pressure but will decrease under continuous heavy use. Wildlife Value: This species is regularly grazed by grazer and browser hoofed mammals, utilized by white-tailed deer, mule deer, and antelope to some extent. The foliage is utilized by small mammals and seeds by some songbirds. Forage Value: This species is palatable to all classes of livestock, especially when young, but not used to any great extent. When mature, prairie coneflower is utilized sparingly. This species is considered an increaser with grazing pressure. Wildlife Value: This species provides fair feed value for grazing and browsing wildlife species. There is no evidence that any one wildlife species depends on prairie coneflower as food or habitat use. The seeds have little feed value for birds or small rodents. Bees may utilize this species extensively as a honey plant. Other: The flowers and leaves of this plant were used by Indian tribes to make tea. The leaves were also boiled to make a solution to draw out poison from rattlesnake bites and for relief from poison ivy. Today, prairie coneflower is a common ornamental planted in wildflower seed mixes. It is easy to establish and spreads quite readily by seed. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Prairie coneflower, Long-headed coneflower Species: Ratibida columnifera (Nutt.) Woot. & Standl. Synonym: Lepachys columnifera (Nutt.) Rydb. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: Perennial 3-10 dm tall; stems arising singly or in clusters from a prominent taproot. Having well-developed leaves up to 15 cm long and 6 cm wide, leaves compound or partly so with leaflets arranged on both sides. Heads solitary or several at the ends of the long peduncles; receptacle columnar, up to 4.5 cm tall and 1 cm across; whorl of bracts under flower 5-14, in 2 series; ray florets 4-11, normally yellow but also purplish-yellow to purple, 1-3 cm long, spreading or reflexed; disk florets with corolla 1.5-2.5 mm long, style branches short; chaffy bracts with margins somewhat hairy and smooth toward base. Achenes 1.5-3 mm long, oblong, hairy on inner edge; pappus of 1 or 2 teeth. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb beginning growth in May and flowering from June through September. Habitat: This plant has adapted to a wide variety of soil types, found on moist soils of the prairies, plains, and along roadsides. It is less common during times of drought, sometimes forming large stands when moisture levels are high and bare soil present. Distribution: This species is found throughout the Great Plains region, occurring from southcentral Canada down to Mexico. It can be found throughout North Dakota and it occurs primarily in the prairie region of Minnesota. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Skeleton weed Species: Lygodesmia juncea (Pursh) Hook. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: Herbaceous perennial 1-7 dm tall, with yellow milky juice arising from a woody, erect or horizontal rhizome-bearing rootstock. Stems erect or somewhat reclining but with stems ascending and arching upward, smooth and not hairy or covered with white waxy bloom that rubs off, intricately branched from the base, often bearing numerous spherical galls, about 1 cm across, produced by solitary wasps. Leaves few, the lower ones linear to linear-lanceolate, usually shorter than 4 cm; leaves attached to stem reduced to mere awl-shaped scales. Heads numerous, terminal; involucre 1.3-1.6 cm tall, cylindrical; principal involucral bracts 5-7 linear, subtended by about 3 series of short, linear calyx-like bracts. Florets mostly 5, corolla expanded into ligule, perfect and fertile, corolla pink to lavender or sometimes whitish, ligule 10-12 mm long. Achenes cylindrical, 6-10 mm long, obscurely marked with fine longitudinal lines or ridges; pappus of numerous capillary bristles, 6-9 mm long. This species rarely produces seeds, and maintains itself largely by asexual means. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season forb which begins growing in June and flowering in July and August, maturing through September. Habitat: This species is common on dry, especially sandy soils. Often in barren alkaline sites. Distribution: Occurs throughout the Great Plains except in the southeast quarter of Kansas and adjacent Missouri and Oklahoma. Found from these areas of the Great Plains to British Columbia, west to Nevada and Central New Mexico. This species can be found throughout North Dakota's rangeland and in the prairie region of Minnesota. Forage Value: This species provides no grazing value to cattle and horses and poor grazing value for sheep and goats. May increase with overgrazing but not a key indicator species due to it occurring in a scattered pattern. Wildlife Value: No information was found on the wildlife value of this species. Insect galls are often found on this species, so the plant is used by insects. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Canada thistle, Field thistle Species: Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: A dioecious perennial. Stems branching above, 3-12 dm tall, nearly smooth and hairless to sparsely having loose hairs. Stems also having short, dense, white pubescence on the upper portions when leaves have short, white pubescence on the lower surface; spreading profusely by deep horizontal lateral roots bearing adventitious shoots. Lower cauline leaves shallowly lobed to pinnately lobed, but occasionally unlobed, oblong to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 5-18 cm long, 1.5-6 cm wide, both surfaces are smooth or the upper side with lightly cobweblike, loose hairs to tufts of soft, wooly hairs and the lower side densely short, white, wooly hairs. The leaf lobes are rounded to acute and with margins bearing short fine spines or strong spines to 5 mm long, spines may vary in abundance, leaf bases sessile or occasionally with a petiole to 1 cm long, often less lobed (especially branch leaves), and sessile. Heads mostly in loose, flat-topped clusters terminating the branches; progressively flowering from the margins inward, a whorl of bracts present under the flower, flower 1-2 cm tall, 0.5-1 cm wide, male heads sometimes lightly shorter, secondary, often reduced bracts in 5 or 6 rows; outer ones ovate, 2-6 mm long, 0.7-1.2 mm wide, smooth to containing loose, cobweblike hairs, especially on the margins and with a narrow glandular dorsal ridge, tip tapered toward apex, the spine less than 1 mm long; inner ones lanceolate, to 11 mm long, gradually tapering to a very slender tip to slightly expanded into a leaf blade and margin appearing eroded at the apex. Corolla pink to purple, rarely white. Staminate corollas 12-14 mm long, the lobes 3-4 mm long; anthers 3.5-4 mm long; apparently normal pistillate parts sometimes present but with only a vestigial ovary. Pistillate corollas 19-24 mm long, the lobes 2-3 mm long; stigma joint about 2 mm from top; anthers sometimes present. Achenes straw colored or light brown, 2.5-4 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide; pappus white or grayish white, at anthesis about 15 mm long, later to 25 mm long. Origin: Introduced from Eurasia and North Africa, classified as naturalized in United States. Growing Season: A warm season forb which begins growth in June, flowering in July and August. Habitat: This species grows in open areas including pastures, ditches, bottomlands, and waste areas, especially thrives in deep, moist soils. Often found in colonies and may expand into covering a large site. Also a pesty weed on cropland. Distribution: Widely established in the northern half of the United States, Minnesota west to Montana, south to Missouri,Kansas, and Colorado. This species can be found throughout North Dakota and Minnesota. Forage Value: Typically thought of as having no grazing value to livestock but can be suppressed by cattle grazing in the spring when first emerging. At this time it does provide fair grazing for cattle and fair to good grazing for sheep and goats. Horses commonly eat the flower of Canada thistle. Wildlife Value: This species is of limited value to wildlife. Its seeds are used by some songbirds and small mammals. Young plant parts may be eaten to a limited extent by deer. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ]
Common Name: Flodman's thistle Species: Cirsium flodmanii (Rydb.) Arthur Synonym: Cirsium oblanceolatum (Rydb.) K. Schum. Family: Asteraceae - Sunflower Family
Description: Short-lived perennial plant with stems usually branching in the upper portion, 3-10 dm tall, contains short dense, wooly white hairs; readily propagating by buds borne along horizontal roots. Juvenile leaves subentire or occasionally shallowly lobed, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, containing short, dense, wooly gray hairs on both surfaces but more so on the lower, apex acute to obtuse, margins irregularly spine-like toothed. The later rosette leaves of first year and those of second year green and covered with tufts of soft, wooly hairs above and gray dense, wooly, short hairs below, cleft in a pinnate manner, remotely lobed or entire, narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate, 12-22 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, the lobes two-cleft or not and directed slightly toward the leaf apex, segments lanceolate, tipped by a spine 3-6 mm long, margins with irregular spine-like teeth, petiole winged. The leaves attached to stem similar to the rosette leaves, or all leaves may be entire, progressively reduced upwards, sessile and usually clasping at the base. Heads solitary and terminal on the branches, involucre 2-3 cm tall, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, involucral bracts in 6 or 7 rows; outer ones (4 or 5 rows) ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 5-9 mm long, slightly slender, loose hairs, dorsal ridge purplish and strongly glandular, tipped by a diverging spine 2-4 mm long; inner ones lanceolate, to 18 mm long, apex flexuous and mostly unarmed. Corolla deep purple or infrequently pink, rarely white, 21-36 mm long, corolla lobes 5-9 mm long; anthers 8-11 mm long; style 28-33 mm long, stigma joint 5-6 mm from tip. Achenes brownish, 3-4(5) mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, with a whitish-yellow apical ring, smooth; pappus white or tawny, 20-30 mm long. Origin: Native Growing Season: A warm season broadleaf forb which begins growth in June and flowers in mid July through September. First years' growth a rosette and typically not flowering. Second year's growth comes from the rosette and flowers. Habitat: This species grows in moist open sites commonly found in pasturelands, meadows, and waste places. Seems to grow more as a single plant than in patches. Distribution: Occurs in Minnesota west to Montana, south to Iowa, into northcentral Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona. Also found from south Manitoba west to south British Columbia. Locally common in central and western parts of North Dakota. It occurs throughout Minnesota. Forage Value: This species is considered an undesirable forb which has no feed value for all classes of livestock. Increases with overgrazing and considered a broadleaf weed whenever present. Wildlife Value: This species is of little wildlife value. Seeds from this plant may be eaten by songbirds and small mammals. [ Back to Index ] [ Home ] [ Glossary ] EB-69, 1998
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