Major Plants of the Southwest Region K. Launchbaugh K. Launchbaugh K. Launchbaugh Rangeland Ecology & 252 Wildland Plant Identification Rangelands of the North America 1
Deserts & Semideserts Grassland & Savannas Mediterranean Deserts & Semideserts Rangelands of the U.S. - Simplified 2
Variation in Annual Precipitation Across U.S. Pacific Region Great Basin 3
= Major Rangeland Soils Plants of the Southwest Region GRASSES - - - - - - - - CYNODONTEAE Black Grama Bouteloua eriopoda Perennial Native CYNODONTEAE Tobosa Grass Hilaria mutica Perennial Native CYNODONTEA Sideoats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula Perennial Native FORBS & Woody Plants- - - - - - - - ASTEREA Broom Snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Perennial Native HELIANTHEAE Desert Marigold Baileya multiradiata Perennial Native HELIANTHEAE Tarbrush Flourensia cernua Perennial Native FABACEAE Catclaw Acacia Acacia greggii Perennial Native FABACEAE Purple Locoweed Acacia greggii Perennial Native FABACEAE Honey Mesquite Prosopis glandulosa Perennial Native ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Creosotebush Larrea tridentata Perennial Native 4
CYNODONTEA Bouteloua curtipendula A rhizomatous midgrass that grows 1-3 feet tall Spicate branches are bent to one side - looks like it was pressed in a book Sideoats Grama Mike Haddock CYNODONTEA Bouteloua curtipendula End of main seed stalk creates a zig-zag Lower leaf blade edges with evenly spaced hairs from pimple-like base Sideoats Grama Mike Haddock 5
CYNODONTEAE Bouteloua eriopoda Stoloniferous grass forming a weak sod Not very tall <2 feet Black Grama CYNODONTEAE Bouteloua eriopoda Internodes pubescent, covered by glabrous sheaths giving it an alternate hairy/not-hair appearance Seedhead has 3-5 spicate, comb-like branches per culm Hairy Internode Glabrous Sheath Black Grama Awns as long or longer than spikelets 6
CYNODONTEAE Hilaria mutica Sod forming with thick and scaly rhizomes Leaf blade is flat or somewhat rolled inwards Gray-green color Tobosa Grass CYNODONTEAE Hilaria mutica Lower nodes are hairy, upper nodes without hairs Seedhead is a bilateral spike Spikelets are Fan-like Tobosa Grass 7
ASTEREAE Gutierrezia sarothrae Suffrutescent plant that grows up to 2 feet Branches arise from the base of the plant forming a broom-like structure Broom Snakeweed Mike Haddock ASTEREAE Gutierrezia sarothrae Linear, sessile leaves Yellow flowers mostly the top of plants Broom Snakeweed 8
HELIANTHEAE Baileya multiradiata Desert Marigold Low growing plants ½ to 1½ feet tall Woody caudex on top of taproot Leaves in basal rosette woolly white hairs HELIANTHEAE Baileya multiradiata Desert Marigold Flowers are composite with disk & ray flowers Bright yellow Ray flowers 3-toothed at tip 9
HELIANTHEAE Flourensia cernua Shrub varies in height up to 6 ft. Highly branched throughout Leaves entire, petiolate, and alternate, with road map venation Leaves and stem covered with small black glands Tarbrush HELIANTHEAE Flourensia cernua Tarbrush Flowers yellow, discoid Heads nodding turning blackish at maturation Flowers from July to September 10
FABACEAE Acacia greggii Shrub or small tree (3-5 feet tall) forming thickets Spines are cat claws on branches Leaves alternate & evenbipinnately compound Catclaw Acacia FABACEAE Acacia greggii Catclaw Acacia Flowers creamy-white or yellow Produces flat, curved legumes 11
FABACEAE Oxytropis lambertii 13 inches tall Compound leaves in basal rosette Leaves and stems arise directly from a branching base Purple Locoweed Mike Haddock FABACEAE Oxytropis lambertii Purple Locoweed Flowers April to August Purple/Blue Flowers elevated above leaves on stem Flowers irregular 12
FABACEAE Prosopis glandulosa Honey Mesquite Shrub or small tree 20-feet tall Small straight thorns Leaves alternate & bipinnately compound FABACEAE Prosopis glandulosa Fruits are pods that are long and straight or slightly curved Inflorescences greenish-yellow to creamy yellow Honey Mesquite 13
ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Larrea tridentata Creosotebush Shrub up to 9 feet tall with no welldefined trunk Twigs slender with brown nodes Foliage emits creosote odor, particularly when wet or burned Leaves are opposite, bifoliate, and glossy ZYGOPHYLLACEAE Larrea tridentata Flowers yellow with 5 petals Fruits are fuzzy white spheres Creosotebush 14