Machaeranthera scabrella (Greene) Shinners, syn of var. ammophila
Aster binominatus Kuntze, syn of var. bigelovii
Bigelowia bigelovii (A.Gray) A.Gray, syn of var. bigelovii
Chrysothamnus bigelovii (A.Gray) Greene, syn of var. bigelovii
Chrysothamnus glareosus (M.E.Jones) Rydb., syn of var. bigelovii
Chrysothamnus moquianus Greene, syn of var. bigelovii
Linosyris bigelovii A.Gray, syn of var. bigelovii
Bigelowia ceruminosa (Durand & Hilg.) A.Gray, syn of var. ceruminosa
Chrysothamnus ceruminosus (Durand & Hilg.) Greene, syn of var. ceruminosa
Linosyris ceruminosus Durand & Hilg., syn of var. ceruminosa
Chrysothamnus angustus Greene, syn of var. consimilis
Chrysothamnus confinis Greene, syn of var. consimilis
Chrysothamnus consimilis Greene, syn of var. consimilis
Chrysothamnus falcatus Greene, syn of var. consimilis
Chrysothamnus patens Rydb. syn of var. consimilis
Chrysothamnus pinifolius Greene, syn of var. consimilis
Chrysothamnus tortuosus Greene, syn of var. consimilis
Bigelowia graveolens (Nutt.) A.Gray, syn of var. graveolens
Chrysocoma graveolens Nutt., syn of var. graveolens
Chrysothamnus dracunculoides (DC.) Nutt., syn of var. graveolens
Chrysothamnus graveolens (Nutt.) Greene, syn of var. graveolens
Chrysothamnus laetevirens Greene, syn of var. graveolens
Chrysothamnus virens Greene, syn of var. graveolens
Linosyris graveolens (Nutt.) Torr. & A.Gray, syn of var. graveolens
Chrysothamnus gnaphalodes (Greene) Greene, syn of var. hololeuca
Chrysothamnus appendiculatus (Eastw.) A.Heller, syn of var. latisquamea
Chrysothamnus arizonicus (Greene) Greene, syn of var. latisquamea
Chrysothamnus latisquameus (A.Gray) Greene, syn of var. leiosperma
Aster leiospermus (A.Gray) Kuntze, syn of var. leiosperma
Bigelowia leiosperma A.Gray, syn of var. leiosperma
Chrysothamnus leiospermus (A.Gray) Greene, syn of var. leiosperma
Aster mohavensis (Greene) Kuntze, syn of var. mohavensis
Bigelowia mohavensis Greene, syn of var. mohavensis
Bigelowia mohavensis Greene ex A.Gray, syn of var. mohavensis
Chrysothamnus mohavensis (Greene) Greene, syn of var. mohavensis
Bigelowia glareosa M.E.Jones, syn of var. psilocarpa
Chrysothamnus salicifolius Rydb., syn of var. salicifolia
Chrysothamnus californicus Greene, syn of var. speciosa
Chrysothamnus formosus Greene, syn of var. speciosa
Chrysothamnus macounii Greene, syn of var. speciosa
Chrysothamnus occidentalis (Greene) Greene, syn of var. speciosa
Chrysothamnus orthophyllus Greene, syn of var. speciosa
Chrysothamnus pulcherrimus A.Nelson, syn of var. speciosa
Chrysothamnus speciosus Nutt., syn of var. speciosa
Bigelowia turbinata M.E.Jones, syn of var. turbinata
Chrysothamnus turbinatus (M.E.Jones) Rydb., syn of var. turbinata
Volunteer chamisa in the landscaping of the post office in Crestone, ColoradoFlower heads, each with five individual flowers. Most of the flower heads in the cluster of heads were removed for this image.
Ericameria nauseosa (formerly Chrysothamnus nauseosus), commonly known as chamisa, rubber rabbitbrush, and gray rabbitbrush, is a shrub in the sunflower family (Aster) found in the arid regions of western North America.
Two subspecies have been described, consimilis (the green form with 8 varieties) and nauseosa (the gray form with 14 varieties).[2]
Description
Ericameria nauseosa is a perennial shrub growing to 2 to 8 metres (6+1⁄2 to 26 feet).[3] The leaves, depending on the subspecies, are 2–7.5 centimetres (3⁄4–3 inches) long[4] and narrow to spatula-shaped. Both the flexible (rubbery) stems and the leaves are greenish-gray with a soft felt-like covering.[5]
It blooms from August to October[6] and produces pungent-smelling, golden-yellow flowers. The flower heads are 6–13 millimetres (1⁄4–1⁄2 in) long[4] and made up of 5 small, yellow, tubular disk flowers, and occur in umbrella-shaped terminal clusters.[7][5] The shrub reproduces from seeds and root sprouts.[5]
Ericameria nauseosa var. texensis (L.C.Anderson) G.L.Nesom & G.I.Baird – Guadalupe Mountains in Texas + New Mexico
Ericameria nauseosa var. washoensis (L.C.Anderson) G.L.Nesom & G.I.Baird – open rocky sites in grasslands of northeastern California and northwestern Nevada
Along with associated species, like big sage and western wheat grass, rubber rabbitbrush is only lightly or occasionally used by herbivores during the summer. However, it can be heavily used during the winter when other food sources are scarce and on depleted rangelands.[15][16] Some of the species that consume it include mule deer, elk, pronghorns, and black-tailed jackrabbits. It is considered poor forage for almost all domestic animals, though sheep are reported to consume significant amounts of it in Utah.[15] It is also frequently used as shelter by jackrabbits.[17] Dense stands of this species often grow on poorly managed rangelands, in disturbed areas along roadways and on abandoned agricultural property.[16]
Rabbitbrush, Ericameria nauseosa, has gained popularity as an ornamental xeriscaping shrub in areas where water conservation is important. It thrives in a wide range of coarse, alkaline soils that are common to desert environments. Pruning the shrub back to several inches in early spring, before new growth begins, may help improve the shrub's ornamental value.[18] The varieties Ericameria nauseosa var. nauseosa and Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosa are especially valued as they rarely exceed 24 inches and will often only reach a foot in height. Gardeners appreciate the enthusiastic late season blooms as well as the foliage.[17]
Radioactivity
Specimens growing in Bayo Canyon, near Los Alamos, New Mexico, exhibit a concentration of radioactive strontium-90 300,000 times higher than a normal plant. Their roots reach into a closed nuclear waste treatment area, mistaking strontium for calcium due to its similar chemical properties. According to Joseph Masco, the radioactive shrubs are "indistinguishable from other shrubs without a Geiger counter."[19]
Uses
The Zuni people use the blossoms bigelovii variety of the nauseosa subspecies to make a yellow dye.[20] They use the stems to make baskets.[21] The Navajo also made a yellow dye from some of the flower heads.[4] Native Americans of the southwest would also cook the leaves of the plant with cornmeal to raise the bread.
Possible commercial uses
Rubber rabbitbrush was considered as a source of rubber as early as 1904.[22] Several studies have been conducted on the possible use of rubber rabbitbrush as a source of rubber including ones during World Wars I and II, and in 1987.[23] Between 2005 and 2008, the University of Nevada researched possible material applications of rubber rabbitbrush.[24] One possible commercial use of the species would be as a source for hypoallergenic rubber for use in products designed for people with latex allergies.[25]
Gallery
Rabbitbrush native to the area near the post office in Crestone, Colorado
Blooms of the decorative rabbitbrush used at the Crestone post office.
^Molecular phylogeny of Ericameria (Asteraceae, Astereae) based on nuclear ribosomal 3' ETS and ITS sequence data TAXON 52 · May 2003: 209–228, Roland P. Roberts, Lowell E. Urbatsch
^ abTirmenstein, D. (1999). "Species: Ericameria nauseosa". Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
^ abBarr, Claude A. (1983). Jewels of the plains : wild flowers of the Great Plains grasslands and hills. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. pp. 57–59. ISBN0-8166-1127-0.