Scientific Name : Artemisia capitata
Author : (Nutt.) S. Garcia, Garnatje, McArthur, Pellicer, S.C. Sand. & Vallès-Xirau
NatureServe Explorer
Common Name : Rock- tansy
Current Research Activities
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Taxonomy
Asteraceae (sunflower family)
Previously tracked as Sphaeromeria capitata. This taxon is listed as Artemisia capitata in the second edition of Ackerfield (2022) and Sphaeromeria capitata in the first edition of Ackerfield (2015). Research supports the placement of Sphaeromeria in Artemisia (Garcia et.al. 2011).
Ranks and Status
State Rank : S1
State Rank Reason : Artemisia capitata is known from two occurrences in Moffat County, Colorado, USA. This species is potentially threatened by oil and gas development. Long-term drought is also a concern.
U.S. Endangered Species Act : none
Colorado Threatened and Endangered List : none
Other Statuses : BLM
Description and Phenology
General Description:
Sphaeromeria capitata is a densely caespitose, perennial herb, 0.5-2 dm tall, with yellow flowers. The flower heads are solitary and on the ends of subscapose branches. Leaves are tomentose, mainly basal, 8-20 mm long, with narrow linear lobes (Ackerfield 2022). Cauline leaves are entire and reduced upward.
Look Alikes:
Sphaeromeria argentea has several flower heads, and wider and shorter leaf lobes.
Phenology:
Flowers June through July (Cronquist 1994, Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2012).
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Habitat
Dry, rocky hills, and desert flats in silty soils. Associated taxa include Artemisia, Atriplex, Haplopappus, Cryptantha, Agropyron, Eriogonum, Oxytropis, and Machaeranthera.
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Elevation Range:
6,794 - 7,916 feet (2,071 - 2,413 meters)
Distribution
Colorado Endemic:
No
Range:
In Colorado, USA, Artemisia capitata is only known from Moffat County. Estimated range extent in Colorado of 6 square kilometers was calculated in GeoCAT using occurrence data provided by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (2023). This species can also be found in Montana, Utah, and Wyoming, USA.
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Threats and Management Issues
Potentially threatened by oil and gas development (Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2012).
References
- Ackerfield, J. 2015. Flora of Colorado. BRIT Press, Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 818 pp.
- Ackerfield, Jennifer. 2022. Flora of Colorado. Second Edition. Bot. Misc. 60. BRIT Press, Fort Worth Botanic Garden/Botanical Research Institute of Texas, U.S.A. 861 pp.
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP). 2023. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System (Biotics 5). Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
- Colorado Natural Heritage Program. 2012. Biodiversity Tracking and Conservation System. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.
- Cronquist, A., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal, P. K. Holmgren. 1994. Intermountain Flora Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, USA: Vol. 5. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY.
- Garcia, Sònia, Teresa Garnatje, E. Durant McArthur, Jaume Pellicer, Stewart C. Sanderson, and Joan Vallès. 2011. Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Rearrangements in Artemisia Subgen. Tridentatae, Including a Redefinition of Sphaeromeria (Asteraceae, Anthemideae). Western North American Naturalist. 71 (2): 158-163.
