Rare Plant Details

Scientific Name : Artemisia capitata
Author : (Nutt.) S. Garcia, Garnatje, McArthur, Pellicer, S.C. Sand. & Vallès-Xirau
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Common Name : Rock- tansy
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Close up of Sphaeromeria capitata by Robert Dorn

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Taxonomy

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Family :

Asteraceae (sunflower family)

Taxonomic Comments :

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

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Global Rank : G4
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

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General Description:

Sphaeromeria capitata is a densely caespitose, perennial herb, up to 12 cm tall, with yellow flowers. The flower heads are solitary and on the ends of subscapose branches. Leaves are mainly basal, 4-10 mm long, with narrow linear lobes. 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).



Sphaeromeria capitata by Kaye Thorne


Habitat

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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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Habitat of Sphaeromeria capitata courtesy of the Colorado Natural Areas Program

Elevation Range:

6,794 - 7,916 feet (2,071 - 2,413 meters)

Distribution

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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.

Distribution of <i>Sphaeromeria</i> <i>capitata</i> in Colorado
Distribution of Sphaeromeria capitata in Colorado
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Distribution in Colorado by land status (COMaP v20211005)



Threats and Management Issues

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Potentially threatened by oil and gas development (Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2012).



References

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  • Ackerfield, J. 2012. The Flora of Colorado. Colorado State University Herbarium. 433 pp.
  • Atwood, D. et al. 1991. Utah Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Field Guide. US Forest Service Region 4, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Natural Heritage Program, US Fish & Wildlife Service, EPA Region 8, Navajo Natural Heritage Program, Skull Valley Goshute Tribe.
  • 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.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. (FNA). 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Oxford Univ. Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Garcia, Sňnia, Teresa Garnatje, E. Durant McArthur, Jaume Pellicer, Stewart C. Sanderson, and Joan Vallčs. 2011. Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Rearrangements in Artemisia Subgen. Tridentatae, Including a Redefinition of Sphaeromeria (Asteraceae, Anthemideae). Western North American Naturalist. 71 (2): 158-163.
  • Lavender, A.E., M.M. Fink, S.E. Linn, D.M. Theobald. 2011. Colorado Ownership, Management, and Protection v9 Database. Colorado Natural Heritage Program and Geospatial Centroid, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. (30 September).
  • USDA, NRCS. 2022. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
  • Weber, W. A. and R. C. Wittmann. 2012. Colorado Flora, Western Slope, A Field Guide to the Vascular Plants, Fourth Edition. Boulder, Colorado. 532 pp.
  • Welsh, S.L, N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. 1993. A Utah Flora, second edition, revised. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT.

Version Date : 2013-02-21

Rare Plant Guide