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4— Plant Zones
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Representative Species of Major Plant Zones

Desert Scrub Zone (4,000–6,500 ft, 1,219–1,981 m)

 
 

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

FAMILY

 

Trees

Joshua Tree

Yucca brevifolia

Agavaceae

 

Shrubs

Shockley Goldenhead

Acamptopappus shockleyi

Asteraceae

 

Burro-bush

Ambrosia dumosa

Asteraceae

 

Bud Sagebrush

Artemisia spinescens

Asteraceae

 

Great Basin Sagebrush

Atremisia tridentata

Asteraceae

 

Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus nauseosus

Asteraceae

 

Brittlebush

Encelia virginensis ssp. actonii

Asteraceae

 

Cooper Goldenbush

Ericameria cooperi

Asteraceae

 

Shadscale

Atriplex confertifolia

Chenopodiaceae

 

Hopsage

Grayia spinosa

Chenopodiaceae

 

Nevada Ephedra

Ephedra nevadensis

Ephedraceae

 

Indigo bush

Psorothamnus arborescens var. minutifolius

Fabaceae

 

Spiny Menodora

Menodora spinescens

Oleaceae

 

Desert Almond

Prunus fasciculata

Rosaceae

 

Desert Mountain Penstemon

Penstemon fruticiformis

Scrophulariaceae

 

Creosote Bush

Larrea tridentata

Zygophyllaceae

 

Herbs

Desert Milk-aster

Stephanomeria pauciflora

Asteraceae

 

Nevada Viguiera

Viguiera multiflora var. nevadensis

Asteraceae

 

Mojave Aster

Xylorhiza tortifolia

Asteraceae

 

Fragrant Forget-me-not

Cryptantha utahensis

Boraginaceae


84
 
 

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

FAMILY

 

Herbs

Bush Peppergrass

Lepidium fremontii

Brassicaceae

 

Prince's Plume

Stanleya elata

Brassicaceae

 

Beavertail

Opuntia basilaris

Cactaceae

 

Purple Phacelia

Phacelia crenulata

Hydrophyllaceae

 

Chia

Salvia columbariae

Lamiaceae

 

Little Blazing Star

Mentzelia albicaulis

Loasaceae

 

Apricot Mallow

Sphaeralcea ambigua

Malvaceae

 

Wishbone Bush

Mirabilis bigelovii var. retrorsa

Nyctaginaceae

 

Tall Bottle-washer

Camissonia boothii ssp. desertorum

Onagraceae

 

Large White Evening Primrose

Oenothera caespitosa ssp. marginata

Onagraceae

 

Prickly Poppy

Argemone munita ssp. rotundata

Papaveraceae

 

James Galleta

Hilaria jamesii

Poaceae

 

Wilcox Woolly Star

Eriastrum sparsiflorum var. wilcoxii

Polemoniaceae

 

Showy Gilia

Gilia cana ssp. triceps

Polemoniaceae

 

Desert Trumpet

Eriogonum inflatum

Polygonaceae

Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Zone (6,500–9,500 ft, 1,981–2,896 m)

 
 

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

FAMILY

 

Trees

Utah Juniper

Juniperus osteosperma

Cupressaceae

 

Pinyon Pine

Pinus monophylla

Pinaceae

 

Shrubs

Broom Sagebrush

Artemisia nova

Asteraceae

 

Great Basin Sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata

Asteraceae

 

Curly Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus

Asteraceae

 

Gray Horsebrush

Tetradymia canescens

Asteraceae

 

Green Ephedra

Ephedra viridis

Ephedraceae

 

Fern Bush

Chamaebatiaria millefolium

Rosaceae

 

Desert Bitterbrush

Purshia glandulosa

Rosaceae

 

Bitterbrush

Purshia tridentata

Rosaceae

 

Plateau Gooseberry

Ribes velutinum var. glanduliferum

Saxifragaceae

 

Herbs

Inyo Onion

Allium atrorubens var. inyonis

Amaryllidaceae

 

Douglas Pincushion

Chaenactis douglasii

Asteraceae

 

Gold Buttons

Erigeron aphanactis

Asteraceae

 

Basin Senecio

Senecio multilobatus

Asteraceae

 

Golden Forget-me-not

Cryptantha confertiflora

Boraginaceae

 

Woolly Caulanthus

Caulanthus crassicaulis

Brassicaceae

 

Wallflower

Erysimum capitatum

Brassicaceae

 

Pinyon Streptanthus

Streptanthus cordatus

Brassicaceae

 

Mojave Prickly Pear

Opuntia erinacea var. erinacea

Cactaceae

 

Fendler Spurge

Chamaesyce fendleri

Euphorbiaceae

 

Limestone Lupine

Lupinus argenteus var. tenellus

Fabaceae

 

Palmer Lupine

Lupinus palmeri

Fabaceae

 

Death Valley Phacelia

Phacelia vallis-mortae

Hydrophyllaceae

 

Blazing Star

Mentzelia laevicaulis

Loasaceae


85
 
 

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

FAMILY

 

Herbs

Apricot Mallow

Sphaeralcea ambigua

Malvaceae

 

Large White Evening Primrose

Oenothera caespitosa ssp. marginata

Onagraceae

 

Prickly Poppy

Argemone munita ssp. rotundata

Papaveraceae

 

Needle and Thread

Stipa comata

Poaceae

 

Wilcox Woolly Star

Eriastrum sparsiflorum var. wilcoxii

Polemoniaceae

 

Stansbury Phlox

Phlox longifolia var. Stansburyi

Polemoniaceae

 

Mat Buckwheat

Eriogonum caespitosum

Polygonaceae

 

Clokey Paintbrush

Castilleja martinii var. clokeyi

Scrophulariaceae

 

Heller Bird's-beak

Cordylanthus kingii ssp. helleri

Scrophulariaceae

 

Scarlet Penstemon

Penstemon rostiflorus

Scrophulariaceae

 

Westgard Penstemon

Penstemon scapoides

Scrophulariaceae

Subalpine Zone (9,500–11,5OO ft, 2,896–3,505 m)

 
 

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

FAMILY

 

Trees

Limber Pine

Pinus flexilis

Pinaceae

 

Bristlecone Pine

Pinus longaeva

Pinaceae

 

Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

Salicaceae

 

Shrubs

Dwarf Sagebrush

Artemisia arbuscula

Asteraceae

 

Broom Sagebrush

Artemisia nova

Asteraceae

 

Great Basin Sagebrush

Artemisia tridentata

Asteraceae

 

Curly Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus

Asteraceae

 

Clokey Blue Sage

Salvia dorrii var. clokeyi

Lamiaceae

 

Mountain Mahogany

Cercocarpus ledifolius

Rosaceae

 

Fern Bush

Chamaebatiaria millefolium

Rosaceae

 

Cream Bush

Holodiscus dumosus var. glabrescens

Rosaceae

 

Wax Currant

Ribes cereum

Saxifragaceae

 

Herbs

Clokey Daisy

Erigeron clokeyi

Asteraceae

 

Gray Goldenflower

Hymenoxys cooperi var. canescens

Asteraceae

 

Basin Senecio

Senecio multilobatus

Asteraceae

 

Beadpod

Lesquerella kingii ssp. kingii

Brassicaceae

 

Prickly Sandwort

Arenaria aculeata

Caryophyllaceae

 

Little Gray Milk-vetch

Astragalus calycosus

Fabaceae

 

Dolomite Milk-vetch

Astragalus kentrophyta var. implexus

Fabaceae

 

Limestone Lupine

Lupinus argenteus var. tenellus

Fabaceae

 

Palmer Lupine

Lupinus palmeri

Fabaceae

 

Limestone Evening Primrose

Oenothera caespitosa ssp. crinita

Onagraceae

 

Cushion Phlox

Phlox condensata

Polemoniaceae

 

Raspberry Buckwheat

Eriogonum gracilipes

Polygonaceae

 

Limber Pine Buckwheat

Eriogonum rupinum

Polygonaceae

 

Shooting Star

Dodecatheon redolens

Primulaceae

 

Clokey Paintbrush

Castilleja martinii var. clokeyi

Scrophulariaceae

 

Showy Penstemon

Penstemon speciosus

Scrophulariaceae


86

Alpine Zone (11,500–14,246 ft, 3,505–4,342 m)

 
 

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

FAMILY

 

Shrubs

Dwarf Sagebrush

Artemisia arbuscula

Asteraceae

 

Wax Currant

Ribes cereum

Saxifragaceae

 

Herbs

Alpine Daisy

Erigeron vagus

Asteraceae

 

Alpine Gold

Hulsea algida

Asteraceae

 

Lemmon Rock Cress

Arabis lemmonii var. lemmonii

Brassicaceae

 

White Mountain Draba

Draba oligosperma

Brassicaceae

 

Alpine Sandwort

Arenaria kingii ssp. compacta

Caryophyllaceae

 

Mono Clover

Trifolium andersonii ssp. monoense

Fabaceae

 

Alpine Gentian

Gentiana newberryi

Gentianaceae

 

Blue Flax

Linum lewisii

Linaceae

 

Prickly Phlox

Leptodactylon pungens

Polemoniaceae

 

Cushion Phlox

Phlox condensata

Polemoniaceae

 

White Mountain Sky Pilot

Polemonium chartaceum

Polemoniaceae

 

Raspberry Buckwheat

Eriogonum gracilipes

Polygonaceae

 

Fell-field Buckwheat

Eriogonum ovalifolium var. nivale

Polygonaceae

 

Dwarf Lewisia

Lewisia pygmaea ssp. pygmaea

Portulacaceae

 

Snow Buttercup

Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus

Ranunculaceae

 

White Mountain Ivesia

Ivesia lycopodioides ssp. scandularis

Rosaceae

 

Brewer Cinquefoil

Potentilla breweri

Rosaceae

 

Dwarf Paintbrush

Castilleja nana

Scrophulariaceae

 

Meadow Mimulus

Mimulus primuloides var. primuloides

Scrophulariaceae

 

Little Elephant's Head

Pedicularis attolens

Scrophulariaceae

 

Whorlflower Penstemon

Penstemon heterodoxus

Scrophulariaceae


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4— Plant Zones
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