''Parthenium alpinum'' is a species of flowering plant in the
aster family known by the common names alpine feverfew and Wyoming feverfew. It is native to
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, and
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
in the United States.
[''Parthenium alpinum''.]
The Nature Conservancy.
This is a small, mat-forming, long-lived perennial herb with gray-green, hairy leaves and solitary
flower heads. The heads contain whitish or greenish disc florets and a few pistillate ray florets that do not have
ligules.
[''Parthenium alpinum''.]
Flora of North America.[Heidel, B. and J. Handley]
''Parthenium alpinum'' (Nutt.) Torr. & Gray (alpine feverfew): A technical conservation assessment.
Prepared for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project. November 1, 2004 Flowering occurs in mid-April through mid-May.
[
This plant grows in ]grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...
s and shrublands, especially those dominated by '' Cercocarpus''. The elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum ยง Ver ...
ranges from 1500 to 2200 meters.[ Despite its name it does not actually grow in ]alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions o ...
s.[ The plant generally grows on ]limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, but also on shale.[ It grows on exposed, wind-eroded ridges and hills with little vegetative cover. The soils are thin and gravelly.][
This plant occurs in five Wyoming counties and one Colorado county, and in 1984 it was discovered in New Mexico, where it occurs in two counties. It has a disjunct distribution, its range divided into five main population centers. It is most common in Wyoming, where there are probably millions of plants.][ In Platte County there are perhaps one million or more.][
]
References
External links
USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7140243
alpinum
Flora of Colorado
Flora of New Mexico
Flora of Wyoming