Rabbitbrush is a common name for shrubs, principally of the western United States, in three related

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

of the family

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

: * ''

Chrysothamnus ''Chrysothamnus'', known as rabbitbrush, rabbitbush, and chamisa, are a genus of shrubs in the family Asteraceae. The native distribution is in the arid western United States, Canada, and northern Mexico. It is known for its bright white or yell ...

'' — about seven species in the United States, including Greene's rabbitbrush * '' Ericameria'' — about six species in the United States, including gray (or rubber) and Parry's rabbitbrush * ''

Lorandersonia ''Lorandersonia'', commonly called rabbitbush, is a genus of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus is named for American botanist Loran Crittenden Anderson of Florida State University. ; Species

'' — about four species in the United States, including Bailey's rabbitbrush and spearleaf rabbitbrush Taxonomy for these genera has changed recently; previously, the rabbitbrushes in ''Ericameria'' and ''Lorandersonia'' were included in ''Chrysothamnus''. In each of these genera, not all species are called "rabbitbrush"; most ''Ericameria'', for instance, are called "goldenbush", and only a minority are called "rabbitbrush".Urbatsch, R.P. Roberts, and K.M. Neubig, 2006. ''Chrysothamnus'', in Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds., ''Flora of North America North of Mexico'', vol. 20. New York and Oxford.
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References

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