''Chrysothamnus'', known as rabbitbrush, rabbitbush, and chamisa, are a genus of shrubs in the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

.USDA Plants Profile for ''Chrysothamnus'' (rabbitbrush)
/ref> The native distribution is in the arid western

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and northern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. It is known for its bright white or yellow flowers in late summer.Flora of North America, Rabbitbrush, ''Chrysothamnus'' Nuttall, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, new series 7: 323. 1840.
/ref> ''Chrysothamnus'' may grow up to a tall shrub or subshrub, usually with woody stem bases. The leaves are alternate, sessile or with short petioles, with entire edges. The flowerheads are singular or in clusters. Each

composite flower A pseudanthium (; : pseudanthia) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, composite flowers ...

often has five to 6 (though sometimes upwards of 40) yellow disc florets and no ray florets. ''Chrysothamnus'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including '' Coleophora linosyridella'', '' Coleophora viscidiflorella'' (which have both been recorded on ''C. viscidiflorus'') and '' Schinia walsinghami''. ; SpeciesBiota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
/ref> * '' Chrysothamnus depressus'' – dwarf rabbitbrush, longflower rabbitbrush –

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

* '' Chrysothamnus eremobius'' – pintwater rabbitbrush, remote rabbitbrush –

* '' Chrysothamnus greenei'' – Greene's rabbitbrush –

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

* '' Chrysothamnus humilis'' – Truckee rabbitbrush –

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

* '' Chrysothamnus molestus'' – Arizona rabbitbrush –

* '' Chrysothamnus scopulorum'' –

* '' Chrysothamnus stylosus'' –

* '' Chrysothamnus vaseyi'' – Vasey's rabbitbrush –

* ''

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ''Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus'' is an American species of shrub in the family Asteraceae known by the common names yellow rabbitbrush and green rabbitbrush. Description ''Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus'' grows up to about in height, with spreadi ...

'' – yellow rabbitbrush –

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

References

External links

CalFlora Database: ''Chrysothamnus'' (rabbitbrush)

Jepson Manual Treatment of ''Chrysothamnus''
* {{Authority control Astereae Asteraceae genera Flora of the Western United States Taxa named by Thomas Nuttall