Asteraceae

Ericameria nauseosa

Gray Rabbitbrush

Mounding shrub. Stems flexible, gray- or white-haired [[ok? yes.]]. Leaves narrow, oval, may have fallen by bloom time. Flower heads of disk flowers in dense clusters at stem ends. Grows in dry soils in many habitats below 10,500 ft. Var. hololeuca grows with sagebrush below 1700 ft.; leaves retain white, dense, woolly hairs. Var. oreophila grows on poorly drained alkaline soils; leaves lose all hairs by maturity. Var. speciosa common at all elevations with twigs hairless or with few short, never tangled hairs. In autumn plants are showy; large stands on plains or hills glow with color. Nauseosus means "strong-smelling." Plant identifiable by strong odor.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Late Summer-Autumn
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 1--6 feet
• Habitat: West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest, Shrub-Steppe
• Found In: Wallowas, Steens, Siskiyous, East Gorge, Great Basin
• Native: Yes