Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Photo © Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

Rubber Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus nauseosus

Family: Asteraceae (A Utah Flora – Compositae) – Sunflower Family

Shrubs; 7.9” to 9.8' (2 to 30 dm) tall

Leaves: alternate; simple; entire; 0.24” to 4” (0.6 to 10 cm) long, 0.02” to 0.4” (0.5 to 10 mm) wide

Flowers: discoid; 2 to10 yellow disk flowers; flower head appears to be a single flower, but is composed of several flowers (a composite). Flowers are perfect, fertile; 0.24” to 0.48” (6 to 12 mm) long

Pollinators: insects

Fruits: achene – 1 seeded with hard shell

Blooms in Arches National Park: June, July, August, September, October, November

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities; thrives in alkali and heavy clay, or in sandy, gravelly soils

Location seen: Courthouse Towers, Windows, Fiery Furnace parking lot, Salt Valley, park road mile 16, Devils Garden, Devils Garden campground

Other: The genus name, “Chrysothamnus”, is from the Greek “chrysos” meaning “golden” and “thamos” meaning “a shrub”. The species name, “nauseosus”, means “heavy-scented” referring to the smell of the leaves and the flowers.

This family is the most advanced and complex of the dicots. The family is rich in oils and resins and is found in every part of the world, but is infrequent in the tropical rainforest. Aquatic or semi-aquatic species are also uncommon.