Parry's Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus parryi

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

Shrubs; 8” to 2' (2 to 6 dm) tall

Leaves: alternate; simple; entire; 0.24” to 3.2” (0.6 to 8 cm) long, 0.04” to 0.08” (1 to 2 mm) wide

Flowers: discoid; 2 to 20 yellow disk flowers; flower head appears to be a single flower, but is composed of several flowers (a composite). Flowers are perfect, fertile; 0.32 to 0.4” (8 to 10 mm) long

Pollinators: other Chrysothamnus species are pollinated by 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

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, “parryi”, honors Charles Christopher Parry (1823-1890), the first official botanist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a collector with the Pacific Railway Survey.

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.