Fringed Sagebrush
Artemisia frigida
Aster family (Asteraceae)
Members of the Artemisia are characterized by their distinctive pungent sage aroma and foliage which is silvery green because of a mat of fine white hairs. Presence of Fringed Sagebrush is often considered an indicator of overgrazing or disturbance. "Frigida" is Latin for "cold"; the species was first collected in Siberia in 1803.
silky -- Covered with fine soft hairs, with a lustrous sheen. Satiny to the touch.
A raceme is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along its axis.
A perennial plant lives and blooms for many years.
achene -- a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. For example, a rose hip holds a few achenes.
A herb is a plant whose stems die back to the ground in the winter.
disc flowers are those in the center of a sunflower or daisy. Not a ray flower.
fruit -- any seed-bearing structure in flowering plants. It is formed from the ovary after flowering.
pinnate -- A compound leaf with two rows of leaflets.
A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. The bottom flowers in a panicle open first.
genus -- A subdivision of a botanical Family in which all members have a significant number of similar characteristics.
alternate -- leaves alternate along the main stem and are attached singly.