[Goldenweeds and Rabbitbrush: The Genera Chrysothamnus and Ericameria East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus

Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata

Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata)

Sticky-leaf rabbitbrush as seen along Forest Service Road #1647 in southeastern Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest........August 3, 2011

Characteristics:

Green rabbit-brush is a freely branched shrub from 20-120 cm tall. The stems are erect, with brittle twigs. The stems are glabrous with stiff spreading hairs. The leaves are 3-nerved and are linear to linear-oblong, green, and lack hairs. The leaves are curled or crisp-margined and range from 1-6 cm long and 0.5-10 mm wide. The leaves are often twisted or curled through one complete turn.

The yellow flower heads form cymose clusters at the branch tips. The flower heads are discoid and narrow, consisting of 4-8 (usually 5) flowers. The involucre is 4-8 mm high. The bracts are strongly 4-ranked withrounded to obtuse tips, glabrous and sticky. The disk corollas range from 4.5-7 mm long. Green rabbit-brush flowers from late summer into fall.


Subspecies of Green Rabbitbrush Found in the Pacific Northwest:

subspecies lanceolatus: Young twigs and leaves covered with tiny, short, spreading hairs. Low plants from 20-50 cm high. Leaves mostly 2-5 mm wide and 3-5 nerved. Leaves seldom twisted.

subspecies puberulus: Young twigs and leaves covered with tiny, short, spreading hairs. Low plants from 20-50 cm high. Leaves mostly 1-2 mm wide and 1-nerved.

subspecies viscidiflorus: Young twigs and leaves usually glabrous although the leaf margins may be ciliate. Plants variable in height, but may be up to 120 cm high. Leaves mostly over 1 mm wide with more than 1 vein.


Habitat:

Green rabbitbrush is often found with sagebrush and juniper in dry open places in the valleys, plains, and foothills. It may occasionally be found to moderate elevations in the mountains.


Range:

Green rabbitbrush is found from extreme southern British Columbia south along the east edge of the Cascades to southern California, east to Idaho and south to northern New Mexico and Arizona.


Stem leaves of Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata) - Stem leaves of Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata)

Close-ups of the stems and leaves of what appears to be green rabbitbrush (var. lanceolatus ?) as seen at Yakima Ridge, Hanford Reach National Monument............May 11, 2013.

Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata)

Curled leaf of Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata) - Close-up of the upper stem leaves and flower heads of Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata) - Close-up sideview of a flowerhead of Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata)

Additional close-ups of sticky-leaf rabbitbrush as seen along Forest Service Road #1647 in southeastern Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest.........August 3, 2011. Note the numerous glands within the inflorescence and the twisted leaves which have several visible veins running the length of the leaves.

Close-up of the lower leaf surface of Sticky-flowered Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Ericameria viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora var. stenophylla) - Close-up of the involucral bracts of Sticky-flowered Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Ericameria viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora var. stenophylla) - Upper stem leaves and flower heads of Sticky-flowered Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. pumilus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. stenophyllus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. typicus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. viscidiflorus, Ericameria viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. viscidiflora, Ericameria viscidiflora var. stenophylla)

Close-up of the ventral surface of a leaf and close-up of the involucral bracts of green rabbitbrush.........October 7, 2006. Note the numerous glands on the leaf blades. Note also the several veins on the upper leaf surfaces in the photo at right which help identify this as var. lanceolatus.

Green Rabbitbrush, Lanceleaf Green Rabbitbrush, Yellow Rabbitbrush: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. lanceolatus (Synonyms: Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. elegans, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus var. lanceolatus, Ericameria viscidiflora ssp. lanceolata)

Green rabbitbrush blooming in alkaline soils along US 395 in Silvies Valley, central Oregon............August 8, 2014.

Paul Slichter