9-01-14

Hah-CHOO! Chrysothamnus spp., probably Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus . A common shrub in the sagebrush steppe that flowers in late summer and early fall, and for many people (including yours truly) is right up there with ragweed as an allergen. As the flowers ripen later in the fall the bright yellow color fades. It's an important colonizer species. This particular specimen is off the road to Cow Canyon in the southern Toiyabe Range, Nevada, but it's _everywhere_. We have some in our yard!