About Tetradymia nuttallii Torr. & A.Gray
Tetradymia nuttallii is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, commonly known as Nuttall's horsebrush. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. This plant grows as a shrub or subshrub, with a stiff, branching network of stems that reach a maximum height of 1.2 meters. Like other species in the Tetradymia genus, T. nuttallii has two types of leaves. Its larger primary leaves develop into spines that can grow to over 2 centimeters in length. Its inflorescence consists of a small number of flower heads, each containing four bright yellow flowers. The fruit, including its large pappus, measures well over one centimeter in length. The plant drops its leaves during dry periods. During dry conditions, the plant may also fail to flower; if it does produce flowers, it will not develop fruits. This species grows in habitats dominated by shadscale and black greasewood, as well as in sagebrush communities and pinyon-juniper woodlands. It grows in dry, and sometimes rocky, soils.
