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Detailed Area Plant List for Colorado National Monument, Mesa County, United States.
Edited by Tom Schweich
This list is assembled from personal collections, herbarium vouchers, and published lists. For California, much of the data is provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria as indicated by a single dagger “†.” Their web site is at: (http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/). For Colorado, much of the data is provided by the Southwest Environmental Information Network as indicated by a double dagger “‡,” which web site is found at (http://swbiodiversity.org). See their respective websites for copyright information and recommended citation formats.
For a complete list of Locations included in this Area List, see the Locations Included section, below.
For a check list, please see: Check List for Colorado National Monument, Mesa County, United States.
 Coll. No. 3458.1, Pseudoroegneria spicata. |
Cupressaceae
Juniperus osteosperma (Torrey) Little. Utah Juniper. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6106.
5/22/2026.
.
 Very large Utah Juniper, Collection No. 571 |
 Very large Utah Juniper, Collection No. 572 |
 Juniper along Lobo Point Road. |
 Juniperus osteosperma Utah Juniper. |
Ephedraceae
Ephedra viridis Cov. Green Ephedra. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6096.
5/22/2026.
.
 Ephedra viridis in Wild Horse Canyon. |
 Habitat of Ephedra viridis in Bohler Canyon |
 Habitat of Ephedra viridis in the Mono Dunes |
 Coll. No. 954, Ephedra viridis |
 Coll. No. 401, Ephedra viridis |
Pinaceae
Pinus edulis Engelm. Pinyon Pine. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6100.
5/22/2026.
.
 Coll. No. 3547, Pinus edulis. |
 Coll. No. 3547, Pinus edulis. |
 Location of Pinus edulis on Mt. Zion. |
Asteraceae
Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. Silver Wormwood. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6095.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Something is parasitizing my Artemisia |
 Coll. No. 1281, Artemisia ludoviciana |
 Entire leaves of Coll. No. 1281, Artemisia ludoviciana |
Artemisia tridentata Nutt. Big Sagebrush. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6082.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Collections of subspecies of Artemisia tridentata in Colorado |
Chaetopappa ericoides (Torrey) G. L. Nesom. Sand Aster. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6111. 5/22/2026. . .
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (Hook.) Nutt. Yellow Rabbitbrush. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6110. 5/22/2026. . .
Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. I. Nesom & G. I. Baird. Rubber Rabbitbush. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6103.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Light-colored variant of Ericameria nauseosa |
Gutierrezia sarothrae (Pursh) Britton & Rusby. (Syn: G. linearifolia Lag. ) Broom Snakeweed. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
Perennial, tap-rooted, to 9 cm.; Leaves, alternate, linear, 20 mm. × 1 mm. mm. wide, dotted with embedded oil glands, very few short hairs; Peduncle, 0.5-1.5 mm.; Inflorescence, some flowers with strap-shaped corollas, flowers of two kinds in same heads, Involucre, 3.5 mm. × 2.5-3.0 mm. wide, obconic, not gummy; Phyllary, 2-3 unequal series, inner folded around ovary of ray flowers, dotted with embedded oil glands, tips appressed; Receptacle, epaleate; Rays, #5, yellow; Disk, #4; Pappus, a well-developed crown of scales on both ray and disk flowers; (Described from Coll. No. 144, 3 Oct 1997: keys easily to Gutierrezia sarothrae. However, inner phyllaries are folded around ovary of ray flowers, a character not mentioned in keys or description.)
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6083.
5/22/2026.
.
.
Heterotheca villosa (Pursh) Shinners. (Syn: H. v. (Pursh) Shinners var. nana (A. Gray) Semple , H. v. (Pursh) Shinners var. villosa ) Hairy False Goldenaster. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
Perennial herb, to 50 cm.; Leaves, cauline alternate, entire, 1-veined, distal perpendicular to stems, hairs > glands; Heads solitary, with both ray and disk flowers; Phyllaries in 2+ series, unequal, to 7 mm.; Rays, 9 mm.; Pappus double, outer narrow scales ≤ 1 mm. (easier to see on mature fruit), inner bristles, 6.5 mm., white; Fruit, disk 3 mm., hairy.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6091.
5/22/2026.
.
.
Hymenopappus filifolius Hook. Fine Leaved Wooly White. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6089. 5/22/2026. . .
Packera multilobata (Torr. & A. Gray) W. A. Weber & Á. Löve. (Syn: Senecio multilobatus A. Gray ) Lobeleaf Groundsel. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
Annual, tap-rooted, 15-30 cm.; Stem, tomentose in leaf axils and at base of heads; Leaves, basal and cauline, alternate, to 25 mm., basal pinnately lobed, tomentose at base, persistent; Peduncle, 10-18 mm., bracted; Inflorescence, some flowers with strap-shaped corollas, head composed of 2 kinds of flowers, radiate, heads (6)8-10; Phyllaries, in 1 overlapping series (or 2 widely spaced series), #18-21, ±equal, free at base, not enfolding ray flowers, some margins slightly scarious, tip acute, green, minutely wooly, without prominent tack-shaped gland; Receptacle, epaleate, flat; Pappus, of well-developed bristles on ray and disc flowers, thin, short plumose, dehiscing readily; Ray flowers yellow, blade 6.5-9.0 mm. (Described from Coll. No. 104, 29 April 1997, and Coll. No. 175, 29 May 1999).
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6094.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Packera multilobata at the Ute Canyon Overlook. |
 Coll. No. 104, Packera multilobata |
 Leaves of Coll. No. 175, Packera multilobata |
 Coll. No. 175, Packera multilobata |
Tetraneuris ivesiana Greene. Ives' Four-Nerve Daisy. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6078.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Tetraneuris ivesiana along the Alcove Trail. |
Townsendia incana Nutt. Hoary Easter Daisy. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6077.
5/22/2026.
.
 Townsendia incana along the Alcove Trail. |
 Townsendia incana along the Alcove Trail. |
Boraginaceae
Oreocarya flava A. Nelson. Plateau Yellow Cryptantha. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6108. 5/22/2026. .
Brassicaceae
Lepidium montanum Nutt. (Syn: Lepidium montanum Nutt. var. canescens (Thellung) C.L. Hitchc. , Lepidium montanum Nutt. var. cinereum (C. L. Hitchc.) Rollins , Lepidium montanum Nutt. var. montanum ) Mountain Peppergrass. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6097. 5/22/2026. .
Cactaceae
Echinocereus triglochidiatus Engelm. Three-Spine Hedgehog Cactus. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6084.
5/22/2026.
.
.
Opuntia (L.) Mill. Prickly Pear. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6101. 5/22/2026. .
Chenopodiaceae
Grayia spinosa (Hook.) Moq. Spiny Hop Sage. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6079.
5/22/2026.
.
 Grayia spinosa along the Alcove Trail. |
 Male and female flowers of Grayia spinosa as collected at “Sand.” |
 Coll. No. 670, Grayia spinosa |
Hydrangeaceae
Fendlera rupicola Engelm. & A. Gray. Cliff Fendler-Bush. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6080.
5/22/2026.
.
 Fendlera rupicola along the Alcove Trail. |
Nyctaginaceae
Mirabilis multiflora (Torrey) A. Gray. Colorado Four O'clock. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6086.
5/22/2026.
.
 Mirabilis multiflora |
 Caterpiller munches on Mirabilis multiflora |
Oleaceae
Fraxinus anomala S. Watson. Single-Leaf Ash. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6104.
5/22/2026.
.
Onagraceae
Oenothera pallida Lindl. Pale Evening Primrose. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6099. 5/22/2026. .
Polemoniaceae
Ipomopsis roseata (Rydb.) V.E. Grant. Rosy Gilia. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6109. 5/22/2026. .
Rosaceae
Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nutt. ex Roem. var. utahensis (Koehn.) M. E. Jones. Western Serviceberry. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6107. 5/22/2026. . .
Cercocarpus montanus Raf. Alder-Leaf Mountain Mahogany. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
Described by Rafinesque from a specimen collected by Edwin James of the Long Expedition, 1820, probably in present Jefferson County, Colorado. Rafinesque was somewhat frustrated by Torrey's reluctance publish a new species name in assigning James' collection to C. fothergillides Humb. Bonpl. And Kunth.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6081.
5/22/2026.
.
.
Purshia stansburyana (Torr.) Henr. (Syn: Purshia mexicana (D. Don.) S. L. Welsh var. stansburyana (Torrey) S. L. Welsh ) Stansbury's cliffrose. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6085. 5/22/2026. .
Asparagaceae
Yucca harrimaniae Trel. Harriman Yucca. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6092. 5/22/2026. .
Poaceae
Aristida purpurea Nutt. var. longiseta (Steud.) Vasey. (Syn: Aristida longiseta Steud. ) Purple Threeawn. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
Coll. No. 1140, 9 Jun 2015, characters observed: Perennial grass, 20 cm. when collected, possibly elongating in maturity; Inflorescence, panicle, branches not pulvinate, i.e., no swelling at bases of pedicels; Axis ±straight; Pedicels, stiff, ±straight; Spikelets with 1 floret; Glumes, 2, lower, 11 mm., veins 1, upper, 20 mm.; Lemma, 11 mm., smoothly transitioning to awns without twisted column, apex 0.4-0.6 mm. wide, awns, 3, 58 mm., straight. Described from Coll. No. 1140, 9 Jun 2015, determined var. longiseta per length of upper glumes and dimensions of lemma.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6102.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Coll. No. 1140, Aristida purpurea |
 Habitat of three common grasses in Windy Saddle Park |
 Coll. No. 1140, Aristida purpurea var. longiseta |
Bromus tectorum L. (Syn: B. tectorum L. var. glabratus Spenn. ) Cheat Grass. Weed: CO DofA, List: C. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
Annual grass, to 30 cm.; Leaves, Sheath, 50 mm., closed proximal ⅔, open distally, Ligule, membraneous, 1 mm.; Blade, 60 mm.; Inflorescence, open panicle, rachis and pedicels short hairy, Spikelets, 1 per node, 15 mm., laterally compressed; Glumes, 2, sparsely hairy, margins scarious, lower, 2.3 mm., veins indistinct, upper, 4.5 mm. Callus, glabrous, very short, Florets, ±6, Lemma, 6.5 mm., 0.7 from mid-vein to margin, back rounded, sparsely hairy, tip, forked, teeth 1 mm., awned from near tip, awn, 5-7 mm.; Anthers, 3, 0.4 mm. Described from Coll. No. 1112, 26 May 2015. Dimensions are small for B. tectorum, perhaps because of the early date of collection.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6088.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Coll. No. 1112, Bromus tectorum |
Eriocoma hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Rydb. (Syn: Achnatherum hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Barkworth , Oryzopsis hymenoides (Roem. & Schult.) Ricker , Stipa hymenoides Roem. & Schult. ) Indian Rice Grass. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6093.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Coll. No. 477, |
Hesperostipa comata (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth. (Syn: Stipa comata Trin. & Rupr. ) Needle and Thread. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon. Notes on Colorado Flora.
Perennial, 50 cm., clumped, nonrhizomatous; Roots, fibrous; Stem, herbaceous; Leaves, blade and sheath differentiated; Sheath, 100-120 mm., open ≥½, glabrous; Ligule, membranous, length 3.7 mm., lacerate into 2 equal parts, auricles 0; Blade, 60 mm., involute, glabrous; Inflorescence, 1 per culm, >leaves, panicle, 200 mm. × 30 mm. wide; Rachis, not extended, somewhat scabrous throughout; Spikelets, many, similar, borne singly; Compression, unremarkable; Disarticulation, above the glumes; Glumes, lower, 23-34 mm., veins #3, upper, 23-29 mm., veins #5, awl-shaped, rounded, membranous, ±equal, tip, very narrow, not awned; Florets, 1 per spikelet; Callus, 4.5-50 mm., sharp, straight hairs 1.0-1.5 mm., color tan; Lemma, 9.5-10.0 mm., rolled, indurate, straight hairy 0.5 mm., color white-tan, veins #3(?), awns, #1, 125-160 mm., twisted and short straight hairy proximal 45 mm., bent, scabrous distally; Palea, 9 mm., ±lemma, few white hairs on mid-vein; Stamens, #3; Anthers, 6.5 mm. (Described from Coll. No. 1890, 28 May 2018).
- Colorado National Monument,
Alcove Trail.
6098.
5/22/2026.
.
.
 Coll. No. 992, Stipa comata var. comata |
 Coll. No. 1929, Hesperostipa comata |
 Florets of Coll. No. 1890, Hesperostipa comata |
Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth. (Syn: Pleuraphis jamesii Torrey ) Galleta. CalPhotos. Jepson eFlora. SEINet Taxon.
- Colorado National Monument, Alcove Trail. 6090. 5/22/2026. .
| Total number of taxa: | 33 |
| Native Taxa: (serif, italic, bold) | 29 |
| Exotic Taxa: (sans-serif, italic) | 1 |
| Nativity Undetermined: (default font, italic) | 3 |
| Listed Weeds: Identified as Weed | 1 |
Notes:
† -- Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria (ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/).
‡ -- Southwest Environmental Information Network, SEINet. 2009-2014. http//:swbiodiversity.org/seinet/index.php. Accessed from July 2009 to September 2014.
Locations Included in This Area
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Date and time this article was prepared: 8/1/2026 3:21:19 PM.
