Gutierrezia sarothrae
species of plant
Gutierrezia sarothrae is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names broom snakeweed, broomweed, snakeweed, and matchweed. It is a subshrub native to much of the western half of North America, from western Canada to northern Mexico, and can be found in a number of arid, grassland, and mountain habitats. It can be toxic to livestock in large quantities, due mainly to the presence of saponins.
The species was utilized by various Native American groups for medicinal and other purposes.
Description
Gutierrezia sarothrae is a perennial subshrub that is typically 10 to 60 centimeters (4 to 24 in) in height, but can sometimes reach as much as 100 cm (39 in). Its stems are brown at their base and are green to tan in color higher up on the plant. They branch freely from the woody caudex at the base forming a rounded shape. The stems die back during dormancy, giving the plant its broom-like appearance. They range from smooth to having some short hairs, and may be resinous and therefore sticky when touched. As the stems are about the same length, this causes the plant to often appear domed or fan-shaped when flowering.
“Gutierrezia sarothrae” enters the record as species of plant. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Gutierrezia, sarothrae and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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“Gutierrezia sarothrae” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Gutierrezia, sarothrae and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q15553359. The Library of Congress control number is sh93006346. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Gutierrezia sarothrae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.