Endemic Plants

Plants Endemic (only found) in Snake Valley:
Mt. Moriah beardtongue (Penstemon moriahensis) - Scrophulariaceae, endemic to North Snake and Kern Ranges in scrubby woodlands.

Holmgren Buckwheat (Eriogonum holmgrenii) - Polygonaceae, found only on South Snake Range in subalpine and alpine areas

Plants endemic to area:
Nachlinger’s catchfly (Silene nachlingerae) - Caryophyllaceae, endemic to central Great Basin ranges in alpine areas.

Waxflower (Jamesia tetrapetala) - Hydrangeaceae, endemic to central Great Basin ranges in alpine areas.

Snake Range whitlowgrass (Draba oreibata var. serpentina) - Brassicaceae, endemic to central Great Basin ranges in alpine areas.

Nevada primrose (Primula cusickiana var. nevadensis) - Primulaceae, endemic to east-central Nevada in subalpine and alpine areas.

Tunnel Springs beardtongue (Penstemon concinnus) - Scrophulariaceae, endemic to central Great Basin on mid-elevation alluvial slopes with pinyon, juniper, or sagebrush.

Pennell’s beardtongue (Penstemon leiophyllus var. francisci-pennellii) - Scrophulariaceae, endemic to east-central Nevada in mid-to upper-elevation aspen stands and subalpine and alpine areas.

Mt. Wheeler sandwort (Arenaria congesta var. wheelerensis) - Caryophyllaceae, endemic to Snake and Ruby Ranges in subalpine and alpine areas.

Intermountain wavewing (Cymopterus basalticus) - Apiaceae, endemic to western Utah and White Pine County in low and mid-elevation sagebrush and pinyon-juniper communities.

Some of the most common plants found in Snake Valley are listed below based on the habitat where they are found. This list is adapted from Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Wildlife Action Plan (2006).


Intermountain Cold Desert Scrub (generally below 5,000 feet)
Shadscale Atriplex confertifolia
Greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus
Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata
Pickleweed Salicornia virginica
Quailbush Atriplex lentiformis
Four-winged saltbush Atriplex canescens
Spiny hopsage Grayia spinosa
Phragmites* Phragmites australis
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata
Sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus
Saltgrass Distichlis spicata
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides
Needle-and-thread grass Hesperostipa comata
Cheatgrass* Bromus tectorum
Halogeton* Halogeton glomeratus

Sagebrush/Grasslands (5,000-7,000 feet)
Basin big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata tridentata
Mountain big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata vaseyana
Wyoming big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis
Low sagebrush Artemisia arbuscula
Black sagebrush Artemisia nova
Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata
Snowberry Symphoricarpos oreophilus
Gray rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus nauseosus
Green rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus
Mormon tea Ephedra
White sage (Winterfat) Krascheninnikovia lanata
Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata
Bluegrass Poa spp.
Needle-and-thread grass Hesperostipa comata
Sheep fescue Festuca ovina
Racemose buckwheat Eriogonum racemosum
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides
Great Basin wildrye Elymus cinereus
Utah prickly-pear Opuntia erinacea
Indian paintbrush Castilleja spp.
Globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea
Penstemon Penstemon spp.
Cheatgrass* Bromus tectorum
Medusa head* Euphorbia caput-medusae

Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands (6,000-7,500 feet)
Single leaf pinyon pine Pinus monophylla
Utah juniper Juniperus osteosperma
Curlleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolia
Small-leaved mountain mahogany Cercocarpus intricatus
Black sagebrush Artemisia nova
Western serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia
Cliffrose Purshia stansburiana
Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula
Sego lily Calochortus nuttalli
Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata
Indian paintbrush Castilleja spp.
Arrowleaf balsamroof Balsamorhiza sagittata
Sandberg’s bluegrass Poa secunda
Great Basin wildrye Elymus cinereus
Bottlebrush squirreltail Elymus elymoides
Palmer’s penstemon Penstemon palmeri

Aspen Woodland (generally above 8,000 feet)
Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides
Snowberry Symphoricarpos oreophilus
Currant Ribes spp.
Meadow-rue Thalictrum fendleri
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Columbine Aquilegia caerulea, A. formosa
Lupine Lupinus argenteus
Larkspur Delphinium andersonii

Mixed Conifer Forest (7,000 to 10,000 feet)
Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
White fir Abies concolor
Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa
Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides
Greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula
Snowberry Symphoricarpos oreophilus
Curlleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolia
Mountain big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata vaseyana
Common juniper Juniperus communis
Creeping barberry Mahonia repens
Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata
Common yarrow Achillea millefolium
Duncecap larkspur Delphinium andersonii
Sticky geranium Geranium viscosissimum
Silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus
Jones’ fleabane Erigeron jonesii
Fendler meadowrue Thalictrum fendleri
Western valerian Valeriana occidentalis
Northern mule’s ear Wyethia amplexicaulis

Sub-alpine (9,500 to 11,800 feet)
Engelmann spruce Picea engelmannii
Limber pine Pinus flexilis
Bristlecone pine Pinus longaeva
Common juniper Juniperus communis
Mountain gooseberry Ribes sp.
Ross sedge Carex rossii
Fendler meadowrue Thalictrum fendleri

Alpine (above 10,500 feet)
Shrubby cinquefoil Pentaphylloides fruticosa
Tufted hairgrass Deschampsia caespitosa
Mountain hare sedge Carex phaeocephala
Kobresia-like sedge Carex elynoides
Alpine timothy Phleum alpinum
Alpine avens Geum rossii
Cushion phlox Phlox pulvinata
Big head golden-weed Ericameria suffruticosus
Biological crusts

Streams
Narrow-leaved cottonwood Populus angustifolia
Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides
Water birch Betula occidentalis
Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea
Russian olive* Elaeagnus angustifolia
Tamarisk* Tamarix ramosissima
Willow Salix spp.
Woods’ rose Rosa woodsii
Rush Juncus spp.
Sedge Carex spp.
Western sweet cicely Osmorhiza occidentalis
Yellow monkeyflower Mimulus luteus
Columbine Aquilegia caerulea, A. formosa
Monkshood Aconitum noveboracense
Parry’s primrose Primula parryi

* Introduced species

To see more plant photos, check out the Trail Plants page.