The most common tree in the reserve is Haloxylon ammodendron, and the typical shrubs are Anabasis salsa, Atraphaxis frutescens, Calligonum mongolicum, Ceratocarpus arenarius,
Ceratoides latens, and Reaumuria soongorica.
& Hausskn., Krascheninnikovia
ceratoides (L.) Guldenst., Lepidium vesicarium L., Onopordum candidum Nab.
Dominant plants on mesas were four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), rubber rabbitbrush (Crysothamnus nauseosus), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus intricatus), winterfat (
Ceratoides lanata), galleta grass (Hilaria jamesii), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), bigelow sage (Artemisia bigelovii), pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), one-seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma), and Utah juniper (J.
The pollen production of local taxa is very low, among which Betula nana, Salix, Selaginella selaginoides, Dryas octopetala and steppe xerophytes Eurotia
ceratoides, Ephedra and halophilous taxa Kochia prostrata, Salsola kali and Salicornia herbaceae have been identified (Pirrus 1971).
Response of winterfat (
Ceratoides lanata) communities to release from grazing pressure.
Slightly saline soils support abundant clumps of the chenopod Krascheninnikovia [= Eurotia = Ceratoides]
ceratoides. The moist saline depressions and the dry beds of rivers are often covered by the greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus, Chenopodi-aceae), another shrubby chenopod that only grows 5 ft (1.5 m) tall but has a root system 7 ft (2 m) deep.
Shrub/succulent standing crop was dominated by Opuntia polyacantha (Table 1) with only a scattering of
Ceratoides lanata and Coryphantha missouriensis.
These salt desert communities are dominated by shrubs, including
Ceratoides lanata, Artemisia spinescens, Atriplex confertifolia, and Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus.
Historically, the Snake River Plain of southwestern Idaho was dominated largely by native shrubs (Atriplex, Artemisia,
Ceratoides, Chrysothamnus, and Purshia) interspersed with native perennial bunchgrasses (Stipa, Poa, Oryzopsis, Festuca, Sitanion, and Elymus; Yensen 1982).
The loamy site was characterized by winterfat (
Ceratoides lanata), Torrey yucca (Yucca torreyi), longleaf yucca, mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa), burrograss (Scleropogon brevifolius) and blue grama.
The most common desert tree in the reserve is Haloxylon ammodendron, and the usual shrubs are Anabasis salsa, Artemisia, Atraphaxis frutescens, Calligonum mongolicum, Ceratocarpus arenarius,
Ceratoides lateens, and Reaumuria soongorica.