Mostly soft-woody shrubs, 0.5m tall, usually with bare ground underneath and between shrubs. Artemisia tridentata is dominant. Growth occurs mostly in late spring and early summer. Some species flower in late spring (Coleogyne, Purshia), others in early fall (Artemisia, Chrysothamnus). Dormant in winter. Young et al (65) recognize 15 communities within this unit.
SITE FACTORS:
Occurs on a wide variety of soils and terrain, from rocky, well-drained slopes to fine-textured valley soils with high water table. May be colder (from cold air drainage), drier, or with less well-drained more alkaline soil than Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (72000), a frequent associate.
DISTRIBUTION:
Widely distributed east of the Cascade-Sierra Nevada crest, especially in Modoc, Lassen, Mono and Inyo counties. Scattered localities within and along the margins of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts (on desert mountain ranges) and in interior cismontane southern California. Usually occurs between 4,000 and 9,000 feet (1210 and 2730m). Distributed extensively through the Intermountain West.
UPDATE: 10/86
Source: Holland, 1986
Digital Text: NatureBase