Perennial Forbs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
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General: Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata) is a perennial forb that grows as a basal rosette for several years, then puts up a flower stalk, blooms, and dies. The leaves are lanceolate with wavy margins and a white stripe along the edge of the leaves. The flower stalk has a few leaves, but makes a big star-burst (open panicle) of 4-petaled flowers. Desert Frasera is an uncommon component of vegetation communities in dry, well-drained calcarious soils (soils from limestone) on bajadas into the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone. Around Las Vegas, look for Desert Frasera on limestone soils at Red Rock Canyon NCA and at lower elevations on Mt. Charleston. Family: Gentian (Gentianaceae). Other names: Swertia albomarginata |
 Two basal rosettes |
 Plants can persist for several years as a basal rosette |
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 Leaves wavy margins and a white stripe along the edge |
 Leaves wavy margins and a white stripe along the edge |
 After several years as a basal rosette, the plants produce a flowering stalk |
 After several years as a basal rosette, the plants produce a flowering stalk |
 Flowers develop at the tips of the flowing stalks |
 Flowers develop at the tips of the flowing stalks |
 Blooming before the flowing stalk stops growing |
 Blooming before the flowing stalk stops growing |
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 Logan Townsite (Basin and Range National Monument) |
 Logan Townsite (Basin and Range National Monument) |
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 Desert Frasera flower cluster |
 Desert Frasera flower |
 Desert Frasera flower |
 Ants: perhaps harvesting sweet nectar |
 Beetle: pollinator or herbivore? |
 More to come ... |
 Eventually the plant dies, but the flowering stalks persist into the winter |
 Persistent flowering stalk |
 Even the flowers persist into the winter |
 Even the flowers persist into the winter |
Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
; Last updated 220812
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