Island sagebrush facts for kids

Artemisia nesiotica is a special plant known as island sagebrush. It's a rare type of sagebrush that belongs to the daisy family. You can only find this plant on a few of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. It grows on San Nicolas, San Clemente, and Santa Barbara Islands.

What Does Island Sagebrush Look Like?

Island sagebrush is a small shrub. This means it's a woody plant, but it's smaller than a tree. It usually grows to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. It often has a round shape.

This plant grows several thin stems. These stems stand upright from a woody base. Its leaves are soft and woolly. They are divided into many thin, flat, thread-like parts.

The plant's inflorescence is a narrow group of several flower heads. An inflorescence is how the flowers are arranged on the stem. After the flowers, the plant makes a tiny fruit. This fruit is called an achene. It's sticky and has a pappus of hairs. A pappus helps the seeds spread.

How Did Island Sagebrush Get Its Name?

The first name given to this plant was Crossostephium insulare. This name was created by Per Axel Rydberg in 1916. Later, in 1935, Philip Alexander Munz said it was a type of Artemisia californica.

Then, Peter Raven wanted to show that the plants on the Channel Islands were a different species. He wanted to call it Artemisia insularis. But this name was already used in 1936 for a plant from the Kuril Islands. So, Raven chose a new name for the island sagebrush: Artemisia nesiotica.