1. Current and Potential Utility of Broadleaf Herbs for Sagebrush Communities
Scott Walker and Nancy Shaw
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Ephraim, UT and
USDA-FS Rocky Mountain Research Station, Boise, ID.

2. (From Cronquist, A., et al 1972)
The Great Basin
(From Cronquist, A., et al 1972)

3. The Great Basin

4. Impacts – Principal
Livestock Grazing
Weed Invasion

5. Cheatgrass Fire Cycle

6. Restoration Practicality
Reduction of weedy competition
Preparation of suitable seedbeds
Restoration of diverse communities
Planting site-adapted species
Recovery of residual native species

7. Increased Diversity of Plant Communities
* Broader range of organisms.
* Cover and soil stabilization.
* Forage availability extended.
* Improve esthetics.
*Higher quality forage.
* Supplies critical nutrients and succulence.
*Fruits, seeds, and leaves of forbs are frequently a principal food for upland game birds

8. Availability & Utility of Principal Native Species
Shrubs
Grasses
Forbs

9. Status of Broadleaf Forbs for Restoration
Large number of plant associations
Moderate number of species present
Few species occupy broad range of sites
Individual taxa consist of diverse ecotypes

10. In the Management of Any Land Type It Is Important to Recognize All Sites Support a Particular Array of Species.
All plant communities have evolved to support a particular group of compatible species.
These species provide the most complete and effective group of plants for the particular landscape, climate, and exist over time.

11. Native forbs offer unique challenges in seed collecting, handling and seeding
Usually hand collected
Wildland seed production can be highly erratic
Cost and availability are unpredictable
Seed handling guidelines have not been developed
Seeding requirements and cultural practices have not been developed

12. Principal Broadleaf Forbs Recommended For Seeding Sage and Mt
Principal Broadleaf Forbs Recommended For Seeding Sage and Mt. Brush Communities.
Western Yarrow
Louisiana sage
Pacific aster
Blueleaf aster
Cicer milkvetch
Arrowleaf balsomroot
Crownvetch
Geranium
Utah sweetvetch
One flower helianthella
Cow Parsnip
Ligusticum
Lewis flax
Lomatium
Lupine
Alfalfa
Yellow sweetclover Sainfoin
Sweetanise
Penstemon
Small burnet
Butterweed groundsel
Canada goldenrod
Globemallow
Clover
Showy goldeneye

13. Most Commonly Seeded Forbs
Species
Pounds purchased in 2000*
Alfalfa
126,000
Lewis flax
87,000
Small burnet
65,000
Cicer milkvetch
30,500
Western yarrow
27,000
Yellow Sweetclover
16,550
Sainfoin
10,400
*BLM Purchases in 2000

14. Other Seed Purchased Palmer penstemon 900 Munroe globemallow 250
Species
Pounds purchased in 2000*
Palmer penstemon
900
Munroe globemallow
250
Gooseberry leaf globemallow
200
*BLM Purchases in 2000

15. Forb species were listed as having potential for rangeland restoration.
Of the 76 forbs species listed,
63 were natives
13 were introduced.

16. Equipment

17. Seed Bed Preparation Soil disturbance Seed coverage
Safe sites for establishment
Micro sites for increasing moisture retention

18. Seeding Requirements

19. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Dry land types are hybrids between the rhizomatous M. falcata (yellow flower) and the deep rooted M. sativa (purple flower).
Dry land types adapted to the great basin at >10” (persists best at 12 +) precipitation.
Fruit: legume
Germination: Very little dormancy. Will germinate with fall moisture and is susceptible to winter kill.
Seed as dormant seeding LATE fall or early spring.

20. Small Burnet: (Sanguisorba minor)
Very palatable semi-evergreen, nitrogen fixer, highly nutritious.
Cultivar: Delar.
Establishes well when seed drilled (at ¼ to ¾ in.), or aerial applied and covered.
Establishes well at 12” precipitation does not withstand heavy grazing at dryer sites.

21. Utah Sweetvetch: (Hedysarum boreal)
Palatable legume, deep rooted, occurring in sagebrush, pinyon/juniper, and oakbrush types.
Cultivar: Timp.
Seed: Has a lomented pod that disarticulates at ripening.
34,000 seeds per pound.
Fall seed, some dormancy requiring 1 month stratification. Seed at ½ in., 2 lbs per acre.

22. Cicer Milkvetch: (Astragalus cicer)
Adapted to upper sagebrush, pinyon/juniper, and oakbrush (>14”).
Good forage and seed producer. Bird and small mammals utilize the seed.
Released varieties: Lutana, Monarch.
Sainfoin: (Onobrychis viciafolia)
Non-bloating legume, adapted to >12 inches precipitation.
Highly palatable and nutritious, is preferred by deer, elk, and sage grouse. Seed: 18,000 seeds per lb. Seed at 2 to 5 lbs per acre in mix.
Released varieties: Eski, Remont.

23. Western Yarrow (Achillia millifolium)
Cultivar: Variety from Eagle Id. Will be released soon
Wide distribution
Used by hens and chicks, harbors insects.
Very small seed- 4 million per pound.
Surface seed in the Fall, 0.25 to 1 lb per acre.
Establishes readily.

24. Pacific Aster: (Aster chilensis)
Asters as a group are an important component to the native communities.
Consist of a broad array of species.
Small seeded 2.5 million seeds per pound.
Requires 2-4 week stratification
Balsamroot:(Balsamoriza spp.)
Wide spread in Intermountain area.
Early spring green up, good wildlife forage.
Large seeds, 55,000 per pound.
Slow to establish, but very persistent.

25. Showy Goldeneye: (Viguiera multifora, V. nevadensis.)
V. multiflora- broadly adapted to many vegetative types. When purchasing seed be sure of the source. Ranges from Sage, p/j to sub alpine.
V. nevadensis- occurs in drier sites in the Great Basin.
Small seeded 1 million per pound. Does well on surface, can be drilled.
Good seed producer with strong seedlings.
Early spring green up.
Readily sought out by wildlife as a herbaceous forage, and seed is utilized by birds.

26. Hawksbeard: (Crepis spp. ) Fleabane: (Erigeron spp
Hawksbeard: (Crepis spp.) Fleabane: (Erigeron spp.) Salsify: (Tragopogon spp.)
Seed: Generally small seeded, but do establish well on disturbed sites.
Little information on seed and seeding requirements.
No current releases
The importance of these species to sage grouse and other wildlife is becoming more understood.

27. Forbs Broadleaf Forbs Family Genus Common name .
Apiaceae Lomatium Desert parsley
Linaceae Linum Flax
Malvaceae Sphaeralcea Globemallow
Polygonaceae Eriogonum Desert Buckwheat
Scrophulariaceae Penstemon Penstemon

28. Forb Releases Species Origin Release Class
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Eriogonum niveum SD Umatilla Cultivar
E. umbellatum CA Sierra Cultivar
Linum perenne SD Appar Cultivar (escaped?)
Lomatium spp
Penstemon eatonii UT Richfield Selected
P. palmeri UT Cedar Cultivar
P. strictus NM Bandera Cultivar
P. venustus ID Clearwater Selected
Sphaeralcea coccinea ID ARS Germplasm
S. munroana UT ARS Selected

29. Seed Quality Testing Species Germination Rule Viability Test
Eriogonum X
Linum X
L. perenne X
Lomatium
Penstemon X X
P. eatonii X
P. palmeri X
P. strictus X
P. venustus X
Sphaeralcea X
S. coccinea
S. munroana

30. Family Linaceae Linum perenne var. ’Appar’ Perennial Blue Flax
Widely adapted
Produced in seed fields
Easily seeded
Establishes in mixtures

31. Linum lewisii Lewis flax, Wild blue flax
Widely distributed
Considerable intraspecific
variation
Great Basin
cultivar being developed

32. Family: Polygonaceae Eriogonum spp. , Wild buckwheat
E. heracleoides
Wyeth buckwheat
E. ovalifolium
Oval-leaf buckwheat
E. niveum
Snow buckwheat
E. umbellatum
Sulfurflower buckwheat

33. Eriogonum: Seed Inflorescence: Umbel Fruit: 3-angled achene
Seeds/pound: 120,000 (E. umbellatum)
600,000 (E. niveum)
Harvest: Summer - Fall
Cleaning: Screen, chop, screen
Seed quality: Viability test available.
Germination: Species and ecotypic variation occur.

34. Eriogonum: Seeding Time: Fall. Method: Drill (shallow), broadcast.
Germination: Prechilling usually
required.
Seedlings/stand: Pioneering species.

35. ‘Umatilla’ Snow Buckwheat Eriogonum niveum
Origin: Umatilla Co., Oregon
Area of use: Interior Pacific Northwest.

36. Family Apiaceae Lomatium spp. , Biscuitroot, Wild parsley
70 species, nearly all
in Western U.S.
Lower elevation sagebrush to
subalpine
Early spring growth
Plants usually scattered

37. Lomatium spp.: Seeds and Seeding
Seed supply unreliable
Hand harvested
Fruits flat, winged, easily
cleaned and seeded
Seedlings vigorous
No cultivars, germination
test or viability procedure
L. triternatum
Nine-leaved biscuitroot

38. Family Malvaceae Sphaeralcea spp., Globemallow
25 species in the West, most common
in the Southwest
8-12 inch precipitation zone
Establishes during wet years,
persists in seedbank
Several ploidy levels occur
One of the few forbs seeded in
salt desert shrublands
S. munroana
Munro globemallow
S. grossulariifolia
Gooseberryleaf globemallow

39. Sphaeralcea spp.: Seeds and Seeding
Flowering indeterminate
Seed collected by hand
500,000 seeds per pound
Drill seed or broadcast and cover
Seeds require scarification
and prechilling
Germplasm releases:
ARS-2936 S. coccinea
ARS-2892 S. munroana
No germination or viability test
S. munroana
Munro globemallow

40. Family Scrophulariaceae Penstemon spp., Penstemon
P. speciosus
P. deustus
P. peckii
P. fruticosus

41. Penstemon: Seed Harvested from native stands or seed fields
Seed small (100,000 to 600,000 per pound)
Seed easily cleaned and handled
Longevity of seed in dry storage: 4 to 6 years
Field culture and seed production studied

42. Penstemon: Seeding Fall seeding -prechilling often required
Drill (shallow) or broadcast
and cover
Can be seeded with other
small seeded forbs and shrubs
Matures fairly rapidly
Germination rule and TZ
procedures available.

43. Penstemon: Releases Scientific Common Release Release
name name Origin name type .
P. eatonii Firecracker UT Richfield Selected
P. palmeri Palmer UT Cedar Cultivar
P. strictus Rocky Mt. NM Bandera Cultivar
P. venustus Alpine ID Clearwater Selected

44. The Pre-variety Germplasm Release Program A “Fast Track” Alternative Release Procedure
Certification type:
Site-Identified
Verified for geographic origin. No comparisons made with other germplasms of the species.
Selected Class
Germplasm compared on a common site with other germplasms.
Tested Class
Progeny tested to ensure that observed traits are heritable and stable.
Cultivar/Variety
Tested material for which there is considerable market demand.

45. Research Requirements
Plant ecology
Ecotypic variability and distribution
Plant biology
Seed characteristics, germination requirements
Seedbed ecology and establishment
Field culture and seed
production
Forb genetics
Revegetation genetics

46. Candidate Species Identification and ranking of important species
Field surveys
Distribution
Wildlife habitat values
Summary list

47. Species Proposed for Development
Astragalus convallarius
A. lentiginosus
Crepis acuminata
Erigeron pumilus
Eriogonum corymbosum
E. ovalifolium
Hedysarum borealis utahensis
Lomatium nuttallii
Lupinus argenteus
Penstemon attenuatus
P. deustus
P. speciosus
Sphaeralcea coccinea
Vicia americana
Viguiera multiflora nevadensis