Artemisia pygmaea

Only about three inches tall. The smallest of our woody sagebrushes, pygmy sage occupies some of the most harsh, dry sites in the state. Unlike the other sagebrushes in Rio Blanco County, which have 3-toothed leaves, pygmy sagebrush has crowded stiff linear leaves that are green and glandular. It has a massive root system, much larger than the above-ground parts. The main branches seldom stand over 5 cm, while the narrow, erect inflorescence rises above them to 20 cm.

Barren knoll with soil derived from the Evacuation Creek member of the Green River formation. Pygmy sage occupies extremely dry sites, often with black sagebrush (A. nova). "It occurs in peculiar edaphic situations on Green River Shale, in clay soils forming the matrix in igneous gravels, on calcareous gravels, and on dolomitic outcrops and gravels, where it is often the dominant species in local areas. It is often a component of communities that support rare plant species." (Welsh 1993). In Rio Blanco County, it was found on the lower and Parachute members of the Green River Shale, and on the upper member of the Mesa Verde Formation. In San Miguel County, it occurs on Mancos Shale.