Descurainia sophia

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John Hilty

Comments

Flixweed is similar in appearance to Descurainia pinnata (Tansy Mustard); the latter is native to both the Old World and New World. The biggest difference between these two species are the siliques (seedpods)

References:

Hilty, J. Editor. 2013. Illinois Wildflowers. World Wide Web electronic publication. flowervisitors.info, version 06/2013.
See: Botanical Terminology and Line Drawings, Ecological Terminology, Website Description, Links to Other Websites, Reference Materials

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John Hilty

Distribution

National Distribution

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

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NatureServe

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NatureServe

Distribution

Flixweed tansymustard is native to Europe and northern Africa [133]. It probably arrived in North America in the mid-1800s as an impurity in crop seed, and was widespread by the 1920s [103]. It now occurs in 48 states, excluding Alabama and Florida [72]. Its distribution extends south to Baja California, and as far north as 70o N latitude in Greenland, Alaska, and Canada. It occurs throughout Canada except Labrador and eastern Nunavut [69,72,133,147]. Plants database provides a distributional map of flixweed tansymustard in the United States and Canada. Flixweed tansymustard is also introduced in South America, Asia, southern Africa, and New Zealand [69,88].

The following biogeographic classification systems are presented as a guide to demonstrate where flixweed tansymustard may be found. Precise distribution information is limited. Because it is so widespread, it is difficult to exclude many ecosystems as potential hosts of flixweed tansymustard plants or populations; therefore, these lists are speculative.

References:

69. Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p. [13403]
103. Pyke, David A. 2000. Invasive exotic plants in sagebrush ecosystems of the Intermountain West. In: Entwistle, P. G.; DeBolt, A. M.; Kaltenecker, J. H.; Steenhof, K., compilers. Sagebrush steppe ecosystems symposium: Proceedings; 1999 June 21-23; Boise, ID. Publ. No. BLM/ID/PT-001001+1150. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Boise State Office: 43-44. [42719]
147. Wiggins, Ira L. 1980. Flora of Baja California. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1025 p. [21993]
72. Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. 1999. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. Available: North Carolina Botanical Garden. In cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [2001, January 16]. [36715]
88. Mitich, Larry W. 2002. Flixweed (Descurainia sophia), [Online]. Available: http://www.wssa.net/subpages/weed/larrymitich/flixweed.html [2003, April 22]. [44053]
133. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. 2002. Flora Europaea, [Online]. Available: http://www.rbge.org.uk/forms/fe.html [2003, April 22]. [41088]

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Range and Habitat in Illinois

Flixweed is an uncommon plant that occurs primarily in NE and west central Illinois; it is rare or absent elsewhere (see Distribution Map). However, it is probably spreading into other areas of the state. Habitats include gravelly or sandy areas along railroads and roadsides, barnyards and pastures, construction sites, and miscellaneous waste areas that are sunny and dry. Flixweed is native to Eurasia; it prefers disturbed areas. Faunal Associations

References:

Hilty, J. Editor. 2013. Illinois Wildflowers. World Wide Web electronic publication. flowervisitors.info, version 06/2013.
See: Botanical Terminology and Line Drawings, Ecological Terminology, Website Description, Links to Other Websites, Reference Materials

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

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John Hilty

States or Provinces

(key to state/province abbreviations)
UNITED STATES AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC PR VI
CANADA AB BC MB NB NF NT NS NU ON PE PQ SK YK
MEXICO B.C.N.

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Regional Distribution in the Western United States

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS [15]:

1 Northern Pacific Border

2 Cascade Mountains

3 Southern Pacific Border

4 Sierra Mountains

5 Columbia Plateau

6 Upper Basin and Range

7 Lower Basin and Range

8 Northern Rocky Mountains

9 Middle Rocky Mountains

10 Wyoming Basin

11 Southern Rocky Mountains

12 Colorado Plateau

13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont

14 Great Plains

15 Black Hills Uplift

16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

References:

15. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p. [434]

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Distribution in Egypt

Mediterranean region.

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Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Global Distribution

Europe, Mediterranean region, Asia.

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Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Sophia sophia (L.) Britton:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

References:

Small, J. K. 1933. Man. S.E. Fl. i–xxii, 1–1554. Published by the Author, New York.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA

Localities documented in Tropicos sources

Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl:
Afghanistan (Asia)
Bhutan (Asia)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Greenland (North America)
Japan (Asia)
Kyrgyzstan (Asia)
United States (North America)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
South Korea (Asia)
Kazakhstan (Asia)
Mongolia (Asia)
Uzbekistan (Asia)
Russian Federation (Asia)
Turkmenistan (Asia)
Tajikistan (Asia)
Nepal (Asia)
Pakistan (Asia)
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

References:

Anonymous. 1986. List-Based Rec., Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S.D.A. Database of the U.S.D.A., Beltsville.
Voss, E. G. 1985. Michigan Flora. Part II Dicots (Saururaceae-Cornaceae). Bull. Cranbrook Inst. Sci. 59. xix + 724.
Gleason, H. A. 1968. The Choripetalous Dicotyledoneae. vol. 2. 655 pp. In H. A. Gleason Ill. Fl. N. U.S. (ed. 3). New York Botanical Garden, New York.
Marticorena, C. & M. Quezada. 1985. Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Chile. Gayana, Bot. 42: 1–157.
Böcher, T. W., K. Holmen & K. Jacobsen. 1968. Fl. Greenland (ed. 2) 312 pp.
Tolmatchev, A. I. 1975. Arktic. Fl. SSSR 7: 1–180.
Gibbs Russell, G. E., W. G. Welman, E. Reitief, K. L. Immelman, G. Germishuizen, B. J. Pienaar, M. v. Wyk & A. Nicholas. 1987. List of species of southern African plants. Mem. Bot. Surv. S. Africa 2(1–2): 1–152(pt. 1), 1–270(pt. 2).
Radford, A. E., H. E. Ahles & C. R. Bell. 1968. Man. Vasc. Fl. Carolinas i–lxi, 1–1183. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Man. Vasc. Pl. Texas i–xv, 1–1881. The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson.
Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Fl. Great Plains i–vii, 1–1392. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence.
Fernald, M. 1950. Manual (ed. 8) i–lxiv, 1–1632. American Book Co., New York.
Munz, P. A. & D. D. Keck. 1959. Cal. Fl. 1–1681. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Munz, P. A. 1974. Fl. S. Calif. 1–1086. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Flora of China Editorial Committee. 2001. Fl. China 8: 1–506. Science Press & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, Beijing & St. Louis.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA

Distribution

Throughout China except Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Taiwan [Afghanistan, Bhutan, Japan, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Sikkim, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe; introduced elsewhere].

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Distribution

Distribution: Most of Europe, Asia and Africa; introduced elsewhere.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Distribution

Europe, N. Africa, W. & C. Asia, Himalaya.

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Morphology

Description

More info for the terms: bisexual, cool-season, silique, succession

The following description of flixweed tansymustard provides characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology, and is not meant for identification. Keys for identification are available (e.g. [32,48,51,64,106]).

Flixweed tansymustard is an exotic, cool-season annual or biennial. It is the type species for the genus [51,64,88,130,134]. The single, 6- to 31-inch-long (15-80 cm) stem is coarse, with basal and cauline leaves. Cauline leaves have a large amount of surface area, being 2 or 3 times pinnately divided. The inflorescence is a raceme of bisexual flowers. The fruit is a 1 Ã 10- to 71-mm-long silique bearing 10 to 20 small (10-25 mm long), seeds [32,49,51,64,96,106,145]. Tansymustard (Descurainia spp.) fruits and seeds do not have specialized appendages for dispersal [74,76]. Tansymustards have a short taproot [29,153].

Stand structure of flixweed tansymustard-dominated communities is sparse immediately after disturbance. Flixweed tansymustard stands often become dense and crowded within a few postdisturbance years, and thin as succession advances [16]. For further information on flixweed tansymustard's role in succession, see Successional Status below.

References:

106. Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. 1183 p. [7606]
16. Best, K. F. 1977. The biology of Canadian weeds. 22. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 57: 499-507. [44054]
29. Craddock, George W.; Pearse, C. Kenneth. 1938. Surface run-off and erosion on granitic mountain soils of Idaho as influenced by range cover, soil disturbance, slope, and precipitation intensity. Circular No. 482. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 24 p. [44027]
32. Diggs, George M., Jr.; Lipscomb, Barney L.; O'Kennon, Robert J. 1999. Illustrated flora of north-central Texas. Sida Botanical Miscellany No. 16. Fort Worth, TX: Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 1626 p. [35698]
48. Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p. [20329]
49. Goetz, Harold. 1963. Growth and development of native range plants in the mixed grass prairie of western North Dakota. Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University. 141 p. Thesis. [5661]
51. Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1392 p. [1603]
64. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
74. Keeley, J. E.; Morton, B. A.; Pedrosa, A.; Trotter, P. 1985. Role of allelopathy, heat and charred wood in the germination of chaparral herbs and suffrutescents. Journal of Ecology. 73: 445-458. [5564]
76. Keeley, Jon E. 1991. Seed germination and life history syndromes in the California chaparral. The Botanical Review. 57(2): 81-116. [36973]
96. Patman, Jacqueline P.; Iltis, Hugh H. 1961. Preliminary reports on the flora of Wisconsin. No. 44. Cruciferae--Mustard family. Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters. 50: 17-73. [37898]
130. Strausbaugh, P. D.; Core, Earl L. 1977. Flora of West Virginia. 2nd ed. Morgantown, WV: Seneca Books, Inc. 1079 p. [23213]
134. Thomas, A. G. 1991. Floristic composition and relative abundance of weeds in annual crops of Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 71(3): 831-839. [21786]
145. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
153. Yensen, Dana. 1980. A grazing history of southwestern Idaho with emphasis on the Birds of Prey Study Area. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land Management, Snake River Birds of Prey Research Project, Boise District. 82 p. [4148]
88. Mitich, Larry W. 2002. Flixweed (Descurainia sophia), [Online]. Available: http://www.wssa.net/subpages/weed/larrymitich/flixweed.html [2003, April 22]. [44053]

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Description

Annual or biennial, 30-90 cm tall, erect, branched, hairy with simple and branched hairs below, and usually almost glabrous above. Leaves (2-) 3-pinnatisect, 5-15 cm long, stalked; lobes usually 1-2 mm broad, linear or oblong; upper most leaves sessile or subsessile, ± similar. Racemes 40-80-flowered, up to 30 cm long in fruit. Flowers 2-3 mm across, yellow; pedicels usually 10-15 mm long in fruit, filiform, ascending, glabrous. Sepals c. 2 mm long. Petals c. 2.5 (-4) mm long, 0.5-1 mm broad, rarely very reduced or abortive. Stamens c. 2: 2.5 mm long; anthers c. 0.5 mm long. Siliquae linear, 15-35 mm long, c. 1 mm broad, often upcurved, glabrous, obscurely torulose; valves subconvex, 1-veined; stigma depressed-capitate, subsessile; seeds many, c. 0.7 mm long, reddish-brown; septum veined.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Elevation Range

2200-4100 m

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Description

Herbs annual, (10-)20-70(-100) cm tall, eglandular, sparsely to densely pubescent with dendritic trichomes, sometimes glabrous distally. Stems erect, simple basally, often branched above. Basal and lowermost cauline leaves 2- or 3-pinnatisect, ovate or oblong in outline, to 15 × 8 cm; petiole 0.1-2(-3) cm; leaf blade ultimate division linear or oblong, entire, acute to 10 × 2 mm. Upper cauline leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, smaller and often with narrower ultimate lobes, often glabrous. Fruiting pedicels (0.5-)0.8-1.5(-2) cm, slender, much narrower than fruit, straight, divaricate or ascending. Sepals yellowish, oblong-linear, 2-2.5 × ca. 0.5 mm. Petals yellow, narrowly oblanceolate, 2-2.5 × ca. 0.5 mm; claw 1.5-2 mm. Filaments 2-3 mm; anthers ca. 0.5 mm. Ovules 20-40 per ovary. Fruit narrowly linear, (1.2-)1.5-2.7(-3) cm × 0.5-0.8(-1) mm; valves glabrous, torulose, with a prominent midvein; septum with a broad central longitudinal band appearing as 2 or 3 veins; style obsolete or to 0.2 mm. Seeds reddish brown, oblong, 0.7-1 × 0.3-0.6 mm. Fl. and Fr. Apr-Jun. 2n = 28*.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Diagnostic Description

Synonym

Sisymbrium sophia Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 659. 1753.

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Habitat

Habitat characteristics

Flixweed tansymustard occurs in open-canopy, disturbed sites. It is particularly common in washes and on roadsides, railroad rights-of-way, waste grounds, old fields, and early seral burns [35,64,70,100,101,110,142,151]. It grows in a variety of mineral soils including loam, silty clay [36], and sand, where it is most common. It tolerates dry soil, but is not salt tolerant [56,121]. In salt-desert shrubland of central Utah, flixweed tansymustard occurred only on plots with < 3,000 ppm soluble salts and < 12% soil moisture [121].

Elevational ranges of flixweed tansymustard are:

California <8,530 ft (<2,600 m) [64] Colorado 4,000-8,000 ft (1,200-2,400 m) [57] New Mexico 4,000-8,000 ft [82] Nevada 2,220-9,000 ft (680-2,700 m) [73] Utah 2,300-8,050 ft (700-2,450 m) [145]

References:

35. Erdman, James A. 1970. Pinyon-juniper succession after natural fires on residual soils of Mesa Verde, Colorado. Brigham Young University Science Bulletin: Biological Series. 11(2): 1-26. [11987]
36. Erhard, Dean H. 1979. Plant communities and habitat types in the Lava Beds National Monument, California. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 173 p. Thesis. [869]
56. Halvorson, Gary A.; Lang, Kent J. 1989. Revegetation of a salt water blowout site. Journal of Range Management. 42(1): 61-65. [11208]
57. Harrington, H. D. 1964. Manual of the plants of Colorado. 2d ed. Chicago: The Swallow Press, Inc. 666 p. [6851]
64. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
70. Hume, L.; Archibold, O. W. 1986. The influence of a weedy habitat on the seed bank of an adjacent cultivated field. Canadian Journal of Botany. 64: 1879-1883. [27685]
82. Martin, William C.; Hutchins, Charles R. 1981. A flora of New Mexico. Volume 2. Germany: J. Cramer. 2589 p. [37176]
100. Piemeisel, R. L. 1938. Changes in weedy plant cover on cleared sagebrush land and their probable causes. Technical Bulletin No. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 44 p. [1887]
101. Piemeisel, Robert L. 1951. Causes affecting change and rate of change in a vegetation of annuals in Idaho. Ecology. 32(1): 53-72. [1888]
110. Rogers, Garry F. 1982. Then and now: a photographic history of vegetation change in the central Great Basin Desert. Salt Lake, UT: University of Utah Press. 152 p. [9932]
121. Skougard, Michael G.; Brotherson, Jack D. 1979. Vegetational response to three environmental gradients in the salt playa near Goshen, Utah County, Utah. The Great Basin Naturalist. 39(1): 44-58. [11198]
142. Voss, Edward G. 1985. Michigan flora. Part II. Dicots (Saururaceae--Cornaceae). Bull. 59. Bloomfield Hills, MI: Cranbrook Institute of Science; Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Herbarium. 724 p. [11472]
145. Welsh, Stanley L.; Atwood, N. Duane; Goodrich, Sherel; Higgins, Larry C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. The Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
151. Wright, Henry A.; Neuenschwander, Leon F.; Britton, Carlton M. 1979. The role and use of fire in sagebrush-grass and pinyon-juniper plant communities: A state-of-the-art review. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-58. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 48 p. [2625]
73. Kartesz, John Thomas. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Reno, NV: University of Nevada. 1729 p. [In 3 volumes]. Dissertation. [42426]

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Key Plant Community Associations

More info for the terms: frequency, natural, taiga, tundra

Flixweed tansymustard grows in a broad spectrum of environments ranging from
cold desert, tundra, taiga, alpine, and subalpine ecosystems to hot desert and
dry-tropical Hawaiian ecosystems [72].

Flixweed tansymustard is ecologically important in most North American desert
ecosystems. In Great
Basin Desert communities of east-central Nevada, it showed 25-40% frequency in
big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) communities and 5-66% frequency in singleleaf pinyon-Utah juniper
(Pinus monophylla-Juniperus osteosperma) communities [18].
On the Desert Tortoise Research Natural Area in the Mojave Desert, southern California,
flixweed tansymustard associates with creosotebush (Larrea tridentata), white
bursage (Ambrosia dumosa), and other annuals, the most common being
cutleaf filaree (Erodium cicutarium), red brome (Bromus madritensis
ssp. rubens), and Mediterranean grass
(Schismus spp.) [20].

A few vegetation classifications describe plant communities dominated by
flixweed tansymustard. A flixweed tansymustard-Russian-thistle (Salsola
kali) community
occurs in Lava
Beds National Monument, California, on land with a history of extreme
disturbance: 1st by lake drainage, then by cultivation of the lakebed
[36]. In east-central Nevada, flixweed tansymustard communities occur on
highly disturbed winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata) habitat types. Halogeton (Halogeton glomerata)
codominates, and winterfat is present in trace amounts [18].

References:

18. Blackburn, Wilbert H.; Tueller, Paul T.; Eckert, Richard E., Jr. 1968. Vegetation and soils of the Duckwater Watershed. Reno, NV: University of Nevada, College of Agriculture. 81 p. In cooperation with: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. [7439]
20. Brooks, Matthew Lamar. 1998. Ecology of a biological invasion: alien annual plants in the Mojave Desert. Riverside, CA: University of California. 186 p. Dissertation. [37220]
36. Erhard, Dean H. 1979. Plant communities and habitat types in the Lava Beds National Monument, California. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 173 p. Thesis. [869]
72. Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. 1999. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. Available: North Carolina Botanical Garden. In cooperation with the Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [2001, January 16]. [36715]

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Habitat: Rangeland Cover Types

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following Rangeland Cover Types (as classified by the Society for Range Management, SRM):

More info for the terms: cover, fresh, hardwood, marsh, shrub, tussock, vine

SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES [120]:

101 Bluebunch wheatgrass

102 Idaho fescue

103 Green fescue

104 Antelope bitterbrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

105 Antelope bitterbrush-Idaho fescue

106 Bluegrass scabland

107 Western juniper/big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass

108 Alpine Idaho fescue

109 Ponderosa pine shrubland

110 Ponderosa pine-grassland

201 Blue oak woodland

202 Coast live oak woodland

203 Riparian woodland

204 North coastal shrub

205 Coastal sage shrub

206 Chamise chaparral

207 Scrub oak mixed chaparral

208 Ceanothus mixed chaparral

209 Montane shrubland

210 Bitterbrush

211 Creosote bush scrub

212 Blackbush

213 Alpine grassland

214 Coastal prairie

215 Valley grassland

216 Montane meadows

217 Wetlands

301 Bluebunch wheatgrass-blue grama

302 Bluebunch wheatgrass-Sandberg bluegrass

303 Bluebunch wheatgrass-western wheatgrass

304 Idaho fescue-bluebunch wheatgrass

305 Idaho fescue-Richardson needlegrass

306 Idaho fescue-slender wheatgrass

307 Idaho fescue-threadleaf sedge

308 Idaho fescue-tufted hairgrass

309 Idaho fescue-western wheatgrass

310 Needle-and-thread-blue grama

311 Rough fescue-bluebunch wheatgrass

312 Rough fescue-Idaho fescue

313 Tufted hairgrass-sedge

314 Big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

315 Big sagebrush-Idaho fescue

316 Big sagebrush-rough fescue

317 Bitterbrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

318 Bitterbrush-Idaho fescue

319 Bitterbrush-rough fescue

320 Black sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass

321 Black sagebrush-Idaho fescue

322 Curlleaf mountain-mahogany-bluebunch wheatgrass

323 Shrubby cinquefoil-rough fescue

324 Threetip sagebrush-Idaho fescue

401 Basin big sagebrush

402 Mountain big sagebrush

403 Wyoming big sagebrush

404 Threetip sagebrush

405 Black sagebrush

406 Low sagebrush

407 Stiff sagebrush

408 Other sagebrush types

409 Tall forb

410 Alpine rangeland

411 Aspen woodland

412 Juniper-pinyon woodland

413 Gambel oak

414 Salt desert shrub

415 Curlleaf mountain-mahogany

416 True mountain-mahogany

417 Littleleaf mountain-mahogany

418 Bigtooth maple

419 Bittercherry

420 Snowbrush

421 Chokecherry-serviceberry-rose

422 Riparian

501 Saltbush-greasewood

502 Grama-galleta

503 Arizona chaparral

504 Juniper-pinyon pine woodland

505 Grama-tobosa shrub

506 Creosotebush-bursage

507 Palo verde-cactus

508 Creosotebush-tarbush

509 Transition between oak-juniper woodland and mahogany-oak association

601 Bluestem prairie

602 Bluestem-prairie sandreed

603 Prairie sandreed-needlegrass

604 Bluestem-grama prairie

605 Sandsage prairie

606 Wheatgrass-bluestem-needlegrass

607 Wheatgrass-needlegrass

608 Wheatgrass-grama-needlegrass

609 Wheatgrass-grama

610 Wheatgrass

611 Blue grama-buffalo grass

612 Sagebrush-grass

613 Fescue grassland

614 Crested wheatgrass

615 Wheatgrass-saltgrass-grama

701 Alkali sacaton-tobosagrass

702 Black grama-alkali sacaton

703 Black grama-sideoats grama

704 Blue grama-western wheatgrass

705 Blue grama-galleta

706 Blue grama-sideoats grama

707 Blue grama-sideoats grama-black grama

708 Bluestem-dropseed

709 Bluestem-grama

710 Bluestem prairie

711 Bluestem-sacahuista prairie

712 Galleta-alkali sacaton

713 Grama-muhly-threeawn

714 Grama-bluestem

715 Grama-buffalo grass

716 Grama-feathergrass

717 Little bluestem-Indiangrass-Texas wintergrass

718 Mesquite-grama

719 Mesquite-liveoak-seacoast bluestem

720 Sand bluestem-little bluestem (dunes)

721 Sand bluestem-little bluestem (plains)

722 Sand sagebrush-mixed prairie

723 Sea oats

724 Sideoats grama-New Mexico feathergrass-winterfat

725 Vine mesquite-alkali sacaton

726 Cordgrass

727 Mesquite-buffalo grass

728 Mesquite-granjeno-acacia

729 Mesquite

730 Sand shinnery oak

731 Cross timbers-Oklahoma

732 Cross timbers-Texas (little bluestem-post oak)

733 Juniper-oak

734 Mesquite-oak

735 Sideoats grama-sumac-juniper

801 Savanna

802 Missouri prairie

803 Missouri glades

804 Tall fescue

805 Riparian

806 Gulf Coast salt marsh

807 Gulf Coast fresh marsh

808 Sand pine scrub

809 Mixed hardwood and pine

810 Longleaf pine-turkey oak hills

811 South Florida flatwoods

812 North Florida flatwoods

813 Cutthroat seeps

814 Cabbage palm flatwoods

815 Upland hardwood hammocks

816 Cabbage palm hammocks

817 Oak hammocks

818 Florida salt marsh

819 Freshwater marsh and ponds

820 Everglades flatwoods

821 Pitcher plant bogs

822 Slough

ALASKA RANGELANDS

901 Alder

902 Alpine herb

903 Beach wildrye-mixed forb

904 Black spruce-lichen

905 Bluejoint reedgrass

906 Broadleaf forest

908 Fescue

910 Hairgrass

912 Low scrub shrub birch-ericaceous

915 Mixed herb-herbaceous

917 Tall shrub swamp

918 Tussock tundra

920 White spruce-paper birch

921 Willow

References:

120. Shiflet, Thomas N., ed. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Denver, CO: Society for Range Management. 152 p. [23362]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Cover Types

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

More info for the terms: cover, swamp

SAF COVER TYPES [41]:

1 Jack pine

5 Balsam fir

12 Black spruce

13 Black spruce-tamarack

14 Northern pin oak

15 Red pine

16 Aspen

17 Pin cherry

18 Paper birch

19 Gray birch-red maple

20 White pine-northern red oak-red maple

21 Eastern white pine

22 White pine-hemlock

23 Eastern hemlock

24 Hemlock-yellow birch

25 Sugar maple-beech-yellow birch

26 Sugar maple-basswood

27 Sugar maple

28 Black cherry-maple

30 Red spruce-yellow birch

31 Red spruce-sugar maple-beech

32 Red spruce

33 Red spruce-balsam fir

34 Red spruce-Fraser fir

35 Paper birch-red spruce-balsam fir

37 Northern white-cedar

38 Tamarack

39 Black ash-American elm-red maple

40 Post oak-blackjack oak

42 Bur oak

43 Bear oak

44 Chestnut oak

45 Pitch pine

46 Eastern redcedar

50 Black locust

51 White pine-chestnut oak

52 White oak-black oak-northern red oak

53 White oak

55 Northern red oak

57 Yellow-poplar

58 Yellow-poplar-eastern hemlock

59 Yellow-poplar-white oak-northern red oak

60 Beech-sugar maple

61 River birch-sycamore

62 Silver maple-American elm

63 Cottonwood

64 Sassafras-persimmon

65 Pin oak-sweetgum

66 Ashe juniper-redberry (Pinchot) juniper

67 Mohrs (shin) oak

68 Mesquite

69 Sand pine

70 Longleaf pine

71 Longleaf pine-scrub oak

72 Southern scrub oak

73 Southern redcedar

74 Cabbage palmetto

75 Shortleaf pine

76 Shortleaf pine-oak

78 Virginia pine-oak

79 Virginia pine

80 Loblolly pine-shortleaf pine

81 Loblolly pine

82 Loblolly pine-hardwood

83 Longleaf pine-slash pine

84 Slash pine

85 Slash pine-hardwood

87 Sweetgum-yellow-poplar

88 Willow oak-water oak-diamondleaf (laurel) oak

89 Live oak

91 Swamp chestnut oak-cherrybark oak

92 Sweetgum-willow oak

93 Sugarberry-American elm-green ash

94 Sycamore-sweetgum-American elm

95 Black willow

96 Overcup oak-water hickory

97 Atlantic white-cedar

98 Pond pine

100 Pondcypress

101 Baldcypress

102 Baldcypress-tupelo

103 Water tupelo-swamp tupelo

104 Sweetbay-swamp tupelo-redbay

105 Tropical hardwoods

106 Mangrove

107 White spruce

108 Red maple

109 Hawthorn

110 Black oak

111 South Florida slash pine

201 White spruce

202 White spruce-paper birch

203 Balsam poplar

204 Black spruce

205 Mountain hemlock

206 Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir

207 Red fir

208 Whitebark pine

209 Bristlecone pine

210 Interior Douglas-fir

211 White fir

212 Western larch

213 Grand fir

215 Western white pine

216 Blue spruce

217 Aspen

218 Lodgepole pine

219 Limber pine

220 Rocky Mountain juniper

221 Red alder

222 Black cottonwood-willow

223 Sitka spruce

224 Western hemlock

225 Western hemlock-Sitka spruce

226 Coastal true fir-hemlock

227 Western redcedar-western hemlock

228 Western redcedar

229 Pacific Douglas-fir

230 Douglas-fir-western hemlock

231 Port-Orford-cedar

232 Redwood

233 Oregon white oak

234 Douglas-fir-tanoak-Pacific madrone

235 Cottonwood-willow

236 Bur oak

237 Interior ponderosa pine

238 Western juniper

239 Pinyon-juniper

240 Arizona cypress

241 Western live oak

242 Mesquite

243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer

244 Pacific ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir

245 Pacific ponderosa pine

246 California black oak

247 Jeffrey pine

248 Knobcone pine

249 Canyon live oak

250 Blue oak-foothills pine

251 White spruce-aspen

252 Paper birch

253 Black spruce-white spruce

254 Black spruce-paper birch

255 California coast live oak

256 California mixed subalpine

References:

41. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Plant Associations

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: bog, shrub

KUCHLER [78] PLANT ASSOCIATIONS:

K001 Spruce-cedar-hemlock forest

K002 Cedar-hemlock-Douglas-fir forest

K003 Silver fir-Douglas-fir forest

K004 Fir-hemlock forest

K005 Mixed conifer forest

K006 Redwood forest

K007 Red fir forest

K008 Lodgepole pine-subalpine forest

K009 Pine-cypress forest

K010 Ponderosa shrub forest

K011 Western ponderosa forest

K012 Douglas-fir forest

K013 Cedar-hemlock-pine forest

K014 Grand fir-Douglas-fir forest

K015 Western spruce-fir forest

K016 Eastern ponderosa forest

K017 Black Hills pine forest

K018 Pine-Douglas-fir forest

K019 Arizona pine forest

K020 Spruce-fir-Douglas-fir forest

K021 Southwestern spruce-fir forest

K022 Great Basin pine forest

K023 Juniper-pinyon woodland

K024 Juniper steppe woodland

K025 Alder-ash forest

K026 Oregon oakwoods

K027 Mesquite bosques

K028 Mosaic of K002 and K026

K029 California mixed evergreen forest

K030 California oakwoods

K031 Oak-juniper woodland

K032 Transition between K031 and K037

K033 Chaparral

K034 Montane chaparral

K035 Coastal sagebrush

K036 Mosaic of K030 and K035

K037 Mountain-mahogany-oak scrub

K038 Great Basin sagebrush

K039 Blackbrush

K040 Saltbush-greasewood

K041 Creosote bush

K042 Creosote bush-bur sage

K043 Paloverde-cactus shrub

K044 Creosote bush-tarbush

K045 Ceniza shrub

K046 Desert: vegetation largely lacking

K047 Fescue-oatgrass

K048 California steppe

K049 Tule marshes

K050 Fescue-wheatgrass

K051 Wheatgrass-bluegrass

K052 Alpine meadows and barren

K053 Grama-galleta steppe

K054 Grama-tobosa prairie

K055 Sagebrush steppe

K056 Wheatgrass-needlegrass shrubsteppe

K057 Galleta-threeawn shrubsteppe

K058 Grama-tobosa shrubsteppe

K059 Trans-Pecos shrub savanna

K060 Mesquite savanna

K061 Mesquite-acacia savanna

K062 Mesquite-live oak savanna

K063 Foothills prairie

K064 Grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass

K065 Grama-buffalo grass

K066 Wheatgrass-needlegrass

K067 Wheatgrass-bluestem-needlegrass

K068 Wheatgrass-grama-buffalo grass

K069 Bluestem-grama prairie

K070 Sandsage-bluestem prairie

K071 Shinnery

K072 Sea oats prairie

K073 Northern cordgrass prairie

K074 Bluestem prairie

K075 Nebraska Sandhills prairie

K076 Blackland prairie

K077 Bluestem-sacahuista prairie

K078 Southern cordgrass prairie

K079 Palmetto prairie

K080 Marl everglades

K081 Oak savanna

K082 Mosaic of K074 and K100

K083 Cedar glades

K084 Cross Timbers

K085 Mesquite-buffalo grass

K086 Juniper-oak savanna

K087 Mesquite-oak savanna

K088 Fayette prairie

K089 Black Belt

K090 Live oak-sea oats

K091 Cypress savanna

K092 Everglades

K093 Great Lakes spruce-fir forest

K094 Conifer bog

K095 Great Lakes pine forest

K096 Northeastern spruce-fir forest

K097 Southeastern spruce-fir forest

K098 Northern floodplain forest

K099 Maple-basswood forest

K100 Oak-hickory forest

K101 Elm-ash forest

K102 Beech-maple forest

K103 Mixed mesophytic forest

K104 Appalachian oak forest

K105 Mangrove

K106 Northern hardwoods

K107 Northern hardwoods-fir forest

K108 Northern hardwoods-spruce forest

K109 Transition between K104 and K106

K110 Northeastern oak-pine forest

K111 Oak-hickory-pine

K112 Southern mixed forest

K113 Southern floodplain forest

K114 Pocosin

K115 Sand pine scrub

K116 Subtropical pine forest

References:

78. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. United States [Potential natural vegetation of the conterminous United States]. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 1:3,168,000; colored. [3455]

Source:

License:

Habitat: Ecosystem

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

ECOSYSTEMS [47]:

FRES10 White-red-jack pine

FRES11 Spruce-fir

FRES12 Longleaf-slash pine

FRES13 Loblolly-shortleaf pine

FRES14 Oak-pine

FRES15 Oak-hickory

FRES16 Oak-gum-cypress

FRES17 Elm-ash-cottonwood

FRES18 Maple-beech-birch

FRES19 Aspen-birch

FRES20 Douglas-fir

FRES21 Ponderosa pine

FRES22 Western white pine

FRES23 Fir-spruce

FRES24 Hemlock-Sitka spruce

FRES25 Larch

FRES26 Lodgepole pine

FRES27 Redwood

FRES28 Western hardwoods

FRES29 Sagebrush

FRES30 Desert shrub

FRES31 Shinnery

FRES32 Texas savanna

FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe

FRES34 Chaparral-mountain shrub

FRES35 Pinyon-juniper

FRES36 Mountain grasslands

FRES37 Mountain meadows

FRES38 Plains grasslands

FRES39 Prairie

FRES40 Desert grasslands

FRES41 Wet grasslands

FRES42 Annual grasslands

FRES44 Alpine

References:

47. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; Lewis, Mont E.; Smith, Dixie R. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998]

Source:

License:

Range and Habitat in Illinois

References:

Hilty, J. Editor. 2013. Illinois Wildflowers. World Wide Web electronic publication. flowervisitors.info, version 06/2013.
See: Botanical Terminology and Line Drawings, Ecological Terminology, Website Description, Links to Other Websites, Reference Materials

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

John Hilty

Habitat

Weeds of cultivation, distributed ground.

Source:

License:

Rights Holder:

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Habitat

Roadsides, waste places, disturbed sites, fields, pastures, deserts; near sea level to 4200 m.

Source:

License:

BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK)

Rights Holder:

Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Associations

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Ceutorhynchus pulvinatus feeds on Descurainia sophia

Foodplant / feeds on
larva of Ceutorhynchus rapae feeds on Descurainia sophia

Foodplant / parasite
Erysiphe cruciferarum parasitises live Descurainia sophia

Foodplant / sap sucker
nymph of Eurydema dominulus sucks sap of Descurainia sophia

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Rights Holder:

BioImages

General Ecology

Fire Management Considerations

More info for the terms: cover, forb, forbs, interference, presence, succession, wildfire

Fire as a control agent: There are no published studies on using fire to control flixweed tansymustard, but given flixweed tansymustard's strong response to increased light and nutrients and open ground, fire alone is unlikely to provide control. If flixweed tansymustard is already onsite in the seed bank, or as a few plants, fire is likely to increase the species' importance in the early postfire community.

Interactions with cheatgrass: If present in the seed bank, flixweed tansymustard is liable to dominate early postfire communities if the seedbed or the postfire climate are unfavorable for cheatgrass establishment [37,38,100]. Even when cheatgrass dominates the postfire community, flixweed tansymustard is likely to be an important forb. The 2 species are frequently found together in the prefire seed bank. In a big sagebrush-rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) community in Wyoming, cheatgrass dominated the seed bank, but flixweed tansymustard was 1 of the most important forbs in the seed bank [93]. Succession after a July 1985 wildfire on the Snake River Birds of Prey Area, southwestern Idaho, followed a typical pattern, with flixweed tansymustard showing greater cover than any other plant species except cheatgrass. There was much open ground in the area, especially on sites prepared for postfire rehabilitation. Mean percent cover at postfire year 1 was [54]:

Burned Partially burned Burned/rehabilitated* Unburned, untreated control flixweed tansymustard 5 3 6 < 1 cheatgrass 26 9 14 5 bare ground 22 22 54 22 *drill-seeded with crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), and fourwing
saltbush (Atriplex canescens)

Interactions with pinnate and other tansymustards: Although they are taxonomically and ecologically similar, little is known of possible growth interference of exotic flixweed tansymustard to pinnate and other native tansymustards in postfire environments. Limited studies are inconclusive, and further research is needed in this area. A review by Wright and others [151] describes flixweed tansymustard as more resilient to fall prescribed burning than pinnate tansymustard ("undamaged" vs. "slightly damaged" by fall fire, respectively). Postfire responses of the 2 species probably depend upon their relative abundance in the prefire seed bank and poorly understood differences in germination and seedling establishment requirements. Floyd-Hanna and others [45] noted the presence of both species after the Chapin 5 Wildfire at Mesa Verde National Park in the summer of 1996. Flixweed tansymustard was more frequent on study plots than pinnate tansymustard at postfire year 1. Flixweed tansymustard was not observed on study plots at postfire year 2, while pinnate tansymustard increased. Tansymustard frequencies (%) on burn sites were as follows [45]:

Flixweed tansymustard Pinnate tansymustard

1997

Gambel oak/Utah serviceberry* mountain shrubland 16 3 Gambel oak-Colorado pinyon-Utah juniper 12 1 Colorado pinyon-Utah juniper 10 2

1998

Gambel oak/Utah serviceberry mountain shrubland 0 31 Gambel oak-Colorado pinyon-Utah juniper 0 24 Colorado pinyon-Utah juniper 0 27 *Amelanchier utahensis

References:

37. Evans, Raymond A.; Young, James A. 1972. Microsite requirements for establishment of annual rangeland weeds. Weed Science. 20(4): 350-356. [878]
38. Evans, Raymond A.; Young, James A. 1987. Seedbed microenvironment, seedling recruitment, and plant establishment on rangelands. In: Frasier, Gary W.; Evans, Raymond A., eds. Seed and seedbed ecology of rangeland plants: proceedings of symposium; 1987 April 21-23; Tucson, AZ. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service: 212-220. [3354]
54. Groves, Craig R.; Steenhof, Karen. 1988. Responses of small mammals and vegetation to wildfire in shadscale communities of southwestern Idaho. Northwest Science. 62(5): 205-210. [6584]
93. Mull, John F.; MacMahon, James A. 1996. Factors determining the spatial variability of seed densities in a shrub-steppe ecosystem: the role of harvester ants. Journal of Arid Environments. 32(2): 182-192. [30129]
100. Piemeisel, R. L. 1938. Changes in weedy plant cover on cleared sagebrush land and their probable causes. Technical Bulletin No. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 44 p. [1887]
151. Wright, Henry A.; Neuenschwander, Leon F.; Britton, Carlton M. 1979. The role and use of fire in sagebrush-grass and pinyon-juniper plant communities: A state-of-the-art review. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-58. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 48 p. [2625]
45. Floyd-Hanna, Lisa; Hanna, David; Romme, William H. 1998. Chapin 5 Fire vegetation monitoring and mitigation annual report, year 2. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Mesa Verde National Park. 7 p. [+ Appendices]. Unpublished report on file with: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. [34460]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Broad-scale Impacts of Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: cover, forb, forbs, prescribed fire, restoration, succession

Flixweed tansymustard may invade after restoration treatments [34],
including postfire restoration. It was the most abundant exotic forb species 1 and 2 years after prescribed
burning and glyphosate treatment to control smooth brome (Bromus inermis)
on native rough fescue (Festuca altaica) prairie in Saskatchewan.
Flixweed tansymustard numbers were similar on smooth brome-infested and native
prairie plots, which were also treated with fire and herbicide [53].

Burning may not increase postfire cover of flixweed tansymustard. In his classic
study of postfire succession of flixweed tansymustard and other exotics in big
sagebrush, Piemeisel [100] wrote "the mere statement that a field has been burned
is not sufficient information to foretell what the effect will be on the
succeeding plant cover." For example, a
Gambel oak/common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) community in Utah was chained and burned to increase
forage production for cattle and elk. Two years after treatment, flixweed
tansymustard cover showed little change (Â± 1%) compared to pretreatment levels
[79]. Piemesel [100] stated that site grazing history, postfire weather
patterns, and level of postfire cheatgrass cover will affect cover and relative
abundance of flixweed
tansymustard and other early successional forbs.
The Research Project Summary Nonnative annual grass fuels and fire in
California's Mojave Desert provides information on prescribed fire and postfire response
of plant community species including flixweed tansymustard.

References:

34. Elliott, Charles L.; McKendrick, Jay D.; Helm, D. 1987. Plant biomass, cover, and survival of species used for stripmine reclamation in south-central Alaska, U.S.A. Arctic and Alpine Research. 19(4): 572-577. [6116]
53. Grilz, Perry L.; Romo, J. T. 1995. Management considerations for controlling smooth brome in fescue prairie. Natural Areas Journal. 15(2): 148-156. [25741]
79. Kufeld, Roland C.; Stewart, Larry. 1975. Experimental improvement of oakbrush on deer, elk and cattle ranges - Hightower Mountain. Project No. W-101-R-17: Game Range Investigations. Work Plan No. 4: Job No. 3. Job Progress Report: April 1, 1974 through March 31, 1975. Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Fish and Game: 25-92. [16427]
100. Piemeisel, R. L. 1938. Changes in weedy plant cover on cleared sagebrush land and their probable causes. Technical Bulletin No. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 44 p. [1887]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Plant Response to Fire

More info for the terms: cover, density, forbs, litter, mesic, succession

Flixweed tansymustard establishes from soil-stored seed after fire [2,39], reaching greatest density in early postfire succession [13,95]. Banked seed usually germinates and establishes in postfire years 1 or 2. The postfire population increases rapidly, and by postfire years 2 to 4, localized, dense stands of flixweed tansymustard may form [13,39]. In pinyon-juniper (Pinus-Juniperus spp.) stands of Nevada and Utah, for example, flixweed tansymustard appears in early successional years along with other annual herbs [13,102]. Flixweed tansymustard density decreases as postfire succession continues, although flixweed tansymustard may persist in low numbers in late-successional burns that have retained an open canopy [13,14].

In big sagebrush communities that have experienced fire or other disturbance that removes the sagebrush, flixweed tansymustard commonly dominates or is an important component of the initial postfire community. Along with flixweed tansymustard, Russian-thistle, pinnate tansymustard, and/or tumblemustard form the initial plant community, which is dominated by annuals. Cheatgrass may be part of the initial community in mesic environments. On dry sites, it may follow successionally soon after the annual forbs [101], when litter has created a seedbed favorable for cheatgrass germination [37,38].

Although fire creates an open canopy and bare mineral soil, which favors flixweed tansymustard establishment, flixweed tansymustard is not an obligate "fire follower." Any area with bare ground, open sunlight, and a seed source is vulnerable to flixweed tansymustard invasion [60,61].

Grazing: Few studies have focused on the interactive effects of fire and grazing on flixweed tansymustard. One study suggests that fire and grazing may reduce postfire cover of annuals more than fire alone, but the results are inconclusive for flixweed tansymustard. Russian-thistle, flixweed tansymustard, and prickly-lettuce (Lactuca serriola) were the 3 most important annual forbs, respectively, on a Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis)-green rabbitbrush burn in central Utah. The 3 annual forbs showed greatest coverage on ungrazed, burned sites (~50%), slightly less cover on grazed, burned sites (~45%), and least cover on grazed, unburned sites (~27%). (Data are pooled means for the 3 forbs over 12 postfire years) [146]. Further studies are needed to understand how combined fire and grazing affect flixweed tansymustard.

References:

2. Akinsoji, Aderopo. 1988. Postfire vegetation dynamics in a sagebrush steppe in southeastern Idaho, USA. Vegetatio. 78: 151-155. [6944]
13. Barney, Milo A. 1972. Vegetation changes following fire in the pinyon-juniper type of west central Utah. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 71 p. Thesis. [38767]
14. Barney, Milo A.; Frischknecht, Neil C. 1974. Vegetation changes following fire in the pinyon-juniper type of west-central Utah. Journal of Range Management. 27(2): 91-96. [397]
37. Evans, Raymond A.; Young, James A. 1972. Microsite requirements for establishment of annual rangeland weeds. Weed Science. 20(4): 350-356. [878]
38. Evans, Raymond A.; Young, James A. 1987. Seedbed microenvironment, seedling recruitment, and plant establishment on rangelands. In: Frasier, Gary W.; Evans, Raymond A., eds. Seed and seedbed ecology of rangeland plants: proceedings of symposium; 1987 April 21-23; Tucson, AZ. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service: 212-220. [3354]
39. Everett, Richard L. 1987. Plant response to fire in the pinyon-juniper zone. In: Everett, Richard L., compiler. Proceedings--pinyon-juniper conference; 1986 January 13-16; Reno, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-215. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 152-157. [4755]
60. Hernandez, Helios. 1973. Natural plant recolonization of surficial disturbances, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula region, Northwest Territories. Canadian Journal of Botany. 51: 2177-2196. [20372]
61. Hessing, M. B.; Johnson, C. D. 1982. Early secondary succession following restoration and reseeding treatments in northern Arizona. Journal of Range Management. 35(5): 667-669. [34929]
101. Piemeisel, Robert L. 1951. Causes affecting change and rate of change in a vegetation of annuals in Idaho. Ecology. 32(1): 53-72. [1888]
102. Pieper, Rex D.; Wittie, Roger D. 1990. Fire effects in Southwestern chaparral and pinyon-juniper vegetation. In: Krammes, J. S., technical coordinator. Effects of fire management of southwestern natural resources: Proceedings of the symposium; 1988 November 15-17; Tucson, AZ. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-191. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station: 87-93. [11276]
146. West, Neil E.; Yorks, Terence P. 2002. Vegetation responses following wildfire on grazed and ungrazed sagebrush semi-desert. Journal of Range Management. 55(2): 171-181. [40796]
95. Nelson, David L.; Harper, Kimball T.; Boyer, Kenneth C.; [and others]. 1989. Wildland shrub dieoffs in Utah: an approach to understanding the cause. In: Wallace, Arthur; McArthur, E. Durant; Haferkamp, Marshall R., compilers. Proceedings--symposium on shrub ecophysiology and biotechnology; 1987 June 30 - July 2; Logan, UT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-256. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 119-135. [5942]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Immediate Effect of Fire

More info for the term: root crown

While in the rosette stage, flixweed tansymustard may be top-killed by fire. If the root crown is not damaged, flixweed tansymustard rosettes can sprout new basal leaves from the root crown. As an annual with a single stem, flixweed tansymustard lacks adaptations for regrowth once it has bolted [2,39], and plants burned after the rosette stage are killed. Research on fire's impact to the seed bank is lacking as of this writing (2003), but it appears that fire has little effect on flixweed tansymustard seed populations. Flixweed tansymustard has tiny seeds [32,51,64,106] that easily fall into fire-safe microsites such as soil crevices. While fire is likely to kill some seed, its overall effect to the flixweed tansymustard seed bank is probably negligible.

References:

106. Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. 1183 p. [7606]
2. Akinsoji, Aderopo. 1988. Postfire vegetation dynamics in a sagebrush steppe in southeastern Idaho, USA. Vegetatio. 78: 151-155. [6944]
32. Diggs, George M., Jr.; Lipscomb, Barney L.; O'Kennon, Robert J. 1999. Illustrated flora of north-central Texas. Sida Botanical Miscellany No. 16. Fort Worth, TX: Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 1626 p. [35698]
39. Everett, Richard L. 1987. Plant response to fire in the pinyon-juniper zone. In: Everett, Richard L., compiler. Proceedings--pinyon-juniper conference; 1986 January 13-16; Reno, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-215. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 152-157. [4755]
51. Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1392 p. [1603]
64. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Post-fire Regeneration

More info for the terms: ground residual colonizer, initial off-site colonizer

POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY [127]:
Ground residual colonizer (on-site, initial community)
Initial off-site colonizer (off-site, initial community)

References:

127. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 10 p. [20090]

Source:

License:

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Fire Ecology

More info for the terms: fire regime, invasive species, litter, mesic, shrub, succession

Fire adaptations: Flixweed tansymustard establishes from soil-stored seed after fire [2,39]. Animal, wind, or machinery transport from off-site may provide additional, minor sources of seed [155] or introduce flixweed tansymustard to burns where it is not already present in the soil seed bank. Fire creates conditions favorable for flixweed tansymustard establishment (bare soil, open canopy, reduced growth interference) [16,101]. As a shade-intolerant, invasive species, flixweed tansymustard thrives in the early postfire environment [151].

FIRE REGIMES: Introduced species can alter the rate of spread of fire, the probability of occurrence of fire, and the intensity of fire in an ecosystem [31]. Flixweed tansymustard has multiple, finely divided leaves [32,51,64,106] and tends to form dense stands that are dead and dry by the fire season [16]; hence, it provides a source of fine surface fuels that can spread fire. If flixweed tansymustard stands do not burn, they provide litter that favors establishment of species, including cheatgrass, which are more sensitive to desiccation as germinants and seedlings than flixweed tansymustard [37,38].

Flixweed tansymustard was absent or unimportant in fire-prone ecosystems when historic FIRE REGIMES were functional; however, pinnate and other tansymustards were present. Flixweed and pinnate tansymustard are morphologically and ecologically similar [89], and flixweed tansymustard is filling or sharing the ecological niche of pinnate tansymustard as an initial colonizer and early seral species on burns. The role of both species in facilitating establishment of other weedy species in dry environments by providing litter (and subsequently, more mesic conditions for germination and seedling growth of other species including cheatgrass) needs further investigation. There may be subtle differences in the effectiveness of the 2 species in facilitating postdisturbance succession; this also bears investigation, particularly in areas vulnerable to cheatgrass invasion.

Because flixweed tansymustard is widespread, it is difficult to exclude many ecosystems as potential hosts of flixweed tansymustard plants or populations. The following table provides some fire regime intervals for plant communities where flixweed tansymustard may be important. For further information, see the FEIS summary on the dominant species listed below.

Community or Ecosystem Dominant Species Fire Return Interval Range (years) silver fir-Douglas-fir Abies amabilis-Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii > 200 grand fir A. grandis 35-200 [8] maple-beech-birch Acer-Fagus-Betula > 1000 silver maple-American elm A. saccharinum-Ulmus americana < 35 to 200 sugar maple A. saccharum > 1,000 sugar maple-basswood A. saccharum-Tilia americana > 1,000 [144] California chaparral Adenostoma and/or Arctostaphylos spp. 97] bluestem prairie Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii-Schizachyrium scoparium 77,97] Nebraska sandhills prairie A. gerardii var. paucipilus-S. scoparium < 10 bluestem-Sacahuista prairie A. littoralis-Spartina spartinae 97] silver sagebrush steppe Artemisia cana 5-45 [62,104,150] sagebrush steppe A. tridentata/Pseudoroegneria spicata 20-70 [97] basin big sagebrush A. tridentata var. tridentata 12-43 [116] mountain big sagebrush A. tridentata var. vaseyana 15-40 [9,23,87] Wyoming big sagebrush A. tridentata var. wyomingensis 10-70 (40**) [141,156] coastal sagebrush A. californica < 35 to < 100 saltbush-greasewood Atriplex confertifolia-Sarcobatus vermiculatus < 35 to < 100 desert grasslands Bouteloua eriopoda and/or Pleuraphis mutica 5-100 [97] plains grasslands Bouteloua spp. 97,150] blue grama-needle-and-thread grass-western wheatgrass B. gracilis-Hesperostipa comata-Pascopyrum smithii 97,113,150] blue grama-buffalo grass B. gracilis-Buchloe dactyloides 97,150] grama-galleta steppe Bouteloua gracilis-Pleuraphis jamesii < 35 to < 100 blue grama-tobosa prairie B. gracilis-P. mutica < 35 to < 100 cheatgrass Bromus tectorum < 10 California montane chaparral Ceanothus and/or Arctostaphylos spp. 50-100 [97] sugarberry-America elm-green ash Celtis laevigata-Ulmus americana-Fraxinus pennsylvanica 144] paloverde-cactus shrub Cercidium microphyllum/Opuntia spp. 97] curlleaf mountain-mahogany* Cercocarpus ledifolius 13-1000 [11,118] mountain-mahogany-Gambel oak scrub C. ledifolius-Quercus gambelii 97] Atlantic white-cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides 35 to > 200 [144] blackbrush Coleogyne ramosissima < 35 to < 100 Arizona cypress Cupressus arizonica < 35 to 200 northern cordgrass prairie Distichlis spicata-Spartina spp. 1-3 [97] beech-sugar maple Fagus spp.-Acer saccharum > 1000 [144] California steppe Festuca-Danthonia spp. 97,129] black ash Fraxinus nigra 144] juniper-oak savanna Juniperus ashei-Quercus virginiana < 35 Ashe juniper J. ashei < 35 western juniper J. occidentalis 20-70 Rocky Mountain juniper J. scopulorum < 35 cedar glades J. virginiana 3-7 tamarack Larix laricina 35-200 [97] western larch L. occidentalis 25-100 [8] creosotebush Larrea tridentata < 35 to < 100 Ceniza shrub L. tridentata-Leucophyllum frutescens-Prosopis glandulosa 97] yellow-poplar Liriodendron tulipifera 144] wheatgrass plains grasslands Pascopyrum smithii < 5-47+ [97,104,150] Great Lakes spruce-fir Picea-Abies spp. 35 to > 200 northeastern spruce-fir Picea-Abies spp. 35-200 [33] southeastern spruce-fir Picea-Abies spp. 35 to > 200 [144] Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir P. engelmannii-A. lasiocarpa 35 to > 200 [8] black spruce P. mariana 35-200 [33] blue spruce* P. pungens 35-200 [8] red spruce* P. rubens 35-200 [33] pine-cypress forest Pinus-Cupressus spp. 8] pinyon-juniper Pinus-Juniperus spp. 97] whitebark pine* P. albicaulis 50-200 [1,6] jack pine P. banksiana 33] Mexican pinyon P. cembroides 20-70 [91,132] Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine* P. contorta var. latifolia 25-300+ [7,8,112] Sierra lodgepole pine* P. contorta var. murrayana 35-200 [7] shortleaf pine P. echinata 2-15 shortleaf pine-oak P. echinata-Quercus spp. 144] Colorado pinyon P. edulis 10-400+ [44,50,75,97] slash pine P. elliottii 3-8 slash pine-hardwood P. elliottii-variable < 35 sand pine P. elliottii var. elliottii 25-45 [144] Jeffrey pine P. jeffreyi 5-30 western white pine* P. monticola 50-200 [8] longleaf-slash pine P. palustris-P. elliottii 1-4 [94,144] longleaf pine-scrub oak P. palustris-Quercus spp. 6-10 [144] Pacific ponderosa pine* P. ponderosa var. ponderosa 1-47 [8] interior ponderosa pine* P. ponderosa var. scopulorum 2-30 [8,12,80] Arizona pine P. ponderosa var. arizonica 2-15 [12,28,119] Table Mountain pine P. pungens 144] red pine (Great Lakes region) P. resinosa 10-200 (10**) [33,46] red-white-jack pine* P. resinosa-P. strobus-P. banksiana 10-300 [33,58] pitch pine P. rigida 6-25 [21,59] pocosin P. serotina 3-8 pond pine P. serotina 3-8 eastern white pine P. strobus 35-200 eastern white pine-eastern hemlock P. strobus-Tsuga canadensis 35-200 eastern white pine-northern red oak-red maple P. strobus-Quercus rubra-Acer rubrum 35-200 loblolly pine P. taeda 3-8 loblolly-shortleaf pine P. taeda-P. echinata 10 to < 35 Virginia pine P. virginiana 10 to < 35 Virginia pine-oak P. virginiana-Quercus spp. 10 to < 35 sycamore-sweetgum-American elm Platanus occidentalis-Liquidambar styraciflua-Ulmus americana 144] galleta-threeawn shrubsteppe Pleuraphis jamesii-Aristida purpurea < 35 to < 100 eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides 97] aspen-birch P. tremuloides-Betula papyrifera 35-200 [33,144] quaking aspen (west of the Great Plains) P. tremuloides 7-120 [8,55,86] mesquite Prosopis glandulosa 85,97] mesquite-buffalo grass P. glandulosa-Buchloe dactyloides < 35 Texas savanna P. glandulosa var. glandulosa 97] black cherry-sugar maple Prunus serotina-Acer saccharum > 1000 [144] mountain grasslands Pseudoroegneria spicata 3-40 (10**) [7,8] Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir* Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca 25-100 [8,9,10] coastal Douglas-fir* P. menziesii var. menziesii 40-240 [8,92,109] California mixed evergreen P. menziesii var. m.-Lithocarpus densiflorus-Arbutus menziesii < 35 California oakwoods Quercus spp. 8] oak-hickory Quercus-Carya spp. 144] oak-juniper woodland (Southwest) Quercus-Juniperus spp. 97] northeastern oak-pine Quercus-Pinus spp. 10 to 144] oak-gum-cypress Quercus-Nyssa-spp.-Taxodium distichum 35 to > 200 [94] southeastern oak-pine Quercus-Pinus spp. 144] coast live oak Q. agrifolia 2-75 [52] white oak-black oak-northern red oak Q. alba-Q. velutina-Q. rubra 144] canyon live oak Q. chrysolepis <35 to 200 blue oak-foothills pine Q. douglasii-Pinus sabiniana 8] northern pin oak Q. ellipsoidalis 144] Oregon white oak Q. garryana 8] bear oak Q. ilicifolia 144] California black oak Q. kelloggii 5-30 [97] bur oak Q. macrocarpa 144] oak savanna Q. macrocarpa/Andropogon gerardii-Schizachyrium scoparium 2-14 [97,144] shinnery Q. mohriana 97] chestnut oak Q. prinus 3-8 northern red oak Q. rubra 10 to < 35 post oak-blackjack oak Q. stellata-Q. marilandica < 10 black oak Q. velutina < 35 live oak Q. virginiana 10 to144] interior live oak Q. wislizenii 8] cabbage palmetto-slash pine Sabal palmetto-Pinus elliottii 94,144] blackland prairie Schizachyrium scoparium-Nassella leucotricha < 10 Fayette prairie S. scoparium-Buchloe dactyloides < 10 little bluestem-grama prairie S. scoparium-Bouteloua spp. < 35 tule marshes Scirpus and/or Typha spp. 144] redwood Sequoia sempervirens 5-200 [8,42,131] southern cordgrass prairie Spartina alterniflora 1-3 [97] baldcypress Taxodium distichum var. distichum 100 to > 300 pondcypress T. distichum var. nutans 94] western redcedar-western hemlock Thuja plicata-Tsuga heterophylla > 200 [8] eastern hemlock-yellow birch T. canadensis-Betula alleghaniensis > 200 [144] western hemlock-Sitka spruce T. heterophylla-Picea sitchensis > 200 mountain hemlock* T. mertensiana 35 to > 200 [8] elm-ash-cottonwood Ulmus-Fraxinus-Populus spp. 33,144] *fire return interval varies widely; trends in variation are noted in the species summary
**mean

References:

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Successional Status

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the terms: fire management, forbs, litter, reclamation, succession

Flixweed tansymustard occurs in early seral communities. It is common on disturbed ground [36,39,60,61,95,128,136]. For example, in a big sagebrush community in northwestern Colorado, flixweed tansymustard appeared the 1st year after bulldozing, showing mean productivity of 1 g/m2. Productivity peaked at postdisturbance year 2, and declined for the next 5 years. Flixweed tansymustard was present in only trace amounts on undisturbed control plots. It showed the same pattern of succession on plots that were fertilized with nitrogen after bulldozing, except productivity was greater on fertilized plots compared to unfertilized plots (15 vs. 5 g/m2 at postdisturbance year 2) [84]. On oilfields of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, flixweed tansymustard was among the most important forbs 5 to 8 years after exploratory drilling [83]. Flixweed tansymustard is nonmycorrhizal [98]; thus, it is able to pioneer on sterile sites or on sites undergoing primary succession [3,17].

A common pattern of succession in disturbed sagebrush steppe begins with Russian-thistle. Flixweed tansymustard, pinnate tansymustard, and/or tumblemustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) soon follow successionally. Russian-thistle may in turn reinvade the mustard stands with grazing disturbance, but more commonly, the mustards are succeeded by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) [66,101,152]. In desert environments, cheatgrass usually requires litter for successful germination and establishment. Dried skeletons of flixweed tansymustard and other annual forbs may facilitate cheatgrass establishment by providing litter [37,38]. For information on the interactions of flixweed tansymustard and cheatgrass, see Fire Management Considerations and the FEIS review on cheatgrass.

Flixweed tansymustard is uncommon to absent in late seres [115]. In central Saskatchewan, flixweed tansymustard occurred in fallow and recently harvested wheat (Triticum aestivum) fields. It was not present, or found in seed bank soil samples, of adjacent undisturbed shortbristle need-and-thread-western wheatgrass (Hesperostipa curtiseta-Pascopyrum smithii) prairie [5]. On strip-mined sites in south-central Alaska, flixweed tansymustard volunteered on revegetated reclamation sites, but was absent by posttreatment year 10 [34]. Flixweed tansymustard is most likely to persist in communities that retain unlittered soil and open canopies into late succession. In singleleaf pinyon-Colorado pinyon (Pinus edulis)-Utah juniper communities of west-central Utah, where litter build-up can be slow, flixweed tansymustard occurred on burns in early to late stages of succession (3-100+ years), but was most common on new burns [13]. On mixed-grass prairies in Wyoming, which are likely to build up litter quickly, flixweed tansymustard was common for ~10 years postdisturbance, then became increasing scarce [115].

Flixweed tansymustard and the native pinnate tansymustard are apparently equally invasive, and fill similar ecological niches [89].

References:

5. Archibold, O. W. 1981. Buried viable propagules in native prairie and adjacent agricultural sites in central Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Botany. 59: 701-706. [26128]
3. Allen, Edith B.; Allen, Michael F. 1988. Facilitation of succession by the nonmycotrophic colonizer Salsola kali (Chenopodiaceae) on a harsh site: effects of mycorrhizal fungi. American Journal of Botany. 75(2): 257-266. [2921]
13. Barney, Milo A. 1972. Vegetation changes following fire in the pinyon-juniper type of west central Utah. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 71 p. Thesis. [38767]
17. Birks, H. J. B. 1980. The present flora and vegetation of the moraines of the Klutlan Glacier, Yukon Territory, Canada: a study in plant succession. Quaternary Research. 14(1): 60-86. [13490]
34. Elliott, Charles L.; McKendrick, Jay D.; Helm, D. 1987. Plant biomass, cover, and survival of species used for stripmine reclamation in south-central Alaska, U.S.A. Arctic and Alpine Research. 19(4): 572-577. [6116]
36. Erhard, Dean H. 1979. Plant communities and habitat types in the Lava Beds National Monument, California. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 173 p. Thesis. [869]
37. Evans, Raymond A.; Young, James A. 1972. Microsite requirements for establishment of annual rangeland weeds. Weed Science. 20(4): 350-356. [878]
38. Evans, Raymond A.; Young, James A. 1987. Seedbed microenvironment, seedling recruitment, and plant establishment on rangelands. In: Frasier, Gary W.; Evans, Raymond A., eds. Seed and seedbed ecology of rangeland plants: proceedings of symposium; 1987 April 21-23; Tucson, AZ. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service: 212-220. [3354]
39. Everett, Richard L. 1987. Plant response to fire in the pinyon-juniper zone. In: Everett, Richard L., compiler. Proceedings--pinyon-juniper conference; 1986 January 13-16; Reno, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-215. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 152-157. [4755]
60. Hernandez, Helios. 1973. Natural plant recolonization of surficial disturbances, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula region, Northwest Territories. Canadian Journal of Botany. 51: 2177-2196. [20372]
61. Hessing, M. B.; Johnson, C. D. 1982. Early secondary succession following restoration and reseeding treatments in northern Arizona. Journal of Range Management. 35(5): 667-669. [34929]
66. Hironaka, M.; Tisdale, E. W. 1963. Secondary succession in annual vegetation in southern Idaho. Ecology. 44(4): 810-812. [1160]
83. McKendrick, Jay D. 1987. Plant succession on disturbed sites, North Slope, Alaska, U.S.A. Arctic and Alpine Research. 19(4): 554-565. [6077]
84. McLendon, Terry; Redente, Edward F. 1994. Role of nitrogen availability in the transition from annual-dominated to perennial-dominated seral communities. In: Monsen, Stephen B.; Kitchen, Stanley G., compilers. Proceedings--ecology and management of annual rangelands; 1992 May 18-22; Boise, ID. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-313. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 352-362. [24309]
98. Pendleton, R. I.; Smith, B. N. 1983. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae of weedy and colonizer plant species at disturbed sites in Utah. Oecologia. 59: 296-301. [44055]
101. Piemeisel, Robert L. 1951. Causes affecting change and rate of change in a vegetation of annuals in Idaho. Ecology. 32(1): 53-72. [1888]
115. Samuel, Marilyn J.; Hart, Richard H. 1994. Sixty-one years of secondary succession on rangelands of the Wyoming high plains. Journal of Range Management. 47: 184-191. [23026]
128. Stockrahm, Donna M. Bruns; Olson, Theresa Ebbenga; Harper, Elizabeth K. 1993. Plant species in black-tailed prairie dog towns in Billings County, North Dakota. Prairie Naturalist. 25(2): 173-183. [23166]
136. Tisdale, E. W.; Hironaka, M.; Fosberg, M. A. 1969. The sagebrush region in Idaho: a problem in range resource management. Bulletin 512. Moscow, ID: University of Idaho, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. 15 p. [7514]
152. Yensen, Dana L. 1981. The 1900 invasion of alien plants into southern Idaho. The Great Basin Naturalist. 41(2): 176-183. [2634]
89. Mitich, Larry W.; Kyser, Guy B. 1992. Impact of exotic weeds in the United States. In: Lym, Rodney G., ed. Proceedings, Western Society of Weed Science; 1992 March 10-12; Salt Lake City, UT. [Place of publication unknown]: Western Society of Weed Science: 86-93. [20616]
95. Nelson, David L.; Harper, Kimball T.; Boyer, Kenneth C.; [and others]. 1989. Wildland shrub dieoffs in Utah: an approach to understanding the cause. In: Wallace, Arthur; McArthur, E. Durant; Haferkamp, Marshall R., compilers. Proceedings--symposium on shrub ecophysiology and biotechnology; 1987 June 30 - July 2; Logan, UT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-256. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 119-135. [5942]

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Growth Form (according to Raunkiær Life-form classification)

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: therophyte

RAUNKIAER [107] LIFE FORM:
Therophyte

References:

107. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Life Form

More info for the term: forb

Forb

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Regeneration Processes

Flixweed tansymustard reproduces solely from seed [114,126].

Breeding system: Mustards (Brassicaceae) are cross-pollinated. Selfing also occurs [63].

Pollination is insect-mediated. The sepals contain nectaries that attract insect pollinators [63].

Seed production: Flixweed tansymustard produces an average of 75-650 seeds per plant [124]. A large plant may produce upwards of 700,000 seeds [114].

Seed dispersal: Wind, water, machinery, and animals transport flixweed tansymustard seed, although most seed falls near the parent plant [114]. Animals disperse tansymustard seeds when the mucilaginous seedcoat sticks to feathers or fur [155].

Seed banking: Flixweed tansymustard builds up a soil seed bank [2,5,39,149]. The seed bank can be large: Stevens [126] documented a flixweed tansymustard seed population of 704,582/m2 in North Dakota soil. Flixweed tansymustard was an important component of the soil seed pool (all spp.) in big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) of southwestern Wyoming [30]. On the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas, flixweed tansymustard was the 2nd most common species to emerge on irrigated and unirrigated test plots; red brome was most common [149]. Long-term viability of flixweed tansymustard seed is unknown, but the seed is reported to remain viable for "considerable periods in the soil" [114]. Buried flixweed seed remained viable at least 4 years in Fairbanks, Alaska. Seed viability generally dropped with years of soil storage [26]:

0 years 2.7 years 3.7 years 4.7 years 67% 28% 36% 10%

Germination: Flixweed tansymustard shows good germination [27], with a mean rate of about 70% [114]. Seed collected in Alberta showed 75% germination after cold storage/stratification. In another aspect of the study, some seeds from the lot survived digestion by ruminant grazers or short-term silage. Three percent of ingested seed germinated after 1 day in a cow's rumen, and seed stored in the bottom of a barley (Hordeum vulgare)-filled silo for 8 weeks showed 2% germination [19].

Flixweed tansymustard is adapted to establishing in dry environments. The seedcoat of tansymustards forms a thin layer of mucilage after wetting [64,155]; the mucilaginous layer helps germinating seeds retain water [155].

Seedling establishment/growth: The taproot exploits moisture in the upper soil layer [29,152,153], and uncrowded plants develop rapidly. Plants may develop numerous leaves and up to 15 lateral, fruit-bearing branches at maturity [16].

References:

5. Archibold, O. W. 1981. Buried viable propagules in native prairie and adjacent agricultural sites in central Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Botany. 59: 701-706. [26128]
2. Akinsoji, Aderopo. 1988. Postfire vegetation dynamics in a sagebrush steppe in southeastern Idaho, USA. Vegetatio. 78: 151-155. [6944]
16. Best, K. F. 1977. The biology of Canadian weeds. 22. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 57: 499-507. [44054]
19. Blackshaw, Robert E.; Rode, Lyle M. 1991. Effect of ensiling and rumen digestion by cattle on weed seed viability. Weed Science. 39(1): 104-108. [21835]
26. Conn, Jeffery S. 1990. Seed viability and dormancy of 17 weed species after burial for 4.7 years in Alaska. Weed Science. 38: 134-138. [11815]
27. Conn, Jeffery S.; Farris, Martha L. 1987. Seed viability and dormancy of 17 weed species after 21 months in Alaska. Weed Science. 35: 524-529. [5]
29. Craddock, George W.; Pearse, C. Kenneth. 1938. Surface run-off and erosion on granitic mountain soils of Idaho as influenced by range cover, soil disturbance, slope, and precipitation intensity. Circular No. 482. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 24 p. [44027]
30. Crist, Thomas O.; MacMahon, James A. 1992. Harvester ant foraging and shrub-steppe seeds: interactions of seed resources and seed use. Ecology. 73(5): 1768-1779. [23498]
39. Everett, Richard L. 1987. Plant response to fire in the pinyon-juniper zone. In: Everett, Richard L., compiler. Proceedings--pinyon-juniper conference; 1986 January 13-16; Reno, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-215. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 152-157. [4755]
63. Hickey, Michael; King, Clive J. 1981. 100 families of flowering plants. New York: Cambridge University Press. 567 p. [44073]
64. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
114. Salisbury, Edward J. 1961. Weeds and aliens. London: Collins. 330 p. [44074]
126. Stevens, O. A. 1957. Weights of seeds and numbers per plant. Weeds. 5: 46-55. [44071]
149. Winkel, Von K.; Ostler, W. Kent; Gabbert, Warren D.; Lyon, Glen E. 1995. Effects of seedbed preparation, irrigation and water harvesting on seedling emergence at the Nevada Test Site. In: Roundy, Bruce A.; McArthur, E. Durant; Haley, Jennifer S.; Mann, David K., compilers. Proceedings: wildland shrub and arid land restoration symposium; 1993 October 19-21; Las Vegas, NV. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-GTR-315. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station: 135-141. [24839]
152. Yensen, Dana L. 1981. The 1900 invasion of alien plants into southern Idaho. The Great Basin Naturalist. 41(2): 176-183. [2634]
153. Yensen, Dana. 1980. A grazing history of southwestern Idaho with emphasis on the Birds of Prey Study Area. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land Management, Snake River Birds of Prey Research Project, Boise District. 82 p. [4148]
155. Young, James A.; Evans, Raymond A. 1973. Mucilaginous seed coats. Weed Science. 21(1): 52-54. [5937]
124. Stevens, O. A. 1954. Weed seed facts. Circular A-218. Grand Forks, ND: North Dakota College. [Unknown]. [44072]

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Cyclicity

Phenology

USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

More info for the term: cotyledon

Germination usually begins in winter or early spring [134,135], depending upon latitude and elevation. Flixweed tansymustard is 1 of the 1st plants to appear in spring. After the cotyledon stage, the seedling forms a rosette of basal leaves, then grows the stem and cauline leaves [64]. Fall-germinating seeds overwinter as rosettes [16]. In the United States, flixweed tansymustard 1st flowers in the Southeast [106,130]. Phenological events by region are:

Region Event Period Southeast anthesis Feb.-Aug. [106,130] Southwest anthesis March-July [73] Pacific Northwest anthesis March-July [67] Northeast anthesis May-July [48] Great Plains anthesis northern: mid-June-late July [49,96] southern: March-Sept. [32] Great Lakes anthesis June-Aug. [90] fruits ripen June-early Sept. [96]

Flixweed tansymustard 1st sheds pollen in mid-May in North Dakota. Average flowering date is May 28th, with flowering ranging from mid-May to early June [125]. Over an 8-year period in western North Dakota, flixweed tansymustard began 1st bloom from mid-June to late July. Mean total growth was completed in June [49]. Similarly, May 30th was the mean flowering date over a 7-year period in Saskatchewan. Across years, flowering extended from mid-May to late July [22].

Fruits ripen in summer or early fall, and plants begin to dry out and die at that time. Fruits burst and disperse seed as the plant dries [152,153].

References:

106. Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. 1183 p. [7606]
16. Best, K. F. 1977. The biology of Canadian weeds. 22. Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 57: 499-507. [44054]
22. Budd, A. C.; Campbell, J. B. 1959. Flowering sequence of a local flora. Journal of Range Management. 12: 127-132. [552]
32. Diggs, George M., Jr.; Lipscomb, Barney L.; O'Kennon, Robert J. 1999. Illustrated flora of north-central Texas. Sida Botanical Miscellany No. 16. Fort Worth, TX: Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 1626 p. [35698]
48. Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p. [20329]
49. Goetz, Harold. 1963. Growth and development of native range plants in the mixed grass prairie of western North Dakota. Fargo, ND: North Dakota State University. 141 p. Thesis. [5661]
64. Hickman, James C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p. [21992]
67. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1964. Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest. Part 2: Salicaceae to Saxifragaceae. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 597 p. [1166]
96. Patman, Jacqueline P.; Iltis, Hugh H. 1961. Preliminary reports on the flora of Wisconsin. No. 44. Cruciferae--Mustard family. Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters. 50: 17-73. [37898]
125. Stevens, O. A. 1956. Flowering dates of weeds in North Dakota. North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station Bimonthly Bulletin. 18(6): 209-213. [5168]
130. Strausbaugh, P. D.; Core, Earl L. 1977. Flora of West Virginia. 2nd ed. Morgantown, WV: Seneca Books, Inc. 1079 p. [23213]
134. Thomas, A. G. 1991. Floristic composition and relative abundance of weeds in annual crops of Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 71(3): 831-839. [21786]
135. Thomas, A. G.; Donaghy, D. I. 1991. A survey of the occurrence of seedling weeds in spring annual crops in Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 71(3): 811-820. [21781]
152. Yensen, Dana L. 1981. The 1900 invasion of alien plants into southern Idaho. The Great Basin Naturalist. 41(2): 176-183. [2634]
153. Yensen, Dana. 1980. A grazing history of southwestern Idaho with emphasis on the Birds of Prey Study Area. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land Management, Snake River Birds of Prey Research Project, Boise District. 82 p. [4148]
90. Mohlenbrock, Robert H. 1986. [Revised edition]. Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press. 507 p. [17383]
73. Kartesz, John Thomas. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Reno, NV: University of Nevada. 1729 p. [In 3 volumes]. Dissertation. [42426]

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Flower/Fruit

Fl. Per.: April-July.

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Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA

Life Expectancy

Annual.

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Descurainia sophia

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

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http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Statistics of barcoding coverage: Descurainia sophia

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 10
Specimens with Barcodes: 16
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Barcode of Life Data Systems

Conservation Status

Flixweed tansymustard is classified as a noxious weed list in Colorado and Minnesota [137,138].

References:

137. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine Program (PPQ). 1999. Colorado summaries of exterior quarantines: Noxious weed list. In: National Plant Board, Federal and state plant quarantine summaries, [Online]. Available: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/npb/F&SQS/cosq.html [2003, April 22]. [36892]
138. U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Resource Conservation Service. 2003. PLANTS database (2003), [Online]. Available: http://plants.usda.gov/. [34262]

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

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NatureServe Conservation Status

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Source:

NatureServe

License:

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

National NatureServe Conservation Status

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

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NatureServe

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USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information Service

Rights Holder:

NatureServe

Management

Impacts and Control

More info for the terms: density, fire management, interference, litter, natural, restoration, succession

Impacts: The greatest impact of flixweed and other tansymustards to wildlands is probably their role in facilitating succession. See Successional Status for further information.

Flixweed tansymustard invades rangelands disturbed by heavy grazing [105]. It is a common volunteer on restoration and rehabilitation projects [122,143].

Flixweed tansymustard is a crop pest [89] and an alternate host for beet leafhoppers, which transmit curly top virus to sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) crops [65].

Control: Flixweed tansymustard does not usually persist in late-seral communities and may not require special control measures. Canopy closure, litter accumulation and/or growth interference from later-successional species tend to exclude tansymustard over time. For example, flixweed tansymustard volunteered between rough fescue sod patches on a restoration project in Alberta. As the rough fescue grew and litter accumulated, flixweed tansymustard became less abundant [108]. Perhaps because it is largely controlled by succession, there is scant wildland-management interest in using resource monies to control flixweed tansymustard with fire, herbicides, or other treatments.

Prevention/Cultural: Since flixweed tansymustard is an early seral species, minimizing soil disturbance and seed dispersal and maintaining a healthy plant community is the best way to prevent establishment of flixweed tansymustard [25].

Integrated management: Land management practices that promote later-successional species can exclude flixweed tansymustard from most plant communities [25]. Some communities, such as sagebrush steppe and salt-desert shrubland, maintain open light and bare ground conditions well into late succession [81]. For these communities, flixweed tansymustard is controlled by eliminating seed production until the seed bank is depleted. Mechanical treatment or herbicide application prior to seed set treats established plants [25]. Managers are encouraged to use combinations of control techniques that are appropriate to the site objectives, desired plant community, available resources, and timing of application. For information on integrated weed management without herbicides, see the Bio-Integral Resource Center (BIRC) website.

Physical/mechanical: Small infestations of flixweed tansymustard can be controlled by hand pulling rosettes in the fall or early spring [25].

Fire: See Fire Management Considerations.

Biological: There are no biological control organisms reported for flixweed tansymustard [25].

Chemical: Herbicides are effective in gaining initial control of a new invasion or a severe infestation, but are rarely a complete or long-term solution to weed management [24]. Herbicides are more effective on large infestations when incorporated into long-term management plans that include replacement of weeds with desirable species, careful land use management, and prevention of new infestations. Control with herbicides is temporary, as it does not change those conditions that allow infestations to occur [157]. See the Weed Control Methods Handbook for considerations on the use of herbicides in natural areas and detailed information on specific chemicals.

Flixweed tansymustard seedlings are sensitive to most herbicides at relatively low application rates. Glyphosate and 2,4-D give excellent control [135,148], as do many other herbicides [148]. Herbicide choice and rates are influenced by growth stage, stand density, and environmental conditions (e.g. drought or cold temperatures). Check with state or county weed specialists for appropriate local use rates and timing.

References:

135. Thomas, A. G.; Donaghy, D. I. 1991. A survey of the occurrence of seedling weeds in spring annual crops in Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 71(3): 811-820. [21781]
24. Bussan, Alvin J.; Dyer, William E. 1999. Herbicides and rangeland. In: Sheley, Roger L.; Petroff, Janet K., eds. Biology and management of noxious rangeland weeds. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press: 116-132. [35716]
65. Hironaka, M. 1986. Piemeisel exclosures. Rangelands. 8(5): 221-223. [1157]
81. Lesica, Peter; DeLuca, Thomas H. 1996. Long-term harmful effects of crested wheatgrass on Great Plains grassland ecosystems. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 51(5): 408-409. [27722]
105. Quinton, Dee A.; McLean, Alistair; Stout, Darryl G. 1982. Vegetative and reproductive growth of bluebunch wheatgrass in interior British Columbia. Journal of Range Management. 35(1): 46-51. [1927]
108. Revel, Richard D. 1993. Canada's rough fescue grasslands. Restoration & Management Notes. 11(2): 117-124. [30472]
122. Skousen, J. G.; Davis, J. N.; Brotherson, J. D. 1989. Pinyon-juniper chaining and seeding for big game in central Utah. Journal of Range Management. 42(2): 98-104. [1297]
143. Waaland, Marc E.; Allen, Edith B. 1987. Relationships between VA mycorrhizal fungi and plant cover following surface mining in Wyoming. Journal of Range Management. 40(3): 271-276. [35164]
157. Youtie, Berta; Soll, Jonathan. 1990. Diffuse knapweed control on the Tom McCall Preserve and Mayer State Park. Unpublished report prepared for the Mazama Research Committee. On file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT. 18 p. [38353]
25. Colorado Natural Areas Program. 2002. Appendix 4. Profiles of Colorado state-listed noxious weeds, [Online]. In: Invasive weed management handbook. Available: http://parks.state.co.us/cnap/IWM_handbook/App4_b_d.pdf [2003, April 24]. [44034]
89. Mitich, Larry W.; Kyser, Guy B. 1992. Impact of exotic weeds in the United States. In: Lym, Rodney G., ed. Proceedings, Western Society of Weed Science; 1992 March 10-12; Salt Lake City, UT. [Place of publication unknown]: Western Society of Weed Science: 86-93. [20616]
148. William, Ray D.; Ball, Dan; Miller, Terry L.; [and others], compilers. 2001. Pacific Northwest weed management handbook. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 408 p. [38715]

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