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Greenmolly
Common
Name(s):
Greenmolly
Desert Molly
Greenmolly Summercypress
Red sage
Gray Molly
Scientific
Name:
Kochia
americana S. Wats.
Scientific
Name Synonyms:
None known
Symbol:
KOAM
Description:
Life Span: Perennial
Origin:
Native
Season: Deciduous
Growth Characteristics:
A
4 to 16 inch subshrub, woody and much branched at the base, simple
and herbaceous above. Stems are grayish-white. Flowers in late summer,
reproduces from seeds.
Flowers/Inflorescence:
Flowers
are small, without stalks, extremely hairy and white.
Fruits/Seeds:Fruit
is a utricle.
Leaves: Alternate
or opposite, often occurring in fascicles (similar to a pine tree).
The blades are narrow, fleshy, and about ½ inch long. Surfaces
are dark green and covered with long silky hairs.
Stems: Grayish
and hairy.
Ecological
Adaptations:
Occurs
in desert valleys, flats, marshes, roadsides, and foothills of the
cold desert region. New growth, especially the leaves, often dries
to a black color.
Soils: Saline,
sandy clay loams.
Associated Species:
Saltbush,
shadscale, black
sagebrush, Indian ricegrass,
saltgrass.
Uses and
Management:
Greenmolly
provides excellent forage for sheep, cattle, and deer. It is often
used as winter forage for sheep. It is high in protein during the
fall. There is some evidence that it may accumulate nitrates.
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