Natural History Museum of Utah, Garrett Herbarium (UT:Botany)
UT0004102
9897d468-0563-4360-a1a2-eaea14f0622a
Amaranthus retroflexus L.
Amaranthaceae
Michael D Lewis
3
2014-07-23
23 July 2014
USA, Utah, San Juan, BLM land. Take U-95 west from Blanding for about 11 km, turn south onto San Juan County Road 262 after 1 km, turn west onto county road 232. Travel south approximately 14 km to Fish Mouth Cave trailhead. Follow trail west into Butler Wash. Sample site is along edge of Butler Wash arroyo where trail drops into wash and arroyo from spring below Fish Mouth cave meets Butler Wash arroyo.
37.427353 -109.633556 +-20m.
12 620900E 4143158N
1445-1445 meters
4742ft
Sample site is in main arroyo of Butler Wash and is subject to periodic flash flooding. A side arroyo leading westward to Fish Mouth Cave exhibits more mesic species than the main arroyo, 50m up this arroyo a spring provides a year round water-source.
The soil is sandy alluvial deposition downcut by seasonal flooding. Butler Wash arroyo contains a mix of salt-bush, rabbitbrush and tamarisk with scattered cottonwoods. Smaller vegetation, like pigweed and Russian thistle are constrained to thick mats downstream from well established shrubby species (tamarisk, rabbitbrush) which shield the mats from floodwaters. The arroyo walls also support a number of smaller plant species.