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Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Perennial Forbs Around Las Vegas, Vegetation Around Las Vegas
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)

General: Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata) is a perennial forb that grows as a basal rosette for several years, then puts up a flower stalk, blooms, and dies. The leaves are lanceolate with wavy margins and a white stripe along the edge of the leaves. The flower stalk has a few leaves, but it makes a big star-burst (open panicle) of 4-petaled flowers.

Desert Frasera is an uncommon component of vegetation communities in dry, well-drained calcarious soils (soils from limestone) on bajadas into the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.

Around Las Vegas, look for Desert Frasera on limestone soils at Red Rock Canyon NCA and at lower elevations on Mt. Charleston.

Family: Gentian (Gentianaceae). Other names: Swertia albomarginata

Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Two basal rosettes
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Plants can persist for several years as a basal rosette
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata) Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Leaves wavy margins and a white stripe along the edge
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Leaves wavy margins and a white stripe along the edge
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
After several years as a basal rosette, the plants produce a flowering stalk
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
After several years as a basal rosette, the plants produce a flowering stalk
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Flowers develop at the tips of the flowing stalks
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Flowers develop at the tips of the flowing stalks
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Blooming before the flowing stalk stops growing
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Blooming before the flowing stalk stops growing
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata) Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Logan Townsite (Basin and Range National Monument)
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Logan Townsite (Basin and Range National Monument)
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata) Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata) Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Beetle: pollinator or herbivore?
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Ants: perhaps harvesting sweet nectar
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Desert Frasera flower
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Beetle: pollinator or herbivore?
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Eventually the plant dies, but the flowering stalks persist into the winter
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Persistent flowering stalk
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Even the flowers persist into the winter
Desert Frasera (Frasera albomarginata)
Even the flowers persist into the winter

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate. Names generally follow the USDA database.
copyright; Last updated 240907

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