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Xanthisma grindelioides

(Nutt.) D.R. Morgan & R.L. Hartm.

Western Aster

G5Secure Found in 21 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.131110
Element CodePDAST640F0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderAsterales
FamilyAsteraceae
GenusXanthisma
Synonyms
Machaeranthera grindelioides(Nutt.) Shinners
Other Common Names
Gumweed Aster (EN) Haplopappe fausse-grindélie (FR) rayless tansyaster (EN) Rayless Tansy-aster (EN) Toothed Ironplant (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2026-04-09
Change Date1994-03-05
Edition Date2026-04-09
Edition AuthorsSoteropoulos (2026)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Xanthisma grindelioides is a wide-ranging perennial herb or subshrub found in a variety of dry, open, semi-barren habitats. It occurs in western North America, from southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan, Canada, south in the United States to western Nebraska, northwestern New Mexico, and northern Arizona. There are over 500 occurrences, which face threats from grazing, mining and quarrying, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), and invasive species. Little is known about trends, but with a large range extent and large number of occurrences, abundant habitat, and broad habitat preferences, this species is considered secure.
Range Extent Comments
Xanthisma grindelioides occurs in western North America, from southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan, Canada, south in the United States to western Nebraska, northwestern New Mexico, and northern Arizona (Cronquist et al. 1994, FNA 2006). Range extent was estimated to be over 1.6 million square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are over 500 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2025, GBIF 2026, iNaturalist 2026, NatureServe 2026, SEINet 2026).
Threat Impact Comments
This taxon is threatened by grazing, mining and quarrying, rights-of-way maintenance, recreational activities (especially off-road vehicles), and invasive species, though there is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand scope and severity of threats for this taxon rangewide (NatureServe 2026).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Xanthisma grindelioides grows in dry, open, semibarren habitats, often on alkaline clays, in plains, valleys, badlands, grasslands, mixed desert shrub, blackbrush, sagebrush, pinyon-juniper, mountain brush, mountain mahogany, lower subalpine conifer zones, and limber pine-ponderosa pine communities (Cronquist et al. 1994, Morefield 2001, FNA 2006, Welsh et al. 2015, Heil and O'Kane 2025, Montana Field Guide 2026).

Reproduction

This taxon flowers from May to July (Cronquist et al. 1994).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesertBarrens
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
SaskatchewanS4Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2Yes
WyomingS5Yes
NebraskaS4Yes
MontanaS5Yes
New MexicoSNRYes
NevadaS3Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
South DakotaS4Yes
IdahoSNRYes
UtahS3Yes
North DakotaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
3.2 - Mining & quarryingUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
4.2 - Utility & service linesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6 - Human intrusions & disturbanceUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
6.1 - Recreational activitiesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1.1 - Unspecified speciesUnknownUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (21)
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
Nevada (5)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
QuinnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest62,459
South SchellHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest125,614
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Brushy SpringsGila National Forest5,735
Bull CanyonCarson National Forest11,512
Madre MountainCibola National Forest19,839
Utah (11)
AreaForestAcres
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
Boulder Mtn. / Boulder Top / Deer LakeDixie National Forest110,690
Box - Death HollowDixie National Forest3,175
FishhookDixie National Forest12,959
Lookout PeakFishlake National Forest9,195
Muddy Creek - Nelson Mt.Manti-Lasal National Forest59,034
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
Red Canyon NorthDixie National Forest9,973
Solomon BasinFishlake National Forest19,963
Thousand Lake MountainFishlake National Forest27,267
Wayne WonderlandFishlake National Forest12,395
Wyoming (1)
AreaForestAcres
Horse Creek MesaBighorn National Forest77,808
References (12)
  1. Cronquist, A. 1994. Asterales. In A. Cronquist, A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, and P.K. Holmgren. Intermountain flora: Vascular plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. Vol. 5. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 496 pp.
  2. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2006b. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 7: Asteraceae, part 2. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxii + 666 pp.
  3. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2026. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2026).
  4. Heil, K.D., and S.L. O'Kane. 2025. Vascular plants of New Mexico. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. 1119 pp.
  5. iNaturalist. 2026. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2026).
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP). 2026. Montana Field Guide. Online. Available: http://fieldguide.mt.gov (Accessed 2026).
  8. Morefield, J.D., editor. 2001. Nevada rare plant atlas [with rare plant fact sheets]. Available as a pdf file at: http://heritage.nv.gov/atlas/atlas.html. Compiled by the Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Reno, Nevada.
  9. NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  10. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  11. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2026. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2026).
  12. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. (Eds). 2015. A Utah flora, fifth edition, revised 2015. Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, Provo, Utah. 987 pp.