Plants 1.5-5 dm; herbage white to brownish tomentose, some stellate hairs with 1 long ray. Leaves: petiole 1.5-3.5 mm; leaves of main stems 1-3(-4) × 1.5-3.5 (-5) cm; blade with midvein prominent abaxially, channeled adaxially, margins usually strongly revolute. Staminate flowers deciduous after anthesis. Fruiting bracts 4-7.5 mm, margins connate proximally. Utricles 2.5-3.5 mm, densely pubescent. 2n = 18, 36. Flowering May-Jul, fruiting through Sep. Foothills and flats, usually in relatively low-alkaline soils; 500-2100 m; Alta., Man., Sask., Yukon; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Kans., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Okla., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; n Mexico. Krascheninnikovia lanata often forms pure stands. It occurs throughout the intermountain region except in the northwest corner of central Oregon. It is called winterfat because of its nutritional importance for domestic livestock, especially sheep.
Plant: Shrub generally 5-10 dm, generally monoecious; hairs white, becoming ± rust-colored Leaves: 6-30 mm, 1.5-5 mm wide, linear to lanceolate, flat, entire; margins inrolled INFLORESCENCE: 3-19 cm; staminate flowers many; pistillate flowers 1-4 in lower axils; bractlets densely hairy, 4-6 mm in fruit Flowers: Staminate flower: calyx lobes 4, 1-2 mm, densely hairy; stamens 4, exserted; Pistillate flower: calyx lobes 0; stigmas 2, exserted Fruit: utricle, ± 2 mm, white-hairy; wall free or adherent to seed; Seed 1, vertical Misc: Rocky to clay soils, flats, gentle slopes; 100-2700 m.; Mar-Jun