ARID LANDS BIOFUEL

摘要

Arid lands biofuel production using low water-requiring native plants commonly growing in the intermountain western United States offer advantages of utilizing low-value lands and do not compete directly with food crops.Grindelia squarosa,commonly called curly cup gumweed,is an indigenous plant found in Nevada and other arid western states of the US.This is a biennial plant which grows to a height of about 90cm(3ft)and bears yellow flowers from June to September in its second year during which it is harvested.It requires only low inputs(water and nutrients)for production.Lewis and Clark,described use of this plant by Great Plains tribes as a medicinal herb and a tea plant.It frequently grows in freshly disturbed areas along trails and roads.This plant was in common use by North America’s Native People prior to Anglo exploration. Today,Grindelia ranges widely in the US,Canada and Mexico, mostly west of the Mississippi River and into the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.