H M L - NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program - National Park Service

Plants of Tumacácori 

National Historical Park 

Editor 

Steve Buckley



Editor, 

Steve Buckley 

The ethnobotanical information in this book 

is included for educational purposes only. No 

plant or plant extract should be consumed 

unless you are certain of its identity and 

toxicity and of your personal potential for 

allergic reactions. Self-medication with herbal 

medicines is often unwise and wild foods 

should always be used with caution. Although 

every effort has been made to ensure accuracy 

and reliability, neither the author, the Sonoran 

Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring 

Program, the National Park Service, nor the 

University of Arizona are responsible for the 

actions of the reader or liable for any effects 

caused by such actions. 

This field guide is for educational use only. 

It has not been produced for commercial 

uses. Please consult the works cited pages 

at the end of the book for those works 

consulted, methodology, proper citations, 

credits, and further reading for complete 

botanical descriptions. 

Cover Photo Credits: 

Center: 2008 Jeff Axel, NPS 

Insets: © 2008 T. Beth Kinsey



Introduction to Tumacácori NHP 

Vegetation Mapping and Community Types 

How to Use this Guide 

Ferns 

Graminoids 

Flowering Trees & Shrubs 

Cacti 

Forbs 

Glossary 

Works Cited 

Index 

Tumacácori NHP Checklist 

8 

11 

31 

43 

45 

87 

117 

121 

269 

291 

299 

307

The Flora Project 

This field guide is part of a larger body of work known as the Flora of the 

Sonoran Desert Network. The Flora Project emerged from the network’s 

vegetation mapping program, begun in 2009. Since then, we have compiled 

comprehensive floristic entries on upwards of 2,000 individual species, the 

ultimate goal being to build a comprehensive floristic database covering the 

more than 2,400 species, subspecies, and varieties of plants found in the 

national parks of the Sonoran Desert Network (SODN). These entries will 

ultimately be available as an online database and also translate directly into 

the work presented in this guide. The goal of the project is to produce (1) a 

comprehensive field guide for each SODN park unit, (2) a series of regional 

field guides tied to specific life forms, and (3) a guide to common plants for 

each SODN unit. These floras range from the small (around 160 species at 

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument) to massive (around 1,200 species in 

Saguaro National Park’s Rincon Mountain District). 

Our methodology builds upon that of inventory efforts completed in the 

late 1990s and early 2000s. The intention of the project is to conduct a more 

detailed floristic inventory while building vegetation maps for each park. 

We first combine the baseline inventory data with all historical studies, then 

proceed to a comprehensive search of all regional herbarium records. Through 

this process, we have identified more than 15,000 specimens collected since 

the creation of the national parks in the region. The herbaria search is followed 

by broad research in the phylogenetic, systematic, and ecological literature 

to sort out problematic species and genera. Finally, we scour all agency study 

records to develop a comprehensive portrait of the floristic research that has 

been undertaken in each park through the years. 

The final products of these efforts are not field guides alone, but a cross-platform 

floristic information system that is being developed for use by land managers, 

researchers, and the public. Ranging from online databases to printed field 

guides, to apps for mobile and handheld digital devices, to a range of other 

digital and print educational tools and resources, the Flora Project hopes to set 

a standard for floristic research on federal lands in the desert southwest. Plant 

species checklists for Sonoran Desert Network parks are currently available 

at http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/projects/index.php?proj=5 . 

These versions provide interactive keys that can further help in 

the identification of plants and provide links to 

other regional park species checklists.

National Parks of the Sonoran Desert Network 

The Sonoran Desert Network is one of 32 National Park Service inventory and 

monitoring networks nationwide that are implementing vital signs monitoring 

in order to assess the condition of park ecosystems and develop a stronger 

scientific basis for stewardship and management of natural resources across 

the National Park System. 

The Sonoran Desert Network consists of 10 units in central and southern 

Arizona and 1 unit in southwestern New Mexico. These units are characteristic 

of the upper Sonoran subdivision of the Sonoran Desert Ecoregion and the 

Apache Highlands Ecoregion, and range in size from half a square mile to 517 

square miles (147 to 133,882 hectares). 

Please visit our website for more information and a full list of our active 

research projects, available publications, and other resources: 

http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn 

2012 NPS

Administrative History of Tumacácori NHP 

Tumacácori National Historical Park (NHP) was designated Tumacácori 

National Monument on September 15, 1908, by proclamation of President 

Theodore Roosevelt. The four-hectare monument was originally created to 

protect Misión San Jose de Tumacácori, a Jesuit-established and Franciscanconstructed 

mission that was relocated to the present site in 1751, although 

construction of the building now protected was not completed until the 

mid-1820s. San Jose de Tumacácori was one of a line of Franciscan, although 

originally Jesuit, missions built in far northern Sonora beginning in 1691, with 

the arrival of the Jesuit Padre Eusebio Kino. Kino visited the Pimería Alta, or 

the “place of the upper Pimas,” as this area of southern Arizona was known 

at the time, and established a mission on the east side of the Santa Cruz River. 

A more favorable site for permanent construction of the mission church and 

other facilities was later selected on the west side of the river. The area was 

chosen because of its habitation at the time by O’odham people, also known 

as the Papago or Pima, along that stretch of the Santa Cruz River. The word 

tumacácori is thought to be taken from two O’odham words, chu-uma and 

kakul, making reference to Saint Joseph of the flat, rocky place. Other sources 

suggest the name means caliche, or pepperbush (Lamb and Scott 1993). 

8 Educational use only; not for sale 

National Park Service

A Brief Environmental History 

of Tumacácori National Historical Park 

Tumacácori NHP is located in the Santa Cruz River valley of southern Arizona, 

which is part of the southern Basin and Range physiographic province. This 

physiographic province encompasses southeastern Arizona and northern 

Sonora and is a “terrain of alternating fault-bounded linear mountain ranges 

and sediment-filled basins which began to form in southeastern Arizona as the 

result of dominantly east–northeast/west–southwest directed crustal extension” 

(Powell et al. 2005). The result is a landscape of many rugged mountain ranges: 

to the west, the Tumacácori and Atascosa mountains; to the east, the Santa 

Ritas, the Patagonias, and the San Cayetano mountains. The climate of the area 

is marked by a bi-seasonal precipitation regime, with a monsoonal flow from 

the Gulf of Mexico in summer, and Pacific frontal storms in winter. “The area’s 

hot season occurs from April through October; maximum temperatures in July 

often exceed 40 °C. Intense surface heating during the day and active radiant 

cooling at night can result in daily temperature ranges of 17° to 22° C. Winter 

temperatures are mild. Prevailing winds tend to follow the Santa Cruz Valley, 

blowing downslope (from the south) during the night and early morning, and 

upslope (from the north) during the day” (Powell et al. 2005). 

The Santa Cruz Valley has a long history of anthropogenically driven ecological 

change. Prior to Spanish colonization, marked by the arrival of Kino in 1691, 

O’odham communities are thought to have inhabited these areas for hundreds, 

if not thousands, of years (Spicer 1962). These small subsistence agricultural 

communities were semi-nomadic and relied on the existence of permanent 

surface water for their survival (Robinett 1990). Although indications are that 

their impact was limited, suggestions as to their overall impact vary, given the 

uncertainty surrounding specific practices, such as firing the landscape. With 

the arrival of the Spanish and their livestock, conditions changed drastically. 

In the 1804 Spanish census, 5,000 sheep were reported at Tubac, the presidio 

immediately downstream of the main Tumacácori unit. These numbers were 

replicated at Tumacácori, with 4,000 of the mission’s cattle being sold in 1821 

to pay for the construction of the church (www.nps.gov/tuma). 

With the 1853 Gadsden Purchase, all land south of the Gila River formerly 

owned by the Spanish was transferred to the United States. Following the 

Gadsden Purchase and the end of the Apache wars, Euro-American settlement 

began throughout the region in earnest, further amplifying ecological change. 

Along the Santa Cruz River, changes in land use included the clearing of 

mesquite bosque and cottonwood-willow forests along the river for agricultural 

purposes. Evidence also indicates that cottonwoods more than 6 meters in 

diameter were girdled and killed in the 1920s, in the mistaken understanding 

that such actions would free up more water for agriculture (Logan 2002). The 

area around the mission began to be converted to more extensive agricultural 

operations sometime in the 1940s, replacing what appears to be mesquite 

bosque documented in aerial photography dating to 1936. Extensive fields 

appear in aerial photographs from 1956 and expand further to the north in 

1959, when they appear to have totally surrounded the mission and run to the 

edge of the riparian zone. During this same period and since (from the 1930s 

Educational use only; not for sale 9

onward), there has been a general increase in the obligate riparian vegetation 

in this reach of the river, attributed to agricultural abandonment immediately 

adjacent to the river; periodic flooding that helped in the germination of 

cottonwood, specifically; and, later, the existence of effluent water flow 

following the development of the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment 

Plant (Webb et al. 2007; Powell et al. 2005). 

Beginning in the late 1970s, the agricultural fields surrounding Tumacácori 

began to be abandoned. In aerial photographs from 1975, fields and historic 

acequias (irrigation canals) are still clearly visible. However, aerial photographs 

dating from 1980 and 1983 clearly show these fields beginning to undergo 

type conversion to sparse shrubland, indicating their abandonment sometime 

previous to then. In aerial photographs taken in 1992, 1996, 2003, and 2004, 

the growth of trees and shrubs in these former fields is evident. Local cattle 

ranching has probably had an uninterrupted history since Spanish colonization, 

and continues today. Despite the park’s efforts to maintain boundary fencing, 

trespass cattle are a recurring problem. 

Cattle ranching also continues around both the park’s Guevavi and Calabazas 

units. Guevavi was, in fact, part of a ranch until 1990, when its owner donated 

the land to the Archaeological Conservancy. Guevavi had small subsistence 

agricultural fields during the period of mission occupation, but none of the 

extensive fields that surrounded the main unit in the twentieth century. 

Calabazas was similar in this respect, although there are indications that it 

was used in the early 1800s as a farm for the mission at Tumacácori (www.nps. 

gov/tuma). Neither Guevavi nor Calabazas has the same density of riparianobligate 

species as is found at the main unit, although the existence of many 

deceased large cottonwoods is believed to be partly a consequence of local 

groundwater development for Nogales, Arizona (in the case of Guevavi), and 

Rio Rico (in the case of Calabazas) (Webb et al. 2007). 

Works Cited 

Lamb, Susan and Sandra Scott. 1993. Tumacácori National Historical Park. 

Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, Tucson, AZ. 

Logan, Michael. 2002. The Lessening Stream. University of Arizona Press, 

Tucson, AZ. 

Powell, B. F, E. W. Albrecht, W. L. Halvorson, C. A. Schmidt, P. Anning, and 

K. Docherty. 2005. Vascular Plant and Vertebrate Inventory of 

Tumacácori National Historic Park. USGS OFR 2005-1142. U.S. 

Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Sonoran 

Desert Research Station, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ. 

Robinett, Dan. 1990. Tohono O’odham Range History. Rangelands 12(6): 

296–300. 

Spicer, Edward. 1962. Cycles of Conquest. University of Arizona Press, 

Tucson, AZ. 

Webb, Robert H., Stanley A. Leake, and Raymond M. Turner. 2007. The 

Ribbon of Green. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ. 

10 Educational use only; not for sale

Vegetation Mapping at Tumacácori NHP 

In 2007–2008, the Sonoran Desert Network, in cooperation with the Arizona 

Remote Sensing Center (University of Arizona, Office of Arid Lands Studies), 

carried out classification and mapping of vegetation at Tumacácori NHP as 

part of the national U.S. Geological Survey–National Park Service Vegetation 

Characterization Program. The primary objective of the program is to produce 

high–quality, standardized maps and associated data sets of vegetation and 

other land cover occurring within the national parks (http://science. nature. 

nps.gov/im/inventory/veg/index.cfm). In particular, the aim of this project was 

to create a vegetation map at the National Vegetation Classification alliance 

level or finer, with a minimum mapping unit of 0.5 hectares, thematic accuracy 

of 80% or better per map class, and spatial accuracy meeting U.S. National 

Map Accuracy Standards. 

Project scoping, initiated in October 2007, involved the project team and 

Tumacácori NHP staff. Quickbird satellite imagery, acquired in August 2006, 

was used for this project, which covered the three subunits of the park plus 

a 100–m buffer around each one, for a total area of 238 hectares. Image 

preprocessing and initial interpretation to the vegetation–formation level were 

done at the Arizona Remote Sensing Center. The draft formation–level map 

was produced through limited field reconnaissance and visual interpretation 

of the pan–sharpened imagery and heads–up digitizing in ArcGIS to delineate 

polygons based on vegetation physiognomy. 

Vegetation classification and mapping to the alliance level were done 

simultaneously, through intensive field work from November 2007 to April 

2008. The field team, including the image interpreters, took the formation 

map as a starting point and verified or modified formation boundaries; split 

formation polygons into alliance– 

or finer–level, floristically based 

polygons; and characterized each 

alliance type with quantitative 

(plot– and polygon–based) data 

on species composition, relative 

cover, and other factors. Because 

Tumacácori is a small park, a 

census of the entire park was done 

in this way. Nineteen vegetation 

types were identified and mapped. 

Thematic accuracy was assessed 

by the park’s resources manager/ 

archeologist (“the assessor”) 

after a thorough briefing on the 

methods used for classification 

and mapping, as well as on the map 

classes. The assessor was provided 

with tools similar to those used 

by the mappers, including a GPS– 

11 

VegMap & Community Types

VegMap & Community Types 

linked handheld computer loaded 

with draft map polygon boundaries, 

and printed map sections with 

each polygon labeled with a 

simple identification number. The 

assessor completed a census of 

every mapped polygon, walking 

through each one to evaluate the 

lifeform and canopy cover of the 

dominant species, and choosing 

the best–fitting map class name for 

the polygon. Initial accuracy was 

90.2%, with four classes below 

80%. Because of the small area 

of the park and the small number 

of polygons, each discrepancy 

between the accuracy assessment 

data and the map data was 

investigated and resolved, resulting 

in 100% thematic accuracy. Spatial 

accuracy was assessed against 2006 

digital orthophoto quarter quadrangle imagery, using 20 test points for each 

of the park’s three units. The maximum absolute error measured was less than 

2 m ground distance, and maximum root mean square error was 1.03 m, well 

within the limits of the National Map Accuracy Standards. 

While the main products of this project are the vegetation classification 

and the vegetation map database, a number of ancillary digital geographic 

information system and database products were also produced that can be 

used independently or to augment the main products. 

This field guide is designed as a companion product to the vegetation mapping 

project. It is designed as both an introduction to the floristic research that 

accompanied the vegetation mapping effort and as an introduction to the 

ecological community data that were collected and analyzed in the course 

of creating the vegetation map. For further information about the SODN 

vegetation mapping effort and a copy of any of our vegetation mapping reports, 

please visit http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn/vegmapping.cfm . 

12

Toward Tumacácori NHP Community Types 

A primer 

The area of Tumacácori National Historical Park lies in the Arizona Upland 

division of the Sonoran Desert as designated by Brown and others (1979) and 

previously by Shreve and Wiggins (1964). Alternatively, this area is also known 

as part of the Apache Highlands Ecoregion, as developed by The Nature 

Conservancy (Marshall et al. 2004). The vegetation is composed primarily 

of cottonwood–willow (Populus fremontii–Salix gooddingii) riparian forest 

and woodland along the Santa Cruz River channel, velvet mesquite (Prosopis 

velutina) forest (bosque) and woodland on low terraces flanking the river, with 

a gradation to semi–desert grassland and desertscrub on the uplands away 

from the river. Within the dominant forest and woodland communities, netleaf 

hackberry (Celtis reticulata) and elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea) 

are common constituents, and are in some places the dominant woody 

species along the upland edges where woodlands give way to savannas. Other 

associated species include acacias (the old Acacia greggii, Acacia constricta, 

these now Senegalia greggii and Vachiella constricta), wolfberry (Lycium spp.), 

lotebush (Ziziphus obtusifolia), and desert broom (Baccharis sarothroides). 

Different communities across the three park units exhibit different densities 

and species composition, depending not only on their site characteristics 

relative to the river, but also on their specific land–use histories. Although 

there are significant grass communities scattered throughout the park, 

ranging from mixed grama grass communities (Bouteloua spp.) to limited 

dominance by big sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii), there is a notable dominance 

by disturbance–tolerant species, such as carelessweed (Amaranthus palmeri) 

and Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon). Bermudagrass, in particular, defines 

the contemporary strand vegetation community throughout the three units. 

There is also a notably large amount of Russian thistle (Salsola kali) throughout 

the park, possibly a lingering consequence of agricultural development around 

the park units, cover, and other factors. Because Tumacácori is a small park, a 

census of the entire park was done in this way. Nineteen vegetation types were 

identified and mapped. 

13 



This is the most consistent type at Tumacácori, following both sides of the 

Santa Cruz River for its length through the Mission unit of the park. Fremont 

cottonwood (Populus fremontii) is the dominant tree species of the type, while 

Goodding’s willow (Salix gooddingii) is a subdominant, characteristic species 

found in clumps, often as a secondary canopy of 6–8 m height. The canopy of 

Fremont cottonwood averages 10–20 m high throughout the type and is generally 

open beneath, except for areas of thick tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) along 

the river channel that are interspersed throughout the park. Mulefat (Baccharis 

salicifolia) is widely dispersed and is not consistent in its distribution. Overall, 

woody species distribution in this community is a patchy mosaic, apart from 

the consistent Fremont cottonwood and Goodding’s willow, with a mixture of 

mesquite, netleaf hackberry, and elderberry trees and shrubs. Other associates 

are desert broom and chuparosa (Anisacanthus thurberi). The herbaceous 

layer is a mosaic as well, but with Bermudagrass present consistently along the 

river channel, especially in areas that are flooded regularly. In areas where river 

debris is significant, there is little herbaceous growth, outside of a dominance of 

poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) in and around debris piles where soil has 

been exposed. In other areas, especially those away from persistent river flows, 

carelessweed and feather fingergrass (Chloris virgata) are generally dominant. 

Throughout the type there is a diversity of annual and perennial herbaceous 

plants, but they are sparse and widely dispersed 

14 

Populus fremontii 

temporarily flooded forest alliance

forest alliance 

Prosopis velutina 

This alliance is prevalent at Tumacácori, usually occupying alluvial terraces 

along the outermost edges of the Santa Cruz River floodplain, outside the band 

of cottonwood–willow forest along the channel, in areas that are relatively moist 

but rarely inundated. It sometimes occurs in narrow bands along the base of cliffs 

and embankments bordering the floodplain, as well as at the mouths of tributary 

drainages as they enter the floodplain. These areas receive concentrated rainfall 

runoff and a steady supply of fresh alluvium from adjacent uplands, resulting 

in relatively deep soils and higher moisture availability without the disturbance 

associated with frequent flood events. Soils are sandy or sandy loam, often 

contain significant gravel, and have at least a thin but nearly continuous litter 

layer. The alliance contains several recognizable associations with different 

subdominant species, different structure and cover, and with mesquite stands of 

apparently different ages. It may occur on former agricultural fields, appearing 

as even–aged stands of nearly uniform velvet mesquite averaging 3–6 m in 

height, with individuals closely spaced and forming an interlocking canopy, with 

relatively little understory. Or it may be composed of older, larger mesquite with 

netleaf hackberry, elderberry, and occasional Goodding’s willow interspersed, 

with a significant shrub understory of sapling trees, catclaw acacia (Senegalia 

greggii), mule’s fat, lotebush, wolfberry (Lycium andersonii), and chuparosa. 

In addition, there may be a diverse herbaceous layer of annual and perennial 

grasses and forbs, and ground–to–crown vines, such as Santa Rita Mountain 

bean (Phaseolus ritensis), Drummond’s clematis (Clematis drummondii), and 

morning glory (Ipomoea sp.). Big sacaton or Bermudagrass may dominate the 

herbaceous layer in places. 

15 



At Tumacácori, this alliance is found primarily on shallow slopes that run along 

old agricultural fencelines. This dense forest is comprised of netleaf hackberry 

and velvet mesquite that range in height from 8 to 12 m in the uppermost 

canopy, with considerable numbers of elderberry or catclaw acacia growing up 

underneath to a height of 4–8 m. The largest netleaf hackberry specimens are 

found immediately along the fencelines, which in isolated instances still receive 

runoff from actively cultivated agricultural land. This type is notable because 

of the multi–layered structure and density of the forest, from the interlocking 

top canopy to the dense subcanopy. In the subcanopy, there is significant 

recruitment of netleaf hackberry, mesquite, and elderberry, with some catclaw 

acacia and occasional lotebush and wolfberry shrubs. The herbaceous layer 

is notably sparse in areas beneath the denser canopies, where there is also 

considerable downed woody debris, but in openings there is a higher diversity 

of both forbs and occasional grasses. In isolated sections of this type there are 

Bermudagrass patches, often along foot trails. 

16 

Celtis reticulata 

forest alliance

woodland alliance 

Populus fremontii – Salix gooddingii 

This type is similar in composition to the cottonwood–willow riparian forest 

type that spans the park, but has lower plant density and cover. The type is 

located in the river floodplain, between an ephemeral channel on the west and 

savanna types surrounding it on the south, north, and east. It is dominated by 

Fremont cottonwood, with a patchy canopy and the inclusion of Goodding’s 

willow in specific areas. Mulefat is generally the dominant shrub. The entire 

type is on a slightly elevated sandy–silty island and has considerable downed 

woody debris piled up throughout. Beneath the Fremont cottonwood canopy 

the understory is relatively open and has more herbaceous plants than shrubs, 

dominated by curly–mesquite (Hilaria belangeri), Bermudagrass, and the 

annual feather fingergrass. The annual forb fewflower beggarticks (Bidens 

leptocephala) is characteristically found in dense concentrations in the shade. 

Shrubs are often distinctly clumped and diverse, ranging from singlewhorl 

burrobrush (Artemisia monogyra), mule’s fat, and threadleaf ragwort (Senecio 

flaccidus) to specimens of cane cholla (Cylindropuntia spinosior). Carelessweed 

and Russian thistle are present throughout the type, but not in the same density 

as they are found in neighboring wooded–herbaceous or shrub–herbaceous 

types. 

17 



This woodland alliance generally occurs further away from the river channel 

than the forest alliances, in more xeric sites. Plant canopy cover varies, up to 

about 50%, with significant open or nearly open patches possibly present. 

Velvet mesquite is usually clearly dominant in both height and canopy cover, 

but in places catclaw acacia, commonly the second–dominant species, is a close 

rival. Within this type, catclaw acacia (and, to a lesser extent, velvet mesquite) 

can be found as a tree lifeform, a shrub lifeform, or anything in between. The 

mesquite–dominated upper canopy averages 6–8 m in height, ranging to 10 

m. In addition to catclaw acacia, occasional elderberry and netleaf hackberry 

individuals may also reach this height, and in one patch of this type, a few 

Fremont cottonwood and Goodding’s willow exceed it. In the subcanopy, 

mesquite and acacia still dominate (as caespitose shrubs to sapling trees), 

with common associates being netleaf hackberry and elderberry saplings, 

lotebush shrubs, catclaw mimosa (Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera), 

desert broom, mule’s fat, chuparosa, singlewhorl burrobrush, wolfberry, and 

Warnock’s snakewood (Condalia warnockii). The herbaceous layer is almost 

everywhere dominated by carelessweed, and occasionally by Bermudagrass. 

Important associates are sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), Russian 

thistle, lambsquarters (Chenopodium spp.), fewflower beggarticks, and feather 

fingergrass, but a variety of other grasses and forbs may occur. 

18 


woodland alliance

woodland alliance 

Senegalia greggii 

This type is dominated by catclaw acacia (was Acacia greggii, now Senegalia 

greggii) and velvet mesquite trees 6–8 m tall, and shorter catclaw acacia and 

lotebush shrubs. Associated shrub species, such as Warnock’s snakewood, 

desert broom, wolfberry, singlewhorl burrobrush, and chuparosa, are scattered 

across the type. Most of the trees and shrubs in this alliance have such thick, 

dense canopies that herbaceous plants are largely confined to the interspaces 

between overstory canopies. The herbaceous layer is dominated by the annual 

forbs carelessweed and fewflower beggarticks, with a variety of other forbs and 

grasses possibly present and generally sparse. 

Please note the name Acacia greggii, which is the former name of this particular 

species of acacia. Recent developments in systematics conserve the Acacia 

genera for only Australian species, those on our continent have variously gone 

into the genera Senegalia (as here), Vachellia, and Acaciella. 

19 



This alliance covers the largest area at the Calabazas unit, including the 

portion surrounding the ruins. Although primarily found on gently sloped 

upland, this type also extends down steeper, relatively xeric slopes south 

and west of the ruins. These areas have very thin sandy or gravelly soils with 

minimal litter, except on toe slopes. Larger rocks or bedrock outcrops are 

usually visible. There is one stand of this type at the Mission unit adjacent 

to abandoned agricultural land, on deeper, loamier soil. This alliance is 

characterized by an open canopy of velvet mesquite shrubs, mostly 2–4 m tall 

but with many larger, tree–lifeform individuals up to 7.5 m. These mesquite 

and other trees present make up >10% cover. Catclaw acacia is common, 

usually but not always less abundant, in the shrub layer, also averaging 2–4 m 

tall. Density of the shrub layer is variable. In more xeric areas, desert broom 

may have significant cover and catclaw acacia may be absent or nearly so. 

Whitethorn acacia (was Acacia constricta, now Vachellia constricta) and 

catclaw mimosa are generally present. Other woody associates vary by 

topographic position: a few individuals of redberry juniper (Juniperus 

coahuilensis), Warnock’s snakewood, and cane cholla are present on the 

hilltop flats and adjacent upper slopes, while lotebush, netleaf hackberry, 

chuparosa, and wolfberry may be found on more mesic middle– and toe 

slopes. Most of the larger velvet mesquite are also found in these more 

mesic areas. Carelessweed and fewflower beggarticks, which may be dense 

in localized patches, are the only abundant forbs in an otherwise grass– 

dominated (sideoats grama, big sacaton, feather fingergrass, bush muhly 

[Muhlenbergia porteri]) herbaceous layer. 

20 

Prosopis velutina / [Prosopis velutina – Senegalia greggii] 

wooded shrubland alliance

shrubland alliance 

Prosopis velutina – Senegalia greggii 

This association is found primarily on mesa–tops and along the crest of 

hillslopes at the Guevavi unit. It is dominated by moderate–sized velvet mesquite 

shrubs 1–3.5 m tall, with catclaw acacia shrubs common on the hillslopes. In 

areas with greater than 5% slope, the species commingle. The slopes have a 

higher percentage of sideoats grama in the herbaceous layer compared to the 

flats of the mesa–tops, where there is far more of the annual forb carelessweed 

and needle grama (Bouteloua aristidoides) in addition to other mixed grama 

species (likely including Rothrock’s grama [B. rothrockii] and sixweeks grama 

[B. barbata]), which were not reliably identifiable due to seasonal dormancy. 

Other woody species associated with this type include whitethorn acacia, 

cane cholla, cactus apple (Opuntia englemanii), desert broom, and candy 

barrelcactus (Ferocactus wislizeni), although there are rarely more than a few 

individuals of these species present. This type includes the adobe ruins at the 

center of the Guevavi unit (including the entrance trail, an interpretive ramada, 

and the church ruins), which accounts for some disturbance. There also appear 

to be other subsurface modifications that may account for distributional 

differences among some species in the areas immediately adjacent to the ruins, 

including the presence of big sacaton. The exotic invasive Lehmann lovegrass 

(Eragrostis lehmanniana) and threeawn (Aristida spp.) may also be significant 

in the understory. The indication is that the mesa–top is more mesic than the 

slopes, as well as having more sandy soils in areas, while the slopes are rockier. 

21 



This alliance is found on steeper, well–drained slopes in the eastern 

portion of the Calabazas unit. These sites have thin, gravelly soils, often 

with exposed bedrock. Prevailing winds appear to seriously reduce 

retention of moisture, topsoil, and litter. Whitethorn acacia, catclaw 

acacia, and velvet mesquite shrubs are all usually present, average 1.5–2.5 

m tall, and compose a moderately open shrubland, but may form dense 

thickets. Some velvet mesquite may attain tree size, especially where slopes 

are not as steep. Whitethorn acacia is dominant overall, but in patches 

either catclaw acacia or velvet mesquite may be the dominant species. The 

understory is notable for its diversity, usually composed of a mixture of 

native bunchgrasses, such as sideoats grama, bush muhly, purple threeawn 

(Aristida purpurea), and foxtail (Setaria spp.). Several other species rare 

in the Calabazas site are found in limited numbers in this type, including 

desert ceanothus (Ceanothus greggii) , catclaw mimosa, candy barrelcactus, 

soaptree yucca (Yucca elata), hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus spp.), and 

cane cholla. This type maintains a high percentage of native species and 

relatively low levels of human and livestock disturbance due to its rugged 

topographic position, thorny shrub cover, and protection within National 

Park Service fencelines. 

22 

Vachiellia constricta 

shrubland alliance

wooded herbaceous alliance 

Populus fremontii / mixed annual 

This type occupies portions of the floodplain at the Mission unit and at 

Guevavi. Fremont cottonwood is found singly or in small to large patches 

throughout the type, often with Goodding’s willow and clumps of tamarisk 

in some places. Elderberry and/or velvet mesquite may be found in this type. 

Large Fremont cottonwood may reach 16–18 m, willow somewhat less, and 

mesquite usually 3–6 m. Shrubs are generally sparse. Associated species 

include singlewhorl burrobrush, velvet mesquite, mule’s fat, catclaw acacia, 

desert broom, and threadleaf ragwort. The herbaceous layer is dominated by 

carelessweed, with significant patches of Russian thistle and lambsquarters 

widely dispersed throughout the type. Annual grasses are also commonly 

present, including feather fingergrass, purple threeawn, and needle grama, 

frequently in conjunction with sandier, sloped areas, indicating slightly more 

xeric conditions. The topography of this type is undulating, with 1–3 m relief 

and braided flood channels or swales dominated by herbaceous vegetation 

and occasional shrubs (mule’s fat, desert broom, singlewhorl burrobrush), and 

sandbars dominated by trees. Associated herbaceous species include scarlet 

spiderling (Boerhavia coccinea), creeping spiderling (Boerhavia spicata), 

Bermudagrass, morning glory, Arizona sunflowerweed (Tithonia thurberi), 

sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), sideoats grama, and Lehmann 

lovegrass. 

23 



This type is often found in wide, shallow drainages between mesa–top 

shrublands or on long, narrow alluvial terraces above the river’s floodplain. 

Where a single herbaceous species dominates, it is usually carelessweed, 

though there are areas dominated by Bermudagrass (found in most of the 

open areas of the type) or big sacaton. In addition, there are significant areas 

without a single dominant species, with the herbaceous layer comprising a 

diverse mosaic of annual and perennial plants, including some combination 

of the aforementioned species and purple threeawn, feather fingergrass, 

curly–mesquite, sand dropseed, spike dropseed (Sporobolus contractus), cane 

beardstem (Bothriochloa barbinodis), and spidergrass (Aristida ternipes). 

The overstory usually has 5–25% cover of velvet mesquite trees, sometimes 

clumped, usually interspersed with elderberry, netleaf hackberry, catclaw 

acacia, and Fremont cottonwood. Velvet mesquite and catclaw acacia can 

appear as both trees and shrubs. Other associated shrubs include lotebush and 

singlewhorl burrobrush. Average height of the overstory is commonly 3–6 m, 

with some larger individuals possibly present. Fremont cottonwood specimens 

can reach 14 m. In areas within this type, elderberry may be the dominant 

tree, or nearly so. This variant of the type is likely to be dominated in absolute 

terms by weedy (often non–native) annual forbs, such as carelessweed, Russian 

thistle, lambsquarters, sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and feather fingergrass. 

Closer to the active channel, Bermudagrass and rough cocklebur (Xanthium 

strumarium) may also be abundant. Shrub and tree cover are sparse. There is 

often abundant evidence of cattle grazing and trampling, which combines with 

flood events to chronically disturb the topsoil and maintain the dominance of 

the invasive forbs. 

24 

Prosopis velutina / mixed annual 

wooded herbaceous alliance

shrub herbaceous alliance 

Prosopis velutina / Amaranthus palmeri 

This type is found at both the Mission unit and at Guevavi. At Guevavi, the 

area is an alluvial terrace in the floodplain beside the Santa Cruz River, where 

it is notable because of the significant amount of dead and downed wood that 

litters this portion of the river channel, as well as the numerous large Fremont 

cottonwood snags, some as tall as 14 m. In addition to the velvet mesquite 

shrubs, there are a number of trees in this area, including velvet mesquite, 

netleaf hackberry, elderberry, and Fremont cottonwood, but they are often 

solitary individuals with numerous shrubs of these species interspersed 

between, predominantly found in small clumps along the upper ridges of 

the sandbars. Netleaf hackberry appears to be using the dead and down 

cottonwood as a nurse/mulch. The type overall is dominated by carelessweed, 

with other tall annuals and big sacaton interspersed throughout. One location 

at the Mission unit supporting this type is an abandoned agricultural field. 

According to information provided by the National Park Service, this field has 

not been mowed or cultivated in the last 3–4 years. As a result, the dominance 

of carelessweed is apparently giving way to a mixture of annual and perennial 

grasses: Bermudagrass, needle grama, sand dropseed, sideoats grama, 

curly–mesquite, purple threeawn, and spidergrass. Scattered throughout are 

numerous small velvet mesquite and desert broom shrubs, ranging from 0.5 m– 

1.5 m tall. The absence of disturbance and grazing has apparently allowed the 

widespread growth of woody species, still small and shrubby. Carelessweed, 

present throughout the area, constituted a plurality of roughly 30% of the total 

cover here. 

25 



This alliance is generally found in the 100–year floodplain adjacent to the west 

side of the Santa Cruz River at Tumacácori. It consists of sandy to silty soils 

with a diversity of annual and perennial herbaceous species, though these 

are widely dispersed across a large area and do not account for much cover. 

The herbaceous layer is dominated by carelessweed and feather fingergrass. 

Singlewhorl burrobrush is the dominant shrub throughout the type, appearing 

to have grown up within the last five years, as indicated by repeat photographs 

from an earlier inventory. Singlewhorl burrobrush shrubs range from 2 to 4 m 

in height, and are generally clumped together, leaving large, more open areas in 

between. Associated shrubs interspersed throughout the type include mule’s 

fat, desert broom, velvet mesquite, and threadleaf ragwort. Some trees may be 

present, commonly Fremont cottonwood or elderberry, but making up less 

than 10% cover. 

26 

Hymenoclea monogyra / [Amaranthus palmeri – Chloris virgata] 

shrub herbaceous alliance

herbaceous alliance 

[Amaranthus palmeri – Salsola kali – Chenopodium sp.] 

This annual forb–dominated community is found on sandy soils adjacent to 

the Santa Cruz River at all three units. Use of brackets in the type name indicates 

that these species should be considered co–dominant overall, and their 

relative abundance may differ spatially within the type. There are areas of 

fairly homogeneous distribution of both carelessweed and Russian thistle as 

co–dominants (with or without some lambsquarters species), and areas where 

one of the three species is clearly the single dominant, with more or less of 

the others possibly present. This alliance is apparently highly dependent on 

seasonal precipitation for its local abundance and perhaps composition, which 

may vary significantly from year to year. The type is made up almost entirely of 

non–native vegetation. The bulk of associated species grow beneath the upper 

layer of tall forbs. Grasses, both annual and perennial, grow sparsely in patches 

in this community: feather fingergrass, needle grama, sand dropseed, big sacaton, 

spidergrass, and curly–mesquite. The forb fewflower beggarticks may be 

prominent in patches. Along the edges of the herbaceous type, sparse low 

shrubs are often found, including mule’s fat, singlewhorl burrobrush, and velvet 

mesquite, and occasionally trees, such as Fremont cottonwood, elderberry, 

or Goodding’s willow. Climbing vines, such as morning glory, may be found in 

this type growing up from the ground around the taller annual forb vegetation. 

27 



Mostly bare sand in the Santa Cruz River’s active channel. Some forbs may be 

present in areas colonized since the last flood event. Seedlings or saplings of 

Fremont cottonwood and Goodding’s willow may also be present. The position 

of strand beaches tends to shift with flood events in the fluvial system. These 

beaches are often covered in Bermudagrass as a consequence of periodic flood 

events. 

28 

Inland Strand beach 

sparsely vegetated alliance

temporarily flooded shrubland alliance 

Tamarix sp. 

This alliance is found along the northern boundary of the Mission unit, with 

the bulk of the stand found in the study–area buffer outside the park boundary. 

The topography of the area is notable because of two elevated sand bars with 

north–south channels running between them. On top of the sand bars are 

dense stands of 2–3–m tall tamarisk shrubs with small annual forbs scattered 

in openings where there is less litter cover. Along the margins of the dense 

tamarisk patches are found occasional Fremont cottonwood, infrequent 

mule’s fat and desert–broom recruits, moderate growth of carelessweed, and 

often feather fingergrass, with less common Bermudagrass and sand dropseed 

patches. This type may radically change inside the park boundary because of 

a tamarisk–eradication project conducted by NPS in the spring of 2008. The 

portion inside the park boundary would be herbaceous–dominated without 

the tamarisk. 

29 



30

How to use this guide 

This guide is designed as a comprehensive companion volume to the vegetation 

mapping inventory for Tumacácori National Historical Park. More generally, 

it is an entry point to understanding basic plant systematics, the science that 

underlies the description, organization, and interpretation of plant diversity. 

Prior knowledge is neither required nor expected. The guide is divided into 

five general categories based on broad categories of plant lifeforms: ferns, 

graminoids, flowering trees and shrubs, cacti, and forbs. An explanation of 

each category appears on the first page of each section. 

Within these lifeform categories, the plants are arranged alphabetically, first by 

plant family and second by genera and species. This frontispiece contains a few 

basic floral diagrams for flowers and grasses, along with some common leaf 

shapes, flowers, and inflorescence types. A glossary is also provided to aid in 

defining technical terms. The index includes the common and scientific names 

of all plants in this guide. 

This field guide is not an effort to rewrite plant descriptions, but instead 

attempts to standardize descriptions in a way that facilitates field identification. 

It combines descriptions from floras, field guides, monographs, and the 

current scientific literature in an edited, standardized format. This work is 

intended to serve as an opening for an expanded awareness of the unique 

floristic biodiversity that the national parks conserve and preserve for future 

generations. There are thousands more plants in the ten other National Park 

units in the Sonoran Desert Network. We hope this work inspires its users 

to visit all these amazing parks and come to appreciate the vital work of the 

National Park Service in preserving these landscapes for the future. 

31 

Notes

Notes 

32 

The basis of plant systematics 

The science of plant systematics organizes plants according to their evolutionary 

relationships. In plant systematics, those relationships are characterized by the 

unique traits of groups of plants, which are aggregated into what are known as 

orders. Immediately below the order is the family, which is the organizational 

foundation of this field guide. The order is the largest organizational category 

and can consist of several to many different families. 

The family is a grouping of related plants connected by some or several 

specific characteristics. In systematics, some of these characteristics are called 

synapomorphies, or character states that developed in the ancestors of the 

family and can be found in all family members. For example, all plants in the 

Mint Family, or Lamiaceae, have opposite leaves, square stems, and ethereal 

oils that excrete the familiar minty smell. 

Below the family level, each species has a Latin genera (or genus) name (e.g., 

Prosopis), followed by what is known as the specific (i.e., species) epithet (e.g., 

velutina). This way of organizing scientific names, known as the binomial 

nomenclature system, dates to the 18th century and the Swedish naturalist 

Carl Linnaeus. Although even generally accepted Latin names sometimes 

have recognized alternatives (synonyms) and, as such, are subject to a limited 

amount of regional variation, the Latin (or scientific) names are far more stable 

than common names—which, especially relative to plants, are notoriously 

unreliable. 

The organization of plants in this guide is based on the Angiosperm Phylogeny 

Group III (APG III), which the Sonoran Desert Network staff considers to be 

the most recent and up-to-date plant systematics research. The Angiosperm 

Phylogeny Group III provides guidance for current information about 

relationships among plants and which genera are found in specific families. 

For more information, visit the Angiosperm Phylogeny poster at http://www2. 

biologie.fu-berlin.de/sysbot/poster/poster1.pdf. Further information about 

plant systematics can also be found in the Works Cited section of this guide.

Note on nomenclature 

The science of plant systematics is undergoing considerable change due to 

the rise of phylogenetics (the study of plant genetics and plant evolutionary 

history). As a consequence, name changes from the level of family down to 

genera and even species are common. 

The Flora of the Sonoran Desert Network project utilizes the Missouri 

Botanical Garden’s Tropicos system (www.tropicos.org) as the standard 

for plant nomenclature. Tropicos is the preferred standard for this guide 

because it reflects the most recent scholarship in phylogenetic systematics for 

nomenclature and organization. As noted above, the Flora Project also follows 

the APG III. In some instances, specific phylogenetic literature is used to 

distinguish a newly recognized or newly re-named species. All scientific names 

are italicized as per usage in the literature. Complete citations for the literature 

and opportunities for further investigation can be found in the works cited 

section. 

33 

Notes

Notes 

Recent systematic changes 

Botany is undergoing considerable change as a consequence of phylogenetic 

study. As mentioned, this guide is organized according to the work of the 

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III. Our treatment of the family structure is 

based on this organization because it is comprehensive and best supported by 

the literature. See the APG III website for continually updated information: 

http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/APWEB/ 

Outside of this basic structure, the Flora Project relies heavily on the systematic 

literature to guide our placement of genera within families and even species 

within genera. The following is a key to some recent and well supported 

changes along with their relevant references. For complete references, refer to 

the Works Cited page in the back of the guide. 

34 

Adoxaceae: Absorbed some genera from Caprifoliaceae 

Genera: Sambucus 

Authority: Eriksson and Donoghue 1997 

Amaranthaceae: Absorbed all of the Chenopodiaceae 

Genera: Atriplex, Bassia, Chenopodium, Dysphania, Kochia, 

Krascheninnikovia, Monolepis, Nitrophila, Salsola, Suaeda 

Authority: Muller and Borsch 2005 

Amaryllidaceae: Absorbed all of the Alliaceae and some other Liliaceae 

Genera affected: Allium, Nothoscordum, Zephyranthes 

Authority: Chase et al. 2009 

Apocynaceae: Absorbed most of the Asclepidaceae 

Genera affected: Asclepias, Funastrum, Sarcostemma 

Authority: Endress and Stevens 2001 

Asparagaceae: Absorbed all the Agavaceae, much from the Liliaceae, and 

genera that at various times were placed in Nolinaceae and Ruscaceae 

Genera affected: Agave, Yucca, Nolina, Dasylirion, 

Dichelostemma, Echeandia, Hesperocallis, Maianthemum, Milla, 

and Polygonatum. 

Authority: Chase et al. 2009 

Boraginaceae: Absorbed all of Hydrophyllaceae, but remains inconclusive 

Genera affected: Emmenanthe, Eriodictyon, Eucrypta, Nama, 

Phacelia, and Pholistoma 

Authority: Weigend 2010 

Cannabaceae: Absorbed some of the Ulmaceae 

Genera: Celtis 

Authority: Whittemore 2005 

Convolvulaceae: Absorbed Cuscutaceae 

Genera: Cuscuta 

Authority: Stefanovic et al. 2003, Stefanovic et al. 2002, 

Neyland 2001

Euphorbiaceae: No big changes or inclusions 

Genera affected: All Chamaesyce is Euphorbia 

Authority: Steinmann and Porter 2002 

Fabaceae: Lotus moved to Acmispon, Acacia disintegrated 

to Senegalia and Vachiella 

Authority: Brouillet 2008, Maslin 2003 

Malvaceae: Absorbed some of the Sterculiaceae 

Genera affected: Ayenia 

Authority: Whitlock and Hale 2011 

Montiaceae: Absorbed some of the former Portulacaceae 

Genera affected: Calandrinia, Cistanthe, Claytonia, Phemeranthus 

Authority: Nyffler and Eggli 2009 

Onagraceae: Saw considerable generic reorganization 

Genera affected: Camissonia, Camissoniopsis, Chylismia, 

Eremothera, and Oenothera 

Authority: Wagner et al. 2007 

Orobanchaceae: Absorbed some of the Scrophulariaceae 

Genera: Castilleja, Cordylanthus, Pedicularis 

Authority: Olmstead et al. 2001, Oxelman et al. 2005, 

Bennett and Matthews 2006, Tank et al. 2009 

Phrymaceae: Absorbed some of the Scrophulariaceae 

Genera: Mimulus 

Authority: Beardsley and Olmstead 2002, Olmstead et al. 2001, 

Oxelman et al. 2005 

Plantaginaceae: Absorbed some of the Scrophulariaceae 

Genera: Penstemon, Nuttallanthus, Keckiella, Maurandella, 

Sairocarpus, Schistophragma, Stemodia, and Veronica 

Authority: Olmstead et al. 2001, Albach et al. 2005, 

Oxelman et al. 2005, Wolfe et al. 2006 

Poaceae: Several changes at the generic level 

Genera: Cenchrus, Festuca, Muhlenbergia 

Authority: Chemisquy et al. 2010, Columbus and Smith 2010, 

Peterson et al. 2010 

Santalaceae: Absorbed some of the Viscaceae 

Genera: Phoradendron 

Authority: Der and Nickrent 2008 

Talinaceae: Absorbed some of the old Portulacaceae 

Genera: Talinum 

Authority: Nyffler and Eggli 2009 

35 

Notes

Notes 

36 

General flower structure 

Basic diagram of a flower with its various parts. 

©2001 Spring Lake Publishing, Used with Permission

©2007 Utah State University Press, All Rights Reserved 

Grass structures 

37 

Notes

Notes 

38 

Flower types 


©2001 Spring Lake Publishing, Used with Permission 

Inflorescences 

39 

Notes

Notes 

Leaf margins 

40 


©2001 Spring Lake Publishing, Used with Permission 

Leaf shapes 

41 

Notes

Notes 

42 

Key to non-native species boxes 

The high, medium, and low coding 

identifies the level of risk for impacting 

wildlands and natural resources. 

Impact risk level 

Eragrostis lehmanniana 

Lehmann lovegrass 

General: Tufted perennial, erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent and 

geniculate at lower nodes, 45–60 cm tall; stems bent at lower nodes. Vegetative: 

Sheaths one–third to one–half the length of the internodes, open, glabrous except 

for sparse pilose apex of margins; blades involute, about 1 mm wide, 2–10 cm long, 

stiffly ascending, sometimes grossly flexuous, 5–15 cm long; ligule ciliate, 0.5–1 mm 

long; collar pilose at the margins. Inflorescence: Narrowly oblong to lanceolate, 

open, 10–15 cm long, 4–8 cm wide, rachis glabrous to slightly scabrous, branches 

ascending to slightly spreading; spikelets slightly compressed, often dark gray–green 

to straw colored, several to 12–flowered, rachilla disrticulating; glumes hyaline, 

keeled, scarcely compressed, first lanceolate 1–1.2 mm, second ovate–lanceolate 

1.4–1.6 mm long; lemmas oblong, obtuse, very little compressed or keeled; caryopsis 

ellipsoidal. Ecology: Introduced widely beginning in the 1930s, now widespread 

in grasslands and along roadsides from 3,000–4,500 ft (914–1372 m); flowers June– 

August. Notes: One of the most charismatic of the 

African introductions from earlier in the century, 

it was used extensively as an erosion control and 

range revegetation plant, but now it is changing 

fire–regimes and altering greater areas every 

year. Etymology: Eragrostis is from Greek eros, 

love and agrostis, grass, lehmanniana is named 

for German botanist Johann Georg Christian 

Lehmann (1792–1860). Synonyms: None 

© Michael Schumacher H M L 

The shaded 

box indicates 

that this species 

is non-native, 

introduced, or an 

invasive exotic. 

Contact the Sonoran 

Institute for a set of field 

identification cards for all 

invasive non-native plant 

species in the region. 

http://sonoran.org/

Ferns 

Ferns may not be the first plant that comes to mind when you think of the 

Sonoran Desert. But there they are, everywhere. In patches of damp shade 

beneath overhanging rocks, tracing springs out of vertical faces of rock, 

or covering dry slopes in the oak woodlands. Some even prefer the lack of 

moisture and the full sun. Desert generally evokes images of endless hot plains 

and emptiness, not steep slopes of palo verde and brittlebush or the vibrant 

speckled color of spring in wet years. Wet years and wet places; apparent 

misnomers in the talk of deserts. But wetness abounds, from minor seeps to 

creeks to runoff to even the fleeting moisture and shade beneath rocks.In all of 

these wet places, there are ferns. 

Getting to know the ferns is one part getting to know where to find them, 

being careful not to disturb the rattlesnake sleeping under a rock. It is one part 

knowing to look for the characteristic and distinctive pinnate form, to begin 

to see in the trim fronds and hairs the evolutionary history of plants coming 

out of swamps in the Cretaceous and eventually into the age of flowering 

plants. Ferns are genuinely from a simpler time, when there were not seeds and 

flowers, but only gametophytes and spores. 

When we talk of ferns we are talking specifically about the roots (no pun 

intended) of land plants and about vasculature. The land plants all have 

vascular tissue; it is what marks their evolutionary emergence from the swamps 

and it is vascular tissue that distinguishes them from the non-vascular plants, 

such as the liverworts, hornworts, and true mosses. Vascular plants eventually 

developed the simple, spore-based reproductive systems found in ferns, which 

would later diversify into the woody plants and the seed plants. 

What distinguishes ferns from other vascular plants is that they not only have 

vascular tissue, but also reproduce by spores and were the first plants to evolve 

prototypical leaves approximately 400 million years ago. The lycophytes, one 

group of early fern relatives were so-named for their lycophylls, one of the 

earliest prototype leaf structures. This structure evolved into more specialized 

ones and eventually into the euphyll structure, an early true leaf whose 

single mid-vein and branching system of veins represented the evolutionary 

separation into an increasing variety of vascular structures. 

Ferns include a remarkable diversity of plants. Across the desert southwest 

they range from the club-mosses, such as Selaginella, to the diminutive whisk 

ferns in Psilotum, to the broad range of species in Cheilanthes and the other 

Pteridophytes, to the related but very different horsetails in Equisetum. This 

unique group of plants often requires closer attention than it receives, for ferns 

lack the showy wonder of the flowering plants. But you will nevertheless be 

amazed, so get yourself a good handlens and look a little closer. 

43 

Ferns

Equisetaceae 

Ferns 

44 

Equisetum laevigatum 

smooth horsetail 

General: Perennial rhizomatous graminoid with 

slender aerial stems, often flexuous to 75 cm tall, simple 

or verticillately branched at base, basal branches 

sterile. Stems: Stems annual, 20–30–ridged, ridges 

have transverse, sharply projecting bands of silica, 

hollow internodes with toothed sheaths narrowly 

funnelform to campanulate, green or with dark basal 

ring, teeth horny, blackish, incurved, especially with 

age. Flowers: Strobili small, 1–2 cm long, obtuse or 

acute but not markedly apiculate at apex. Fruits: 

Greenish sporangia born in terminal cones. Ecology: 

Found in damp seeps, along streams and at the 

bottom of canyons from 3,000–8,000 ft (914–2438 m). Notes: Fairly common 

horsetail along streams in Arizona. Ethnobotany: Many medicinal uses, 

including: hair wash, contraceptive, for bladder ailments, for hemmoroids, 

high blood pressure, backaches, for lightning infections, lumbago, colds, to 

stimulate the kidneys, and as a wash for those parts of the body affected by 

poison ivy. Etymology: Equisetum is from equus, horse and seta, bristle, while 

laevigatum means smooth or slippery. Synonyms: Equisetum funstonii, E. 

kansanum, E. laevigatum ssp. funstonii, Hipphochaete laevigata 

©2007 WNMU, Zimmerman Herbarium

Graminoids 

Graminoids are herbaceous plants, meaning that they are not woody and die 

back to their roots at the end of each growing season. They share the same 

plant structures as other flowering plants, in modified form. The grasses 

notably lack the vibrant color of flowers, as well as what we might recognize as 

petals, but once pollinated, produce seed the same as other plants do. Grasses 

have reduced flowers with names like florets, spikelets, and glumes instead of 

tepals. While sedges have spikelets and achenes, their structures are different 

from grasses. Rushes are altogether different again, with reduced tepals and a 

capsule. 

Sedges have edges and rushes are round; grasses are hollow right down 

near the ground, goes a simple mnemonic taught to botany students. More 

scientifically, plants in the family Cyperaceae (sedges) have three sides and 

so have edges, while the family Juncaceae (rushes) are round, but not hollow 

like grasses. These first two families are often found in moist soils or along the 

margins of ponds and rivers, while grasses are widespread in moist and dry 

soils alike. 

Grasses are the single most important plant family to human beings. If you had 

cereal this morning, or enjoyed bread with your sandwich, or really liked that 

corn tortilla you ate, then you have grasses to thank. In fact, a fairly limited 

number of grasses account for the majority of our food calories as a human 

family. 

Wild grasses, on the other hand, are more diverse and constitute a significant 

proportion of the biomass found in forests, woodlands, and grasslands. 

While we might easily recognize a ryegrass or a corn plant, we are less likely 

to recognize purple threeawn (Aristida purpurea) or even the highly invasive 

buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris or Pennisetum ciliare). 

Graminoids are vital to the stability of a huge percentage of the world’s surface 

area. Prior to the onset of human civilization, this family may have covered as 

much as 25% of Earth’s land area. Although we have radically altered a huge 

percentage of this land, huge reservoirs of land are still maintained in grasses. 

Sedges and rushes often indicate the presence of water, as well as health in 

riparian systems. Either way you split the culm—square, round, or hollow, 

you’ve got in your hands a hugely important example of the world’s plants. 

45 

Graminoids

Graminoids 

46

Cyperus esculentus 

chufa flatsedge, yellow nut–grass 

General: Stout, sharply triquetrous, 

10–70 cm tall, arising singly, with 

many slender rhizomes terminating in 

small tubers; herbage sweet–scented. 

Vegetative: Leaves clustered at base, 

elongate blade mostly 3–8 mm wide; 

involucral bracts elongate, unequal, 

sometimes wider than proper leaves. 

©2007 WNMU, Zimmerman Herbarium Inflorescence: Spikelets borne in open 

(seldom short and congested), cylindric spikes with more or less elongate 

rachis, the terminal spike or cluster of spikes sessile, others borne singly or 

in small groups at the ends of rays up to 7 cm long; slender spikes 0.5–5 cm 

long, only 1–2 mm wide, scales mostly 2.5–3 mm long, several–nerved, broad 

and much overlapping laterally, but not closely set, tip of each scale surpasses 

one next below by 1.1–1.7 mm; Rachilla narrowly hyaline–winged, persistent. 

Ecology: Found on moist, low ground along streams and ditches below 6,000 

ft (1829 m). Notes: Sometimes found on drier ground away from streams, 

becoming weedy; often weedy in fields and pastures. Ethnobotany: Used as a 

ceremonial emetic, roots were chewed for cold, the tubers were eaten raw, and 

the also baked or boiled like potatoes. Etymology: Cyperus is from the Greek 

word meaning sedge, while esculentus means edible. Synonyms: None 

fragrant flatsedge 

General: Tufted annual or short lived 

perennial with three sided culms 

10–50 cm tall by 1–4 mm in diameter. 

Vegetative: Leaves flanged v or inversely 

w–shaped, 5–30 cm long by 4–12 

mm wide. Inflorescence: Bracts 5–9, 

subtending inflorescence, longer than 

inflorescence branches, 10–25 cm by 

1–14 mm wide, inflorescence a single 

dense capitate cluster of closely imbricate spikes; rays 6–12, 10–100 mm; 

20–60 linear spikelets, cylindric or slightly flat, in ovoid spikes, flower bracts 

6–24 per spikelet, 2–3.5 mm, elliptic to ovate, light brown splotched reddish; 

conspicuous midvein; achenes unequally 3–angled, 1.5–2 mm, slightly flat 

front–to–back. Ecology: Found in wet soils below 4,500 ft (1372 m); flowers 

July–October. Notes: Easily distinguished by the cylindric to subcylindric 

spikelets, with the rachilla of the mature spikelet disarticulating at the base 

of each scale. Ethnobotany: Cocopa ate the seeds, while Pima ate the tubers. 

Etymology: Cyperus is from the Greek word meaning sedge, while odoratus 

means fragrant or sweet smelling. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 

©2006 Dr. Dean Wm. Taylor, Jepson Herbarium 

Cyperus odoratus 

47 

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Cyperaceae 

Graminoids 

48 

Eleocharis montevidensis 

sand spikerush 

General: Perennial 10–50 cm tall, long reddish 

rhizome, stem generally round, not glaucous. 

Vegetative: Leaf purplish brown, becoming straw– 

colored above, truncate tip, 1–toothed. Inflorescence: 

Spikelet 3–8 mm about as wide as stem, oblong to 

ovate, generally 10–many–flowered, tip obtuse to 

acute; flower bract brownish to yellowish, margin 

translucent, tip obtuse; style three branched; perianth 

bristles 2–6, generally less than fruit; body about 

1 mm, obovate, weakly 3–sided, yellowish brown, 

shiny, short tubercle, conic, base slightly narrowed. 

Ecology: Found in moist, often sandy openings 

below 3,500 ft (1067 m). Notes: Distinguished from 

Cyperus by the solitary spikelet. Etymology: Eleocharis is from Greek heleos 

or helos, a marsh, low ground, meadow and charis, grace, beauty, hence marsh 

grace, while montevidensis means of Montevideo, Uruguay. Synonyms: 

Eleocharis arenicola 

Schoenoplectus acutus 

hardstem bulrush 

General: Stout perennial from rhizomes forming 

large colonies, 1–3 m tall, culms terete, 

thick below the middle and to the base, firm. 

Vegetative: Few leaves, borne toward the base 

of the culm, with well developed sheath and 

short poorly developed blade. Inflorescence: 

Solitary involucral bract, 2–10 cm long, erect or 

nearly so, appearing like a prolongation of the 

culm, subsidiary bracts small and inconspicuous; 

spikelets dull gray–brown, mostly 8–15 mm long, open or compact, subumbellately 

branched inflorescence, all nearly sessile in small clusters at ends 

of stiff ascending or horizontal branches of inflorescence; scales 3.5–4 mm 

long, thin and hyaline–scarious, linear, margins lacerate or arachnoid–ciliate 

with firm midrib, scabrous and exserted as a short awn–tip; bristles fragile, retrorsely 

barbellate, equaling or exceeding achene, style bi–trifid; achene 2–2.5 

mm long, completely hidden by scales. Ecology: Found in water and in marshy 

ground from 3,500–8,000 ft (1067–2438 m); flowers June–August. Notes: There 

is some question as to whether this species and S. tabernaemontani are in fact 

separate species. The latter is actually of Eurasian descent, where this species 

is from North America. Either way, they are a challenge to tell apart outside of 

the relative stoutness of the stems. Ethnobotany: Used to stop bleeding, as a 

ceremonial emetic, as a pediatric aid, the inner part of the stems were eaten 

raw, especially the tender stem base, the seeds were used for food, the young 

shoots were eaten, used in basketry and for bedding, hats, houses, instruments, 

sandals, for clothing, and anything woven. Etymology: Schoenoplectus coms 

from Greek schoinos for rush, reed or cord and plektos, for twisted or plaited, 

Synonyms: Scirpus acutus 

©2003 Steve Matson 

©2006 Patrick Alexander

©2008 WNMU, Zimmerman Herbarium 

©2006 Trent Draper 

Juncus bufonius 

toad rush 

General: Caespitose annual, 5–40 cm tall, 

no rhizomes. Vegetative: Culms erect, 

procumbent or ascending, terete, smooth, 

0.5–1.5 mm in diameter, with foliar shoots 

in leaf axils, cataphylls absent to rarely one, 

membranous 7–12 mm long; foliar leaves 

1–5 basal and 1–3 cauline to each culm, 4–15 

cm long, scariose margins not extended 

into auricles, blade flat with raised margins, 

slightly channeled above, 0.5–1.5 mm wide. 

Inflorescence: Usually more than half the total plant height, compound, 

several unilateral cymes with flowers inserted individual and removed from 

one another, rarely 2–4 flowers clustered together; lower inflorescence 

bract resembling cauline leaf, 4–15 cm long, distal bracts progressively 

shorter, ultimate ones 5 mm long and scarious; 2 bracteoles, greenish tepals, 

lanceolate 3.5–7 mm, inner series slightly shorter, apex sometimes obtuse; 

capsule ellipsoid, trigonous, truncate and mucronate, 3–4 mm by 1.5–2 mm 

with persistent style 0.1–0.3 mm long. Ecology: Found in moist soils along 

meadows, stream banks, roadsides, usually in open sites. Widespread, weedy 

species; flowers early spring to fall. Notes: Very cosmopolitan species that is 

also highly polymorphic. Ethnobotany: Taken as an emetic, and used as a 

body wash. Etymology: Juncus comes from the Latin jungere, to join or bind, 

while bufonius pertains to toads, or refers to the habit of growing in moist 

places. Synonyms: None 

Aristida adscensionis 

sixweeks threeawn 

General: Small annual, erect bunchgrass; round, 

frequently branched stem. Vegetative: Blades 

flat, narrow and short; 3–4 veins on each side 

of midrib (ribs not prominent), glandular hairs 

at base of blade; sheaths have occasional hairs, 

papery margin, ligule ciliate, 0.5 mm, some long 

hairs 2–3 mm, collar with hairy margin, glandular. 

Inflorescence: Dense panicles, contracted, 

often interrupted, 5–15 cm long, with spikelets 

aggregated on short, widely–spaced branches; 

first glume 1–nerved, most unequal, 5–8 mm, rough–textured on nerve, broad, 

second glume 8–11 mm, narrow; lemma 6–9 mm long, pubescent on callus, 

rough textured on the keeled midnerve, about as long as second glume, 3 awns, 

7–15(20) mm long, flattened at base, lateral awns slightly shorter. Ecology: 

Found on dry, sandy or rocky slopes, deserts, dry mesas, often on disturbed 

soils from 1,000–6,000 ft (305–1829 m); flowers June–October. Notes: It is often 

small with long awn branches (10–15 mm) to distinguish it from A. schiedeana. 

Unlike A. purpurea, it lacks the 2–3 mm white tufts of hairs at the apical margins 

of the sheaths. Provides good forage, especially during summer. Etymology: 

Aristo is Greek for best. Synonyms: Aristida fasciculata, A. adescensionis var. 

abortiva, A. adescensionis var. modesta. 

49 

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Poaceae 

Graminoids 

50 

Aristida purpurea 

purple threeawn 

General: Erect, small, annual/perennial 

bunchgrass, elliptical stem, can be (but not 

often) branched at lower nodes, 30–60 cm tall. 

Vegetative: Blades 0.5 mm wide, 2–8 cm long, 

rolled, curved, rough, ribs indistinct, margin 

occasionally hairy, sheath smooth, round, 

open, ligule ciliate, about 0.5 mm long, collar 

with hairy margin, bearded. Inflorescence: 

Panicles 10–25 cm long, flexuous and curving 

in fruit, weighed down, spikelets reddish– 

violet; glumes very unequal, lower glume 6–7 

mm long, upper 12–15 mm. Lemma 10–11 mm to base of awns; awn column 1–2 

mm long, awn 3–4.5 cm long, fine and delicate, deeply colored. Ecology: Rocky 

or sandy plains and slopes, found commonly along roadsides from 1,000–7,000 ft 

(305–2134 m); flowers April–October. Notes: Blades rolled, thread–like, curved, 

short collar bearded; ligule has conspicuous hairs, purple awns 2–5 cm long. Awns 

can cause abscesses to the mouths and nostrils of grazing animals and injury to 

skin when caught on fur. Of note is Aristida purpurea var. purpurea, a species that 

is similar but distinct and can be told apart chiefly by its smaller spikelets; the first 

glume is 4–5 mm long; lemma 7–8 mm long, and awns about 2 cm long. A. purpurea 

var. purpurea is formerly referred to as A. roemeriana. Another notable variety 

is var. parishii, which is distinguished by the lower glumes being three–quarters 

to equaling the upper glumes. All these varieties intergrade, so take a sample. 

Etymology: Aristo is Greek for best. Purpurea is Latin for purple. Synonyms: 

None 

Aristida purpurea var. nealleyi 

blue threeawn 

General: Dense, tufted perennials with slender 

culms often 30–60 cm, with well–developed 

fibrous roots. Vegetative: Sheaths glabrous or 

scabrous, usually with tufts of hairs on either 

side of the collar; blades narrow, tightly involute, 

mostly 5–15 cm long. Inflorescence: Contracted 

panicle, slender, relatively few–flowered, never 

dense and bushy, 8–20 cm long; spikelets mostly 

appressed along main panicle axis, occasionally 

on short, erect–spreading branches, glumes 

unequal, upper usually one–third longer than lower; lemma 8–13.5 mm; awns 

nearly equal, 2–3 cm; awn column often twisted, 1–2 mm, lighter in color than 

the lemma body and slightly narrowed to form the neck, light colored, slightly 

blotched with purple. Ecology: Found on dry, rocky or sandy slopes and 

plateaus below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers March–September. Notes: Drought 

stressed plants tend to have short culms. Etymology: From Latin arista for 

awn, while purpurea is Latin for purple, nealleyi is named for Greenleaf Cilley 

Nealley (1846–1896) a Texas botanist. Synonyms: Aristida glauca, A. nealleyi, 

A. purpurea var. glauca, A. reverchonii, A. stricta var. nealleyi 

©2005 Patrick Alexander 

©2010 Max Licher

Aristida ternipes 

spidergrass 

General: Coarse, tufted perennials .5–1 m, 

flowers in first season; roots tough and wiry. 

Vegetative: Leaf blades firm, narrow, involute 

on drying; upper surface glabrous or with 

short, rough hairs; ligules glabrous or with 

a sparse tuft of loose hairs. Inflorescence: 

Openly branched panicles, branches 

spreading to approximately 90 degrees, 


glumes subequal (spikelets at first often 

showing only one glume, lower glume develops with age); branchlets and 

spiklets conspicuously appressed along the primary branches; lemma tapering 

to short, stout, scabrous, straight or only slightly twisted awn column. Ecology: 

Found on rocky slopes and plateaus, as well as disturbed soils from 2,500– 

5,500 ft (762–1676 m); flowers summer. Notes: This species is recognized by 

two species at Tumacácori: var. gentilis and var. ternipes. Aristida ternipes var. 

gentilis has an upper glume 12–14.5 mm, lemma 10–12 mm; 3 well developed 

awns, 12–20 mm. Var. ternipes has an upper glume 10–15 mm, lemma 13–19 mm, 

often moderately curved, with one well–developed awn, straight or sometimes 

curved, 11–14 mm. Etymology: From Latin arista for awn, while purpurea is 

Latin for purple, ternipes is from Latin terni, three and the suffix –pes referring 

to the stalk. Synonyms: Var. gentilis: Aristida hamulosa, A. ternipes var. 

hamulosa, A. ternipes var. minor. Var. ternipes: None 

©2008 Michael L. Charters 

H M L 


Arundo donax 

giant reed, carrizo 

General: Tall and mostly rhizomatous perennials, thick and knotty rhizomes; 

culms hard and fibrous, almost woody, mostly 2–5 m tall and 15–40 mm in diameter. 

Vegetative: Blades numerous, elongate, flat, glabrous or scabrous, mostly 2–6 cm 

broad, evenly spaced along the culm, scabrous margin. Inflorescence: Dense 

panicle, erect, much–branched, mostly 30–60 cm long, spikelets 10–15 mm long, 

three–to–six flowered, disarticulating above the glumes and between florets; 

glumes lanceolate, thin, three–or–five nerved, about as long the spikelet; lemmas 

lanceolate, mostly five–nerved, the nerves often 

extended as short awns, internerves membranous, 

back long–pilose at least on lower half, hairs mostly 

6–8 mm long. Ecology: Found as an ornamental, 

along irrigation ditches, and on stream banks and in 

disturbed habitats; flowers in late summer. Notes: 

Plant introduced, reminiscent of bamboo; can 

grow in saline soil. Etymology: Arundo is the Latin 

name for a reed grass, while donax is a Greek name 

for a kind of weed. Synonyms: Arundo donax var. 

versicolor, A. versicolor 

51 

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Graminoids 

52 

Bothriochloa barbinodis 

cane beardstem 

General: Robust tufted perennial from 

0.75–1 m, usually villous with dense tufts of 

long, white hairs at nodes, at ligules and on 

inflorescences. Vegetative: Leaves drying 

reddish–brown, the bases semipersistent, 

flat. Inflorescence: Panicle cottony and 

white, 7–11 cm, with numerous branches 

clustered at the top of the tail, nearly naked 

stems; rachis joints and pedicels with hairs to 6–8 mm. Glumes equal but 

different shapes, lower glume broad, green and flat to concave on the back, 

upper glume markedly humpbacked or V–shaped with a blunt keel. Ecology: 

Found in open range lands, on dry, rocky or sandy slopes and plains, abundant 

on some graded roadsides from 1,000–6,000 ft (305–1829 m); flowers August– 

September. Notes: The dense tuft at the nodes is diagnostic. This plant 

responds very well to fire and is a prolific seed producer. The reddish tint 

of the cured herbage is notable. Ethnobotany: Other species in the genera 

have medicinal uses. Etymology: Botriochloa is from the Greek bothros, a 

pit or hole, and chloe or chloa, grass. Synonyms: Andropogon barbinodis, A. 

perforatus, Bothriochloa barbinodis var. palmeri, B. barbinodis var. perforata, 

B. palmeri 

Bouteloua aristidoides 

needle grama (Arizona needle grama) 

General: Annual, low tufted, weak stemmed, and 

short–lived; variable in size, fast growing with 

weakly developed roots. Vegetative: Blades thin, 

1–2 mm broad, flat or folded, often with few long 

stiff hairs at the base and occasionally extending 

up the axial surface of the blade; ligule a fringe 

of short hairs. Inflorescence: One–sided raceme 

of usually four to fifteen, occasionally twenty, 

short, unilateral spicate branches, these readily 

deciduous from the culm at a sharp–pointed 

callus; spicate branches 1–2 cm long including the 

extended rachis tip with one to four slender spikelets; rachis densely pubescent, 

at least near the base, flattened, extending beyond the insertion of the terminal 

spikelet 5–10 mm or more, conspicuously curving away from the spikelets; 

lowermost spikelet closely appressed to the rachis, awnless or minute awned 

lemma, upper spikelets with conspicuously three–awned rudiment and three– 

awned lemma; glumes very unequal, narrowly acute or acuminate, larger one 

often as long as larger glume, with three awns. Ecology: Found on dry mesas, 

washes, and disturbed areas below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers summer and fall. 

Notes: This is one of the most widespread and abundant annual grasses in the 

region. Ethnobotany: Unknown, check other species in genera for many uses. 

Etymology: Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio (1774–1842) and Esteban 

(1776–1813), Spanish botanists and horticulturalists, while aristidoides means 

like Aristida, with the three–awned lemma. Synonyms: None 

©2006 Michelle Cloud Hughes 



2008 NPS/Beth Fallon 

Bouteloua barbata 

sixweeks grama 

General: Tufted annual with numerous geniculate, 

spreading culms, typically 25 cm or less, often much 

less, rarely taller; weakly developed roots, branching 

from base. Vegetative: Leaves sometimes pilose around 

margins of throat; glabrous sheaths, margins often 

scarious or hyaline; ligule dense fringe of hairs, 0.5–1.2 

mm long, blades mostly flat with a loosely involute tip, 

1–2 mm broad, scaberulous above, often with narrow 

whitish margins. Inflorescence: Spikes mostly 1–2 cm long and 2 mm broad 

excluding awns, occasionally larger; 4–12 per stem, comb–shaped, nearly 

straight to moderately arched; lemma and rudiment awns often less than 2 mm 

long. Ecology: Found in open, rocky or sandy slopes and washes, often weedy 

on disturbed soils below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers summer and fall. Notes: 

Bouteloa rothrockii differs from B. barbata in perennial habit, hard knotty 

bases, and well–developed roots; B. rothrockii usually is the higher elevation 

species. Ethnobotany: Used as fodder, in ceremonial settings, and medicinally. 

Etymology: Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio (1774–1842) and Esteban 

(1776–1813), Spanish botanists and horticulturalists, barbata is from Latin 

barba, beard. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 

Bouteloua chondrosioides 

sprucetop grama 

General: Tufted perennial, culms firm but not 

rhizomatous and hard at the base, mostly 30–60 

cm tall. Vegetative: Rounded sheaths, blades 

glaucous, short, flat, 1–2.5 mm broad, mostly 

in a basal clump; not curled. Inflorescence: 

Usually three to seven broad, dense, erect or 

slightly spreading, more or less pectintate spicate 

branches mostly 1–1.5 cm long, excluding the 

awns, these borne on the upper 2–6 cm of the 

culm axis; spicate branches with a flattened, 

densely hairy rachis and numerous closely 

placed spikelets, deciduous as a whole; all 

exposed structures of the spikelets more or less hairy; fertile lemma three– 

cleft, the divisions with short awns; rudiment large, long–awned, cleft nearly 

to the base, the middle awn broadly winged below. Ecology: Found on dry 

rocky slopes and rolling desert grassland with fine–textured soils from 2,500– 

6,000 ft (762–1829 m); flowers August–October. Notes: Good for forage, 

distinguishable from the similar B. repens by the pubescence on all surfaces 

of the spikelets. Ethnobotany: Unknown, see other species in genera for 

other uses. Etymology: Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio (1774–1842) 

and Esteban (1776–1813), Spanish botanists and horticulturalists. Synonyms: 

Chondrosum humboldtianum, Dinebra chondrosioides 

53 

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Graminoids 

54 

Bouteloua curtipendula 

sideoats grama 

General: Large, erect, perennial, tufted 

bunchgrass; elliptical–round stem, rarely 

branched, 35–100 cm tall; fibrous roots 

with short rhizomes (slender or stout), solitary 

or in large groups. Vegetative: Blades 

evenly distributed, flat or folded when dry, 

long, drooping, rough above, pustular– 

based hairs on margin of blade near collar, 

2–7 mm wide, 2–30 cm long, sheath with papery margin, open, rounded, ligule 

thin and translucent, truncate, irregularly toothed, 0.2–0.6 mm long, collar 

with hairy margin and occasionally glandular. Inflorescence: Panicle with 

20–50 short, deciduous spicate branches (1 cm long) that hang off main inflorescence 

stem, branches 10–30 mm with 2–7 short awned spikelets; spikelets 

with 1 perfect floret and 1 rudimentary floret; glumes unequal, half as long 

as upper glume, upper glume as broad and long as lemma, lemma 4–7 mm, 

with short awns or awnless; usually short awns on glumes and lemmas, palea 

unawned, slightly shorter than lemma; anthers red to yellow. Ecology: Found 

on limestone outcrops, rocky slopes, woodlands and forest openings from 

2,500–7,000 ft (762–2134 m); flowers June–November. Notes: There are generally 

two varieties in Arizona: var. curtipendula and var. caespitosa. Var. curtipendula 

can be distinguished by being long–rhizomatous, with culms solitary 

or in small clumps. Var. caespitosa are not long–rhizomatous, bases sometimes 

knotty with short rhizomes, culms in large or small clumps. A third variety, 

var. tenuis is endemic to Mexico, but a single collection has been made in the 

Huachuca Mountains. This variety does not have very long rhizomes, and has 

conspicuously curled blades. Ethnobotany: Tewa made dried grass bundles 

into brooms, and brushes. Etymology: Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio 

(1774–1842) and Esteban (1776–1813), Spanish botanists and horticulturalists, 

Curtipendula is Latin for shortened hanging pendant. Synonyms: None 



Bouteloua gracilis 

blue grama, eyelash grass 

General: Tufted perennial, semi–sod or ring 

grass, 25–60 cm tall; smooth or minutely 

pubescent on the stem nodes; with short, stout 

rhizomes. Vegetative: Blades 2–12 cm long, 0.5– 

2.5 mm wide, rough–textured/short pubescent on 

top, often sparsely hirsute, clasped in “bud”, flat 

to involute, narrow, drooping; old blades curled; 

sheaths rounded, smooth or with sparse long 

and stiff hairs; ligule 0.1–0.4 mm fringe of short 

hairs, often with marginal tufts of longer hairs. 

Inflorescence: Panicle of 1–4 curved racemose secund branches, bearing 

40–130 spikelets per branch; disarticulation above the glumes, glumes hairy 

on midnerve; lowest lemma 3.5–6 mm long, pubescent basally, central lobes 

veined and 3–awned from apical and lateral clefts (1–3 mm long); rachilla with 

tufts of hair at base of perfect floret. Ecology: Common on open rocky slopes, 

forest openings, grasslands from 4,000–8,000 ft (1219–2438 m); flowers mostly 

July–October. Notes: Diagnostic characteristics include, bluish–green foliage, 

dried leaves often curled; inflorescence branches often curled; branch rachis 

scabrous on back, tuft of hair at base of perfect floret. Ethnobotany: Used as a 

life medicine, roots chewed and blown on cuts, taken as a postpartum medicine, 

as fodder, the seeds were ground and used as mush and flour, the stems made 

combs and brooms, basketry, as hay, some tribes used them as predictors of 

coming seasonal severity (one spike=mild winter, more=severe winter), and 

it was used ceremonially. Etymology: Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio 

(1774–1842) and Esteban (1776–1813), Spanish botanists and horticulturalists, 

Gracilis is Latin for thin, small, or graceful. Synonyms: Bouteloua oligostachya, 

Chondrosum gracile, C. digostachyum 

55 

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Graminoids 

56 

Bouteloua repens 

slender grama 

General: Tufted perennial, culms firm but not 

rhizomatous and at base, mostly 30–60 cm tall. 

Vegetative: Sheaths rounded, not becoming 

conspicuously flattened; blades glaucous, short, 

flat, 1–2.5 mm broad mostly in a basal clump. 

Inflorescence: Four to twelve spicate branches on 

the upper 3–10 cm of the culm axis, these with five 

to numerous spikelets on a flattened, ciliate rachis 

mostly 1.5–2 cm long; glumes subequal, both broadly 

lanceolate and with a scabrous or scabrous–ciliate 

midnerve; fertile lemma glabrous or nearly so, the 

nerves usually extending into short awns; palea 

as long as the lemma; rudiment about as long as 

the fertile floret, usually staminate, with two lateral short–awned lobes and a 

large central lobe bearing a stout scabrous awn. Ecology: Found by dry rocky 

slopes, below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers August–December. Notes: Similar to 

both B. radicosa and B. chondrosioides. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Bouteloua named for brothers Claudio (1774–1842) and Esteban (1776–1813), 

Spanish botanists and horticulturalists, repens means having creeping and 

rooting stems. Synonyms: Bouteloua filiformis, B. heterostega, Dinebra repens 

Bouteloua rothrockii 

Rothrock’s grama, cuchillo 

General: Short lived perennial, culms wiry, 25–60 cm tall and in small 

clumps. Vegetative: Leaves glabrous or sparsely pillose–hirsute, the blades 

1–2, occasionally 3 mm broad, often loosely involute. Inflorescence: Spicate 

branches four, occasionally three to eight per culm, mostly 1.5–3 cm long 

and about 3 mm broad excluding the awns, rachis and glumes not hispid or 

ciliate, glabrous or minutely pubescent; lemma pubescent below with long 

white hairs, broad and lobed above, three nerves evident, extending from the 

notches as awns mostly 1.5–3 mm long. Ecology: Found on dry rocky hillsides 

and sandy mesas from 2,500–5,500 ft (762–1676 m); flowers summer. Notes: 

This species is difficult to discern from B. barbata. Several characteristics are 

diagnostic: awns are longer, the stems are usually less branched and the glumes 

more noticeably scaberulous rather than glabrous and shiny. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown, other species in this genera have uses. Etymology: Bouteloua 

named for brothers Claudio (1774–1842) and Esteban (1776–1813), Spanish 

botanists and horticulturalists, rothrockii is named for Dr. Joseph Trimble 

Rothrock (1839–1922), surgeon on the Wheeler expedition of 1873–1875. 

Synonyms: Bouteloua barbata var. rothrockii 

2009 NPS/Steve Buckley

H M L 


Bromus catharticus 

rescuegrass 

General: Winter annual or biennial, sheaths glabrous or retrosley soft pubescent, 

erect to spreading 0.2–1 m tall. Vegetative: Blades flat, thin, mostly 4–8 mm broad, 

usually glabrous, ligules long, 2.5–5 mm, erose, glabrous to pilose, small auricles. 

Inflorescence: Open panicle with stout bunches, spikelets large, mostly 2–3 cm 

long and with 5–10 florets, first glume three to five nerved, second glume seven 

to nine nerved; lemma strongly compressed laterally, glabrous, scabrous, or 

occasionally short pubescent, awnless or with an awn 3 mm or less long. Ecology: 

Found mainly as a weed in laws, gardens, 

roadsides; flowers spring and summer. 

Ethnobotany: Seeds parched, ground into 

flour and used for flour for bread and to 

make mush, and as a fodder. Etymology: 

Bromus is from Greek bromo, for stinking, 

while catharticus is from Greek katharos, 

pure, or kathartes, a purifier, cleanser. 

Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 

©2006 Steven Thorsted 

©2001 Joe DiTomaso 

H M L 


Bromus tectorum 

cheatgrass 

General: Highly invasive erect to spreading annual, slender, 30–60 cm tall, a 

round stem not branched with shallow roots, the sheath closed to within a few 

cm of ligule and with soft pubescent (woolly). Vegetative: Blade 2.5–6 mm 

wide, 5–12 cm long, pubescent, flat, twisted, drooping, blunt pointed; soft hairy 

on both sides; 2–3 veins each side of hairy midrib, which is prominent on upper 

leaf surface, ligule thin and translucent, irregularly toothed or edges appear 

torn, 1–2.5 mm long, collar usually narrow and pubescent; smooth and divided. 

Inflorescence: Open panicle, dense, soft, drooping, often purple, spikelets 12– 

20 mm long, nodding, first glume 4–6 mm long, villous, second glume 8–10 mm 

long, villous; lemma 10–12 mm long, lance–shaped, with long and soft hairs, 

teeth 2–3 mm long, convex on back; awn 12–14 mm long, straight to twisted. 

Ecology: Widespread on roadsides and open waste ground, is a weedy plant of 

overgrazed lands from 4,000–8,000 ft (1220–2440 m); flowers May–September. 

Notes: Annual introduced with awns 1–2 cm long, the sheath closed and ligule 

very thin, obtuse–lacerate; woolly (soft to touch) with early spring growth, it 

is purplish brown inflorescence at maturity with relatively long awns. Highly 

invasive weed. Etymology: From Greek 

bromo for stinking. Tectorum is Latin, 

meaning “of the roof.” Synonyms: 

Anisantha tectorum, Bromus tectorum 

var. glabratus, B. tectorum var. hirsutus, 

B. tectorum var. nudus 

57 

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58 

Cenchrus longispinus 

mat sandbur 

General: Loosely tufted, often prostrate 

and mat forming annuals; culms 10–40 

cm long, branched at the base, sometimes 

rooting at the nodes, geniculate, glabrous, 

leafy. Vegetative: Sheaths compressed– 

keeled, the collar sometimes puberulent, 

otherwise glabrous, margins scarious, 

sometimes extended as membranous 

auricles, sometimes diverging from the 

culm; ligule a dense fringe of hairs, 0.5–1.5 

mm long, marginal hairs sometimes up to 2.5 mm long; blades flat to folded, 

3–6 mm broad, scabrous, at least above. Inflorescence: Panicle 3–6 cm 

long, bearing 4–12 burs, rachis geniculate, flattened and angled, scabrous to 

glabrous; bur urceolate to globose, the body 3–5 mm broad when pressed, 

enclosing 2 sessile spikelets and covered with 45–55 spines, upper spines large, 

flat, spreading to ascending. Ecology: Found in open ground and waste places, 

weedy in disturbed areas, often in sandy soil. Notes: This is a terrifically gnarly 

weed. Etymology: Cenchrus is though to be from Greek kenchros, millet, and 

longispinus means long spines. Synonyms: Cenchrus carolinianus 


Cenchrus spinifex 

H M L 

coastal sandbur, field sandbur 

General: Perennial or facultative annual with weak, spreading stems 10–90 

cm long, often freely branching and forming mats; deep, well–developed 

roots. Vegetative: Blades flat or folded, 2–7 mm broad, ligule densely ciliate, 

membranous portion very short; collar margins villous. Inflorescence: 

Compact, spikelike 2–8 cm long, usually little–exserted from the sheath, mostly 

with 12–27 burs; burs variable, puberulent, 2.5–4 mm diameter, shorter to 

longer than wide, spines highly variable, long and slender to short and broad, 

longest 4–5.7 mm; first glume short, lanceolate–acuminate; second glume and 

sterile lemma lanceolate; lemma and palea lanceolate–acuminate, 4–5 mm 

long. Ecology: Found on roadsides and 

waste places, mostly in sandy soil below 

6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers June–October. 

Notes: The bristles on the bur do not 

form a ring on this species, marking a 

diagnostic characteristic. Etymology: 

Cenchrus is thought to be from Greek 

kenchros, millet, spinifex refers to its 

bearing spines. Synonyms: Cenchrus 

incertus, C. parviceps, C. pauciflorus 




©2005 Pedro Tenorio Lezama 

Chloris virgata 

feather fingergrass 

General: Tufted annual with weak, 

decumbent culms, 10–80 cm, shallow 

roots. Vegetative: Sheaths smooth, 

keeled, leaves glabrous or with few long 

hairs, ligules membranous, 0.2–1 mm long, 

truncate, lacerate, ciliate; blades flat or 

folded, weak, 2–8 mm broad, sometimes 

sparsely pilose near collar. Inflorescence: 

Panicles of 6–14 digitately arranged spikes, 4.5–8 cm long densely aggregated at 

culm apex, erect or slightly erect–spreading, whitish to tawny with silky hairs, 

glumes narrowly–lanceolate, 1–nerved, first glume 1.5–2.5 mm long, sometimes 

aristate, second 2.5–4 mm long, tapering to short awn; fertile lemma obovate, 

body 3 mm long, pubescent on keel and margins, with tuft of hairs 2–4 mm long 

laterally near apex, abruptly contracted to awn 5–10 mm long. Ecology: Found 

in sandy–silty soils, washes, roadsides, and other disturbed habitats below 

5,500 ft (1676 m); flowers July–September. Notes: Often prolific on disturbed 

soils, can be confused with Hilaria belangeri when vegetative. Etymology: 

Chloris is named for the Greek goddess of flowers, virgata means wand–like. 

Synonyms: None 

Cottea pappophoroides 

cotta grass 

General: Tufted perennial without rhizomes, culms 

30–70 cm tall, softly pilose below panicle, bearded 

nodes. Vegetative: Sheaths longer than internodes, 

leaves thinly pilose, blades 3–7 mm broad, flat or 

folded, pilose on both surfaces; ligule of hairs. 

Inflorescence: Narrow but open panicle with stout 

erect–spreading branches, 6–20 cm long, 2–6 cm wide; 

spikelets 7–10 mm long, six to ten florets, upper ones 

reduced, disarticulating above glumes and between 

florets; self–fertilizing spikelets produced in axils of 

lower leaf sheaths; glumes subequal, 4–5 mm long, 

broadly lanceolate, seven to thirteen fine but distinct 

nerves; midnerve sometimes continues as short awn; 

lowermost lemma as long as glumes, hairy near base, nine to thirteen nerves; 

caryopsis oblong, about 1.5 mm long. Ecology: Found on rocky slopes, hillsides, 

and plains below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers late summer and fall. Notes: 

This grass is recognized often by its persistence in the landscape, with the 

persistent glumes that are papery which make it easy to identify. Etymology: 

Pappohphoroides comes from Latin for with pappus, and Greek oeides, like 

something else. Synonyms: None 

59 

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Cynodon dactylon 

60 

H M L 

Bermudagrass 

General: Perennial with stolons and rhizomes, obvious internodes that forms 

extensive mats, culms mostly creeping and stoloniferous, short internodes. 

Vegetative: Leaves 2–ranked, flat, short, narrow, usually 1–3 mm broad, ligule 

a fringe of short hairs and lateral tufts of long stiff hairs. Inflorescence: Spikes 

4–7, digitate, slender, often 2.5–6 cm, purplish to green, spikelets sessile and 

closely appressed, in two rows on narrow, triangular rachis. Ecology: Found 

everywhere, very widespread weed below 6,000 ft (1829 m). Notes: One of 

the most common introduced grasses in Arizona. In many places it has been 

planted as a pasture grass, which makes it particularly common along the Santa 

Cruz River and other waterways 

in southern Arizona. Etymology: 

Cynodon is from Greek meaning dog 

tooth, and dactylon is from Greek 

daktylos, finger or toe. Synonyms: 

Capriola dactylon, Cynodon 

aristiglumis, C. incompletes, Panicum 

dactylon ©2005 Patrick Alexander 


Dactyloctenium aegyptium 

H M L 

Egyptian grass 

General: Decumbent annual, often rooting at lower nodes, weak culms 10–50 

cm tall, often forms radiating mats. Vegetative: Blades flat, 2–8 mm broad, 

pustulate–ciliate on margins near base, occasional stiff hairs on one or both 

surfaces, ligule membranous, minutely erose, 0.3 mm long. Inflorescence: 

Spikes 2–6, short and stubby, paired or digitate at the culm apex, tuft of hair at 

point of union; spicate branches 2–6 cm long, 5–8 mm wide, spikelets numerous; 

glumes unequal in size and shape, lower glume awnless, upper glume with awn 

0.5–3.2 mm; disarticulation between glumes, first 

remaining on rachis; caryopsis glistening red–brown 

with thin, evenly spaced ridges. Ecology: Widely 

naturalized weed found on roadsides, sandy washes, 

and disturbed soils. Notes: Introduced, but not as 

aggressive as Cynodon dactylon, widely naturalized. 

Ethnobotany: Cocopa said to have used the grain for 

food, widely used as such in other parts of the world. 

Etymology: Dactylocteniumis from Greek daktylos, 

finter and ktenion, little comb, aegyptium refers to its 

being Egyptian. Synonyms: Cynosurus aegyptius 

©2005 Pedro Tenorio Lezama


Dasyochloa pulchella 

fluffgrass 

General: Dwarf, tufted perennial, appears 

annual, numerous culms, 5–14 cm, wiry, 

mainly of single elongated internode bearing 

clustered fascicle of leaves and spikelets at 

apex; fascicle bends over to ground and rarely 

takes root. Vegetative: Blades 1–5 cm long, .5 

mm wide, involute, margins firm and often 

white; ligule a low ciliate fringe 0.3–0.5 mm 

long, sheath open, striate, margins ciliate, 

collar glabrous except for long marginal hairs. Inflorescence: Compact and 

dense, capitate clusters of sessile or short–pedicelled spikelets, exceeded in 

length by subtending leaf blades; spikelets 7–13 mm long, 6–12 flowered, glumes 

subequal, acuminate, scarious, as long as spikelet but spreading, glumes and 

lemmas papery, sometimes purple–tinged, glumes with green midvein; lemmas 

3–5 mm, densely pilose with long hairs on each of the 3 green veins, tip deeply 

2–lobed with stout awn 1–2 mm long between lobes. Ecology: Found on dry 

rocky slopes and flats below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers summer and fall. Notes: 

This is one of the most hardy of the small perennial grasses, it responds to very 

little rainfall and is often found on overgrazed or denuded soils. Etymology: 

Dasyochloa is from the Greek dasys, shaggy, thick, hairy, rough, while pulchella 

is derived from the Latin for beautiful. Synonyms: Erioneuron pulchellum, 

Tridens pulchellus, Triodia pulchella 

61 

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62 

Digitaria californica 

Arizona cottontop 

General: Erect culms from swollen, knotty base, 

40–100 cm tall, glabrous. Vegetative: Sheaths 

longer than internodes, open, lower ones 

pubescent; blades flat or folded, glaucous, bluish– 

green, 3–4 mm wide, 8–12 cm long, pustulate hairs 

on upper side near ligule, sometimes sparse; 

ligule membranous, obtuse, erose, 1.5–2.5 mm 

long. Inflorescence: Contracted panicle 8–20 cm 

long with few branches, these erect, appressed; 

spikelets 3–4 mm long, excluding hairs, second 

glume narrow densely villous with soft white–silky, hairs tinged with purple, 

2–4 mm long; sterile lemma broad, three–nerved, villous on margins but 

glabrous on internerves; caryopsis ovate–lanceolate, narrowing to short awn. 

Ecology: Found on open, well–drained soils, often on steep, rocky slops from 

1,000–6,000 ft (305–1829 m); flowers August–November. Notes: Cottony 

spikelet, along with its upright habit and erect culms help to distinguish this 

species. Etymology: Digitaria is from Latin digitus, a finger and californica is 

for California. Synonyms: Trichachne californica 

Digitaria sanguinalis 

hairy crabgrass 

General: Annual with spreading–decumbent 

culms, often rooting at lower nodes, 10–130 cm. 

Vegetative: Sheaths and blades pilose to thinly 

pubescent; blades broad, flat, thin, 4–10 mm 

wide, 5–10 cm long; ligule membranous, truncate, 

erose, 0.5–1.5 mm long; collar divided, somewhat 

pilose. Inflorescence: Branches 6–10 cm long, 

usually digitate or clustered at culm apex but 

occasionally scattered along the culm; spikelets 

in pairs, one subsessile, the other on a pedicel 

half as long as the spikelet; spikelets 2.5–3.5 mm long; first glume a minute scale, 

second glume pubescent, mostly one–half or less as long as spikelet, leaving 

back of fertile lemma exposed. Ecology: Common weed of lawns, open 

waste ground, and cultivated areas from 2,500–6,000 ft (762–1829 m); flowers 

June–October. Notes: Low habit helps differentiate it from D. californica. 

Etymology: Digitaria is from Latin digitus, a finger, while sanguinalis pertains 

to blood. Synonyms: Panicum sanguinale, Syntherisma sanguinalis 


©2005 Luigi Rignanese

H M L 


Echinochloa colona 

jungle rice 

General: Tufted annual, culms slender 20–100 cm. Vegetative: Blades 3–6 mm 

wide, with purple bands, flat, glabrous, sheath compressed, open, glabrous; no 

ligule; glabrous collar. Inflorescence: Panicle 6–15 cm long, with short, simple, 

subspicate branches, widely spaced, single or occasionally paired at nodes, 

appressed or spreading; spikelets 2.5–3 mm long, subsessile and crowded in 

two to four regular rows; second glume and sterile lemma short–pointed, hispid–scabrous 

to glabrous, loosely enclosing mature caryopsis; fertile lemma 

abruptly cuspidate. Ecology: Found on moist, disturbed soils, ditchbanks, irrigated 

fields below 5,500 ft (1676 m); flowers May–October. Notes: Similar 

to Panicum species, however, the large caryopsis and the ranked spikelet separates 

it. Ethnobotany: Cocopa parched the seeds, 

ground them into flour for mush. Etymology: 

Echinochloa is from Greek echinos for hedgehog 

or sea–urchia and chloe or chloa for grass, while 

colona is from Latin colonus for colonist. Synonyms: 

Panicum colonum 


H M L 


Echinochloa crus–galli 

barnyard grass 

General: Introduced annual, stout, tufted culms 30–200 cm tall, genticulate 

and decumbent below, ascending above, glabrous. Vegetative: Glabrous 

sheaths, ligules lacking, blades flat 4–12 mm broad, a few papillae on margins 

near collar, sometimes with hairs; scabrous margins. Inflorescence: Panicles 

5–21 cm long, erect or nodding, consists of 5–12 racemosely arranged lateral 

branches; spikelets 2.8–3.5 mm long, more or less laterally compressed, first 

glume, 1.2–1.6 mm long, broad, clasping, 3–nerved; second glume 2.5–3.2 mm 

long, 5–nerved, awned, awn .7–1.5 mm long, plano–convex lemma. Caryopses 

1.3–2.2 mm long, 1–1.8 mm wide, ovoid, brownish. Ecology: Seepages, moist 

waste places, disturbed sites, frequently in trampled pasturelands up to 7,000 

ft (2134 m), flowers July–September. Notes: Eurasian species, very variable. 

Densely flowered with one sided panicle. Ethnobotany: Seeds harvested 

pounded, winnowed, ground, parched and eaten 

as mush, porridge, and as a meal. Etymology: 

Echinochloa is from Greek for hedgehog or sea– 

urchin and chloe or chloa grass, referring to bristly 

spikelets, while crus–gallis is from Latin crus, 

the leg or thigh and gallus, a cock. Synonyms: 

Panicum crus–galli 


63 

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64 

Elymus elymoides 

western bottle–brush, 

bottlebrush squirrel–tail 

General: Native Semi–erect, moderately– 

bunching perennial; round stem, not branched, 

15–50 cm. Vegetative: Leaves evenly distributed 

on glabrous sheaths, scabrous to densely white– 

villous; auricles to 1 mm, often purplish; ligules 

shorter than 1 mm, truncate, entire or lacerate; 

blades 2–4 mm wide, often involute, abaxially 

surfaces glabrous to puberulent, adaxial 

scabrous, puberulent to hirsute. Inflorescence: 

Spikes 3–20 cm long, 5–15 cm wide, erect to subflexuous, 2–3 spikelets ber node, 10– 

20 mm spikelets, divergent, sometimes glaucous at least one spikelet at a node with 

2–4 florets, 1–4 fertile; disarticulate at rachis nodes, then beneath each floret; glumes 

subequal, 20–135 mm, including undifferentiated awns; sometimes they split into 2–3 

unequal divisions, flexuous to outcurving from base at maturity; fertile lemmas 6–12 

mm, glabrous, scabrous, or appressed–pubescent. Ecology: Found in dry, often 

rocky, but wide–ranging habitats from open woods to grasslands, to disturbed areas 

from 2,000–11,500 ft (610–3505 m); flowers March–September. Notes: Distinctive 

spikelets with their arrangement like a bottlebrush help to identify this species. 

Widespread species in the Intermountain West. Host plaint for Garita Skipperling 

and Nevada skipper butterflies. Can be good fodder when young. Ethnobotany: 

Used as forage, although mature fruits irritate animals’ mouths. Etymology: Elymus 

is from the Greek elymos for millet, while elymoides means like the genus Elymus. 

Synonyms: Sitanion hystrix, S. glabrum 

©2009 Liz Makings

H M L 


Eragrostis barrelieri 

Mediterranean lovegrass 

General: Introduced, tufted annual, culms erect to spreading, geniculate or 

decumbent at the base, branching at base, rings or patches of shiny yellow, pink, 

or purplish glandular tissue on stems, and inflorescence axes and branches. 

Vegetative: Sheaths one–half the length of the internodes, glabrous except for 

pilose apex of margins; ligule a dense row of white hairs about 0.4 mm long; 

blades flat to involute, glabrous below, scabrous and scattered pilose above, 

3–10.5 cm long, 1–5 mm wide. Inflorescence: Panicles ovoid, open 5–16 cm long, 

2–8 cm wide, rachis scabrous towards tip, branches ascending to spreading often 

bearing spikelets nearly to the base, glabrous; spikelets linear to oblong, straw– 

to–lead colored, flattened 5–11 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, 6–15 flowered, rachilla 

persistent; glumes ovate, acute to acuminate, hyaline, scabrous on keels; lower 

glume 1–1.5 mm, upper glume slightly longer; lemmas 2 mm; caryopsis cylindric, 

oblique at one end, pointed at other. Ecology: Found on roadsides and on 

disturbed ground; flowers August–October. 

Notes: A common weedy species, introduced 

from Europe. The prominent glandular rings 

or patches are unique among the grasses in 

Arizona and Sonora. Etymology: Eragrostis 

is from Greek eros, love and agrostis, grass, 

while barrelieri is named for the French 

botanist Jacques Barrelier (1606–1673). 



65 

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Eragrostis cilianensis 

66 

H M L 

stinkgrass 

General: Highly variable annual, culms tufted, erect to prostrate, branching 

at base and above, ring of glands below nodes, to 45 cm but usually smaller. 

Vegetative: Sheaths overlapping, bearded at throat, leaves otherwise glabrous, 

2–7 mm wide, 6–25 cm long, flat to v–shaped, often with wartlike glands 

along margins; ligule ciliate, truncate, 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence: Panicles 

ovoid to oblong, open, usually densely flowered, 5.5–16 cm long, 2–8.5 cm 

wide, rachis scabrous, branches stiffly ascending to spreading, sometimes 

flexuous and slender, scabrous, spikelets and inflorescence branches pale 

green when fresh, turing straw colored at maturity, spikelets 3.5–21 mm by 2–3 

mm; lemmas 2–2.5 mm; rachilla persistent; glumes broadly to narrowly ovate, 

acute to subacute, sometimes three–nerved, compressed; caryopsis ellipsoidal 

to subspherical, striate. Ecology: Found on roadsides, in disturbed ground 

and other waste places from 3,500–7,000 ft 

(1067–2134 m); flowers May–October. Notes: 

Also known as stink grass because it is said to 

smell like cockroaches, but it really just stinks. 

Etymology: Eragrostis is from Greek eros, 

love and agrostis, grass, cilianensis comes 

from and estate in Italy, Ciliani, where the 

type specimen was collected. Synonyms: 

Eragrostis major, E. megastachya, Poa 

cilianensis 



H M L 


Eragrostis curvula 

weeping lovegrass, Boer lovegrass 

General: Tufted perennial, culms erect or ascending, 75–150 cm tall. Vegetative: 

Sheaths shorter than internodes, open, keeled, lower ones hispid; basal sheaths 

numerous and spread out, densely villous on back and less so on margins, upper 

glabrous; ligule ciliate, truncate, about 1 mm long; blades involute, setaceous, 

flexuous, usually glabrous below and scabrous above, 20–30 cm long; collar 

margins pilose. Inflorescence: Panicles oblong or ovoid, open 25–40 cm long, 

8–12 cm wide, rachis scabrous, flexuous 8–15 cm long, lower axils densely 

pubescent, upper less so; spikelets oblong–lanceolate, 6–12 flowered, 4–10 mm 

long, compressed, grayish–green, rachilla disarticulating; glumes acuminate, 

lanceolate, compressed, keeled, first 1.8 mm long, 

second 2.8 mm long; lemmas narrowly ovate, 

acute, lateral nerves conspicuous; caryopsis 

ellipsoidal, striate, 1.4 mm. Ecology: Found on 

sandy soils, roadsides, burns below 7,000 ft (2134 

m); flowers June–August. Notes: Introduced from 

Africa, used as a reseeding grass in the early 20th 

century along with E. lehmanniana. Etymology: 

Eragrostis is from Greek eros, love and agrostis, 

grass, while curvula refers to its curved habit. 

Synonyms: Eragrostis chloromelas, E. curvula var. 

conferta, E. curvula var. curvula, E. robusta 


Eragrostis intermedia 

plains lovegrass 

General: Densely tufted erect perennial, culms 55–90 

cm tall. Vegetative: Sheaths rounded on the back, 

keeled, lower compressed, one margin ciliate; blades 

involute, 1–3 mm wide, 10–25 cm long, flat, glabrous 

except for few long hairs above ligule; ligule a dense 

row of white hairs .4 mm long; collar pilose, margins 

pilose. Inflorescence: Panicles broadly pyramidal, 

open, decompound, 20–40 cm long, 15–30 cm wide, 

branches ascending to spreading, lower sometimes 

reflexed, slender, flexuous, solitary or sub–opposite, 

10–25 cm long, axils pilose; spikelets oblong to 

narrowly lanceolate, compressed, grayish–green to 

purple tinged, 4– mm long, 1.6–1.8 mm wide, 5–11 flowered, rachilla disarticulated; 

glumes hyaline, compressed, keeled, scabrous on the keel, first acuminate, 

lanceolate second acute, ovate; lemmas ovate, acute, rounded on back, loosely 

imbricate, inconspicuous lateral nerves; caryopsis oblong, striate. Ecology: 

Found on sandy and rocky slopes and plains, from 4,000–5,000 ft (1219–1524 m); 

flowers June–October. Notes: The combination of the open, broadly pyramid– 

shaped, and reddish inflorescence are diagnostic. Panicles will break loose and 

roll in the wind after anthesis. Etymology: Eragrostis is from Greek eros, love 

and agrostis, grass, intermedia means intermediate. Synonyms: None 

67 

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68 


Eragrostis lehmanniana 

H M L 

Lehmann lovegrass 

General: Tufted perennial, erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent and 

geniculate at lower nodes, 45–60 cm tall; stems bent at lower nodes. Vegetative: 

Sheaths one–third to one–half the length of the internodes, open, glabrous 

except for sparse pilose apex of margins; blades involute, about 1 mm wide, 

2–10 cm long, stiffly ascending, sometimes grossly flexuous, 5–15 cm long; ligule 

ciliate, 0.5–1 mm long; collar pilose at the margins. Inflorescence: Narrowly 

oblong to lanceolate, open, 10–15 cm long, 4–8 cm wide, rachis glabrous to 

slightly scabrous, branches ascending to slightly spreading; spikelets slightly 

compressed, often dark gray–green to straw colored, several to 12–flowered, 

rachilla disrticulating; glumes hyaline, keeled, scarcely compressed, first 

lanceolate 1–1.5 mm, second ovate–lanceolate about 1.5 mm long; lemmas 

oblong, obtuse, very little compressed or keeled; caryopsis ellipsoidal. Ecology: 

Introduced widely beginning in the 1930s, now widespread in grasslands and 

along roadsides from 3,000–4,500 ft (914–1372 m); flowers June–August. 

Notes: One of the most charismatic of the 

African introductions from earlier in the 

century, it was used extensively as an erosion 

control and range revegetation plant, but now 

it is changing fire–regimes and altering greater 

areas every year, often the first and sometimes 

only grass greening up in the landscape. 

Etymology: Eragrostis is from Greek eros, 

love and agrostis, grass, lehmanniana is named 

for German botanist Johann Georg Christian 

Lehmann (1792–1860). Synonyms: None 

© 2008 Patrick Alexander


©2008 Jason E. Willand 

Eriochloa acuminata 

tapertip cupgrass 

General: Annual, culms 20–100 cm, long, 

weak, usually decumbent or geniculate below, 

herbage typically pubescent to villous or hirsute, 

infrequently glabrous. Vegetative: Bright green 

blades, glabrous or rarely thinly pubescent, thin, 

3–10 mm broad; ligule of soft hairs; sheaths glabrous 

or occasionally hirsute. Inflorescence: Panicle 

6–18 cm long, with appressed or erect–spreading 

branches; inflorescence branches and pedicels 

flattened or angular, densely pubescent with hairs 

to 4 mm long, long hairs often interspersed with shorter hairs, latter often 

glandular; second glume and sterile lemma abruptly acuminate, mostly 3–4 mm 

long, appressed pubescent; fertile lemma oblong, finely reticulate, abruptly 

cuspidate at the apex. Ecology: Found in sandy washes and depressions, along 

streams, and on disturbed soils from 2,500–5,500 ft (762–1676 m); flowers 

August–October. Notes: There is a distinct variety documented at Tumacacori, 

var. minor: told apart from the species by the short–acuminate spikelets, the 

pedicels have only a few long hairs, mainly at the summit, while the culms are 

shorter. Etymology: Eriochloa from Greek erion, wool, and chloe or chloa, 

grass, while acuminata means having a long tapering point. Synonyms: None, 

but for var. minor (Eriochloa gracilis var. minor, E. punctata var. minor) 

Festuca octoflora 

sixweeks fescue 

General: Erect annual, 15–30 cm tall. 

Vegetative: Blades 1–2 mm wide, 2–10 cm 

long; narrow, margins rolled upward. Sheath 

smooth to puberulent. Ligule 0.5 mm long. 

Vernation folded. Inflorescence: Narrow 

panicle, 2–10 cm long. Spikelets 6–8 mm long, 

5–13–flowered. 1st glume 3–4.5 mm long, lance– 

shaped, 1–nerved. 2nd glume 3–4.5 mm long, 

lance–shaped, 3–nerved. Lemma 4–5 mm 

long, firm, lance–shaped, smooth or rough– 

textured. Awn 3–5 mm long. Notes: Annual; >5 florets per spikelet. Ecology: 

Sterile, rocky, open ground around

Poaceae 

Graminoids 

70 

Hilaria belangeri 

curly–mesquite 

General: Low tufted perennial 25–30 cm or less, 

culms stoloniferous and sod–forming, curving 

over and rooting at nodes, usually only upper one 

or two internodes erect, nodes with dense tufts of 

long white hairs. Vegetative: Blades flat and thin, 

2 mm wide, 5–20 cm long, flat to arcuate with some 

pustulate hairs; sheath open, margins overlapping; 

ligule membranous, obtuse to truncate, lacerate, 

0.5–1 mm long; collar glabrous, occasionally margins 

with 1–2 long hairs. Inflorescence: Spikes exserted 

on slender, filiform culm apices, less than 5 cm long 

with 4–9 spikelet clusters; glumes of lateral spikelets 

variable, inner reduced, outer broadened above, 

notched or lobed, midnerve extended into short awn; glumes of the central 

spikelet subequal, usually glabrous or scabrous, deeply notched, awns mostly 

4–5 mm; lemmas thin, awnless, about as long as glumes; caryopsis free from 

palea, mostly 1.5–2 mm long, flattened and oblong. Ecology: Found on rocky 

slopes, dry hillsides and sandy plains from 3,000–6,000 ft (914–1829 m); flowers 

July–November. Notes: Often develops in large colonies, usually in swales or 

heavy–textured soils. Etymology: Hilaria is named for Auguste St. Hilaire, a 

French naturalist. Synonyms: None 

Hopia obtusa 

vine mesquite 

General: Stoloniferous perennial, sod–forming, 

20–80 cm tall, wiry culms, glabrous with swollen 

and densely hairy nodes; rhizomes to 1 m or more. 

Vegetative: Sheath open, glabrous occasionally 

villous at base; blades light blush green, flat, 2–7 mm 

wide, 5–20 cm long, midvein prominent and white; 

ligule membranous, 1–2 mm long, obtuse, entire 

or sometimes lacerate. Inflorescence: Contracted 

raceme 13 mm or less broad, 3–14 cm long with 

short, mostly simple and appressed branches; 

spikelets oblong or obovate, mostly 3.5–4 mm long, glabrous, subsessile on one 

side of branches; first glume equaling or slightly shorter than second; fertile 

lemma 3 mm long, smooth, obovate. Ecology: Found on swales, mud flats, 

heavy–soiled lowlands, marshlands from 1,000–6,000 ft (305–1829 m); flowers 

May–October. Notes: Cures light reddish then grayish tan; large brown seeds 

help set it apart. Ethnobotany: Plant was used as fodder, while roots were used 

as shampoo, and the seeds were eaten. Etymology: Panicum is a classical Latin 

name for millet, obtusum means blunted. Synonyms: Panicum obtusum 



©2008 Dan Tenaglia, missouriplants.com 

H M L 


smooth barley 

General: Small annual, 20–60 cm, culms geniculate at the base. Vegetative: 

Sheaths glabrous, ligules short 0.2–0.7 mm long, truncate, erose or entire, 

ciliolate; blades flat, 1.5–4 mm broad, scabrous to pilose, auricles well 

developed, 1–2.5 mm long. Inflorescence: Spikes linear–oblong, 5.5–7 cm; 

rachis disarticulating; central spikelets 16–36 mm including awns, three 

spikelets appear pedicellate; glumes 11–22 mm 

long, those of central spikelet and inner glumes 

of the lateral spikelets broadened at the base and 

ciliate, with 3 scabrous nerves, outer glumes of 

the lateral spikelets awn–like; lemma of central 

spikelet 6–10 mm long, fertile, glabrous. glabrous. 

Ecology: Found in disturbed areas; flowers May– 

June. Notes: Common weedy annual species in the 

desert. Etymology: Hordeum is the Latin name for 

barley, murinum means of mice, mouse–gray, like a 

mouse. Synonyms: Critesion glaucum, C. murinum 

ssp. glaucum, Hordeum glaucum, H. stebbinsii 


Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum 

Hordeum pusillum 

little barley 

General: Annual with erect culms mostly 15–40 cm 

tall. Vegetative: Blades 2–5 mm wide, 2–10 cm long, 

flat to u–shaped, scabrous; open sheath, glabrous to 

short pubescent, with small auricles or lacking; ligule 

membranous, truncate, almost entire, 0.3–0.5 mm 

long. Inflorescence: Spicate raceme linear–oblong, 

4–8 cm long, outer glumes of the lateral spikelets 

awnlike, without expanded bodies, other glumes 

broadened and flattened above the base, scabrous, 

with awns 7–12 mm long; florets of lateral spikelets 

irregularly reduced, usually pediceled above the 

glumes, about half to one–third as large as fertile floret 

of the central spikelet; lemma of central floret 4–6 mm 

long with an awn 2–7 mm long. Ecology: Found on roadsides and disturbed 

soils below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers May–August. Notes: Most widespread 

native barely. Etymology: Hordeum is the Latin name for barley, while 

pusillum means small, weak, or insignificant. Synonyms: Critesion pusillum, H. 

pusillum var. pubens 

71 

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Hordeum vulgare 

72 

H M L 

common barley 

General: Introduced; large cultivated annual; erect grass up to 60–120 cm 

tall; glabrous. Vegetative: Blades flat, 5–16 mm wide; sheaths smooth; auricles 

well developed, up to 6 mm long. Ligule 0.5–1.2 mm, erose–lacerate, ciliolate. 

Inflorescence: Spike stout, up to 10 cm long (excluding the awns) with 2–6 rowed 

spikelets. All 3 spikelets of the triad sessile and fertile. Glumes subequal, 6.5–20 mm 

long, 3–nerved, tapering into scabrous awns. Lemmas of the 3 spikelets subequal, 

faintly 5–nerved, glabrous, tapering into a long, stout, flattened, scabrous awns 

6–16 cm long. Ecology: Widely cultivated and most often found as a roadside weed; 

flowers May–June. Notes: Large introduced annual; auricles well–developed up 

to 6 mm long; spikes with very long awns 

(6–16 cm long) arising from fertile lemmas. 

Ethnobotany: Papago, Pomo, and Cocopa 

all used the seeds for pinole and flour for 

food. Etymology: Hordeum is the Latin 

name for barley, vulgare means common. 

Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 

Leptochloa dubia 

green sprangletop 

General: Tufted perennial with tough, 

knotty base and well–developed roots, 

40–100 cm, often with a purple tinge. 

Vegetative: Sheath open, glabrous, 

keeled and flattened, purple–tinged; 

blades 4–5 mm wide, 15–25 cm long, flat, 

glabrous, scabrous, or sparsely pilose; 

ligule membranous, ciliate, about 0.5 

mm long, occasionally appearing ciliate. 

Inflorescence: Spicate branches 2–15, flexible and drooping, 4–12 cm long and 

well spaced on upper 5–20 cm of culm, triangular in cross–section, bases of 

branches with minute hairs; spikelets 6–10 mm long and four to seven flowered; 

glumes lanceolate, awnless, second usually 4–5 mm long, the upper longer and 

broader than lower, persistent; lowermost lemmas 3.5–5 mm long, glabrous 

or with appressed pubescent nerves, ovate or oblong, dorsally compressed; 

spikelets breaking apart above glumes and between florets, each floret falling 

with its segment of the rachis. Ecology: Found on dry slopes, plateaus, rocky 

slopes from 2,500–6,000 ft (762–1829 m); flowers July–October. Notes: Only 

perennial Leptochloa, prolific seeder and early establishment and greening up 

in early summer. Etymology: Leptochloa taken from Greek leptos, slender, 

and chlose or chloa, grass, while dubia means doubtful. Synonyms: Chloris 

dubia, Diplachne dubia 

©2008 Luigi Rignanese 



Leptochloa panicea 

mucronate sprangletop 

General: Annual, caespitose, erect, compressed 

culms, 13–150 cm long. Vegetative: Sheaths sparsely 

or densely hairy; ligule a ciliate membrane .6–3.2 

mm long; blades elongate 3–25 cm long, 1.5–7 mm 

wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose on both sides, apex 

attenuate. Inflorescence: Numerous racemose 

panicles borne along a central axis, straight, unilateral, 

8–30 cm long; branches 1–19 cm long, ascending to 

reflexed; rachis semiterete, spikelet packing broadside 

to rachis; spikelets 2–4 mm, distant to imbricate, green, 

magenta, or maroon with 2–5 florets; glumes sometimes 

exceeding florets, linear to narrowly elliptic, acute, 

attenuate, or aristate; lemmas 0.9–1.7 mm, glabrous or sericeous; paleas glabrous 

or sericeous; caryopsis ellipsoid, 0.5 mm long, dark brown. Ecology: Found in 

moist habitats of wetlands, swamps, and open lowland soils, cannot tolerate 

either too dry or too wet soils, weed of cultivated lands from 1,000–5,000 ft 

(305–1524 m); flowers May–September. Notes: Ssp. mucronata has been 

vouchered at Tumacacori and is told apart by its linear to narrowly lanceolate 

glumes, exceeding the florets; lemmas 0.9–1.2 mm long, and caryopses without 

a ventral groove and somewhat coarsely rugose with broadly obtuse apices. 

Etymology: Leptochloa is from Greek leptos, slender and chloe or chloa, grass. 

Synonyms: Leptochloa attenuata, L. filiformis var. attenuata, L. mucronata 

73 

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74 

Muhlenbergia fragilis 

delicate muhly 

General: Delicate annual, culms much 

branched below, 10–30 cm, forms erect or 

spreading tufts, strigose below the nodes. 

Vegetative: Sheaths longer than internodes, 

scaberulous, with hyaline margins; blades 

to 5 cm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, flat or folded, 

scabrous, with prominent, white, thickened 

midnerve and margins; ligule hyaline, ©2007 WNMU, Zimmerman Herbarium 

truncate, 0.5–1 mm long, decurrent margins 

of sheath extending as prolongations 1–2.5 mm long. Inflorescence: Panicles 

often purple, very diffuse and open and readily breaking off at maturing; 

numerous usually solitary slender branches becoming stiffly spreading or 

even reflexed, branchlets divergent, spikelets 1–1.1 mm long, glumes obtuse 

to subacute, glabrous, 0.6–0.9 mm long; lemma obtuse, glabrous or densely 

pubescent on keel and margins; palea equaling lemma in length, caryopsis 

elliptic, 0.7 mm, reddish brown. Ecology: Found on moist sandy soil and 

rocky hills from 2,500–6,500 ft (762–1981 m); flowers August–October. Notes: 

Told apart from the other small muhlys by its being awnless. Etymology: 

Muhlenbergia is named for Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753–1815), 

fragilis means delicate, or fragile. Synonyms: None 

Muhlenbergia microsperma 

littleseed muhly 

General: Soft and delicate annual 10-70 cm, 

erect or spreading culms, much branched 

at lower nodes, often suffused with purple, 

stems weak, growing through other plants. 

Vegetative: Sheaths shorter than internodes, 

glabrous or scabrous; leaves scabrous to pilose 

with short hairs, early deciduous, flat, 1-8 

cm long, soon drying; ligules membranous, 

translucent white, 1 mm, decurrent. 

Inflorescence: Panicles numerous, narrow, 

loosely flowered, 5-20 cm long, branches usually ascending or spreading but 

appressed in early stages, longer than wide, filmy, usually purplish; spikelets on 

short, rather stout, scabrous, spreading pedicels; glumes broad, covering only 

base of lemma, body of lemma narrow, 1.5-2.5 mm, tapering into slender awn 

14-28 mm, easily opening to release golden-brown caryopsis. Ecology: Found 

on rocky slopes, in canyons, and other favorable microsites below 5000 ft 

(1524 m); flowers March-August. Notes: Very responsive to moisture, growing 

quickly, told apart by its awned seed. Etymology: Muhlenbergia is named for 

Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815), microsperma means small 

seed. Synonyms: Muhlenbergia debilis 

2009 NPS/Beth Fallon



Muhlenbergia porteri 

bush muhly 

General: Perennial from a hard, knotty 

base with slender, wiry, geniculate, much– 

branched stems, often weak 10–40 cm; 

numerous nodes and short internodes, 

often swollen, mostly scabrous or 

minutely puberulous. Vegetative: Sheaths 

open, spreading away from culms, blades 

short, flat or folded 0.5–2 mm broad, 

usually scabrous; ligule membranous, 

translucent white, truncate, lacerate, occasionally longer on the sides, 1–2 mm. 

Inflorescence: Numerous fine, many–branched terminal panicles, mostly 

4–10 cm long and nearly as broad, spikelets maturing purple; glumes thin, 

membranous, glabrous, narrowly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, the second 

two–thirds as long as lemma; lemma more or less puberulous, body 3–4.5 mm 

long, awn 5–10 mm long; palea awnless, glabrous or puberulent. Ecology: 

Found on rocky slopes and dry mesas from 2,000–6,000 ft (610–1829 m); 

flowers August–November. Notes: Often found growing in and around shrubs 

and trees, as clambering bushy plant. Etymology: Muhlenbergia is named for 

Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg (1753–1815), porteri is named for Thomas 

Conrad Porter (1822–1901) an American botanist. Synonyms: None 

Panicum hallii 

Hall’s panicgrass 

General: Tufted perennial, culms 20–70 

cm, in small dense clumps with glabrous or 

pubescent nodes. Vegetative: Sheath open, 

with pustulate hairs, sometimes sparse; blades 

flat 1.5–5.5 mm wide 4–15 cm long, glabrous on 

upper surface, sparsely ciliate near base, old 

dry blades curled and shavings–like; ligule 

ciliate with membranous base, 0.3–1.5 mm long. 

Inflorescence: Panicle 6–20 cm long with few, 

stiff, erect–spreading branches and mostly 

appressed branchlets and pedicels; spikelets appressed and closely placed 

in small clusters, often imbricate and overalapping, 3–4 mm long; first glume 

one–third to two–thirds as long as spikelet, second glume and sterile lemma 

ovate–lanceolate, somewhat pointed, glabrous; fertile lemma smooth and 

shiny, about 2.5 mm long. Ecology: Found on sandy plains and rocky slopes 

from 2,500–7,500 ft (762–2286 m); flowers March–October. Notes: Caryopsis 

has the appearance of small nutlets, often associated with grama grasses; 

papery, shaving–like blades are one diagnostic. Etymology: Panicum is a 

classical Latin name for millet, while hallii is named for Harvey Monroe Hall 

(1874–1932). Synonyms: None 

75 

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Graminoids 


Panicum hirticaule 

76 

H M L 

Mexican panicgrass 

General: Annual, culms branching or not, simple from 20–80 cm tall, much– 

branched, spreading from base. Vegetative: Sheaths typically papillose–hispid 

with spreading hairs but glabrous or nearly so; blades flat 4–12 mm broad, 

hispid, pubescent, or ciliate, rarely glabrous; ligule of stiff hairs, more or less 

connate and membranous below. Inflorescence: Panicle large, diffuse, one– 

third to one–fourth length of culm with erect–spreading capillary branches and 

short–pediceled, appressed spikelets, mostly 3–3.7 mm long, green or purple; 

first glume mostly one–half to two–thirds as long as spikelet, second glume 

and sterile lemma acute to acuminate, glabrous, 

5–7 nerved; fertile lemma smooth, shiny, 1.7–2 mm. 

Ecology: Found on dry slopes and plains, sandy 

washes, and open woodlands below 7,000 ft (2134 

m); flowers July–October. Notes: This species has 

several other closely related varieties that should 

be double–checked against when making any 

determinations. Ethnobotany: Seeds were ground 

into a meal and used for making flour and bread by 

the Cocopa. Etymology: Panicum is a classical Latin 

name for millet, hirticaule means hairy–stemmed. 


H M L 


Paspalum dilatatum 

dallis grass 

General: Introduced perennial from hard, knotty base, culms 50–150 cm tall. 

Vegetative: Basal sheaths often open soft–hairy below, above usually glabrous 

compressed; blades flat 3–12 mm wide, glabrous or pubescent, with few long hairs 

on axial surface above ligule; ligule membranous 1.5–3 mm long. Inflorescence: 

Usually 3–5 spicate branches, mostly 5–8 cm long, single at the nodes, rachis 

broad and thin; spikelets 3–3.5 mm long about 2 mm broad, acute, abruptly 

pointed; first glume absent; second glume three–nerved, pubescent with long, 

soft hairs on margins and at base, glabrate on back; sterile lemma flat, glabrous 

or minutely puberulent, three–nerved; grain nearly orbicular. Ecology: Found 

on open ground, mostly in moist or 

marshy soils, roadsides, and disturbed 

ground below 4,500 ft (1372 m). Notes: 

Appears to have been introduced in 

our area to the Agua Caliente Ranch 

originally. Etymology: Paspalum is 

from the Greek paspalos for millet, 

while dilatatum means spread out. 


©2006 Steven Thorsted 

©2009 WNMU, Zimmerman Herbarim



Paspalum distichum 

knotgrass 

General: Perennial from extensive 

creeping stolons, erect culms 5–65 cm, 

nodes of both erect culms and stolons 

usually pubescent, sheaths glabrous but 

sparsely pubescent above. Vegetative: 

Blades to 14 cm long, 1.5–11.5 mm 

wide, flat to conduplicate, glabrous 

to hairy on upper surface, involute 

apices; ligules short membranous, 1–2 

mm. Inflorescence: Terminal panicles, 

composed of spicate and digitate pair of branches, third branch sometimes 

present below; branches 1.5–7 cm, diverging, often arcuate, not more than 

1 cm apart at the culm apex, rachis very thin, to 1 mm or more, terminating 

n spikelet; spikelets 3–4.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, solitary, appressed to the 

branch axes, elliptic lanceolate, glabrous; lower glume absent, upper glume 

and lemma glabrous to sparsely puberulous, 3–veined, fertile lemma smooth, 

shiny, pointed, slightly shorter than the spikelet. Ecology: Found in moist soil 

along streams or lakes, or in shallow water from 200–6,000 ft (61–1829 m); 

flowers June–October. Notes: This species can be distinguished by its growing 

in moving water, distinctive are its reddish culms and stems that are covered 

in long pubescence. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Paspalum is from 

the Greek paspalos for millet, while distichum means in two ranks. Synonyms: 

Digitaria paspaloides, Paspalum distichum var. indutum, P. paspaloides 

Poa bigelovii 

Bigelow’s bluegrass 

General: Tufted annual, culms 15–45 cm tall, delicate 

and erect. Vegetative: Sheaths open, slightly keeled 

at bottom, broad; blades flat, soft, light green, 2–4 mm 

wide, 4–12 cm long, tips boat shaped, median lines 

present; ligule membranous, acute, lacerate, 1–3 mm long. 

Inflorescence: Contracted panicle, branches strictly erect; 

spikelets broadly ovate, pale green 4.5–8 mm, with 3–8 

florets, overlapping and compressed against each other, 

spreading apart at maturity; glumes glabrous, first one to 

three nerved, second three–nerved, lemmas 3–4 mm long, 

margins white hairy and membranous, base with dense 

cottony tuft or web. Ecology: Found on rocky slopes and sandy desert washes 

from 1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 m); flowers spring. Notes: Contracted panicle, 

lemma webbed and pubescent at base are diagnostic for this annual grass. 

Etymology: Poa is classical Greek name for grass, while bigelovii is named for 

Dr. John Milton Bigelow (1804–1878) a botanist on the Whipple expedition. 


77 

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Polypogon monspeliensis 

78 

H M L 

annual rabbitsfoot grass 

General: Introduced annual with glabrous or scabrous herbace, culms 

geniculate and decumbent at base, 8–100 cm. Vegetative: Sheaths open, smooth 

to scaberulous; blades flat, 3–6 mm wide, 2–15 cm long; ligule membranous, 

acute, lacerate at tip, 2–6 mm long. Inflorescence: Dense panicle, often 

spikelike, mostly 2–15 cm, densely flowered with tawny awns, terminal on long 

stem, spikelike and short, dense branches below; glumes narrow one nerved 

with straight awn 4–7 mm long from entire or slightly notched apex; lemma 

and palea thin, translucent, slightly exceeding grain, lemma with delicate, 

deciduous awn 1 mm long, caryopsis plump, 1 mm long. Ecology: Found 

on sandy soil along streams, moist ditches and waste places from 500–8,000 

ft (152–2438 m); flowers March– 

October. Notes: Closely related to 

Agrostis, so its appearance is similar. 

Etymology: Polypogon is from Greek 

polys, many and pogon, beard, while 

monspeliensis is thought to be derived 

from Montpellier in southern France. 

Synonyms: Alopecurus monspeliensis 


Schismus arabicus 

H M L 

Arabian schismus 

General: Low tufted annual, 10–20 cm tall, glabrous, erect to spreading or 

semiprostrate. Vegetative: Leaves mostly basal, blades soft, bright green, 

narrow, sheath with membranous border above, often broad and truncate at 

apex; ligule a ring of short and long hairs. Inflorescence: Compact panicle, 

many flowered 1–6 cm long; spikelets 5–7 flowered; glumes 3.5–5.5 mm, often 

tinged with purple, lemmas 1.5–2.4 mm, margin and back hairy, apex shallowly 

to deeply notched, lobes acute; palea shorter than lemma, usually not reaching 

notch; caryopsis shiny golden brown. Ecology: 

Found on dry open ground, often in disturbed 

soil below 4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers January–May. 

Notes: S. arabicus and S. barbatus are thought 

to possibly intergrade, the only difference is 

in the glume size, and the lemmas being more 

hairy in S. arabicus. Etymology: Schismus is 

from Greek schismos, cleaving, referring to split 

lemma, arabicus refers to being Arabian in origin. 



©2001 Joe DiTomaso

©2008 Jason E. Willand H M L 



Schismus barbatus 

common Mediterranean grass 

General: Low tufted annual, 10–20 cm tall, glabrous, erect to spreading or 

semiprostrate. Vegetative: Leaves mostly basal, blades soft, bright green, 

narrow, sheath with membranous border above, often broad and truncate at 

apex; ligule a ring of short and long hairs. Inflorescence: Compact panicle, 

many flowered 1–6 cm long; spikelets 5–7 flowered; glumes 2.5–4.5 mm long, 

acute or acuminate, five–nerved; lemma glabrous on back or with hairs on 

margin or occasionally near base, apical notch shallow or minute, palea about 

as long as lemma. Ecology: Found on dry open ground, often in disturbed 

soil below 4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers January–May. Notes: S. arabicus and 

S. barbatus are thought to possibly 

intergrade, the only difference is in 

the glume size, and the lemmas being 

more hairy in S. arabicus. Etymology: 

Schismus is from Greek schismos, 

cleaving, referring to split lemma, 

barbatus means barbed. Synonyms: 

Festuca barbata, Schismus calycinus 

Setaria grisebachii 

Grisebach’s bristlegrass 

General: Annual, culms 15–50 cm tall, often 

geniculate–spreading and branching below, nodes 

microscopically pilose, internodes glabrous or 

pubescent. Vegetative: Sheaths densely ciliate, 

pubescent or pilose on collar; blades to 20 cm long, 

thin, flat, 4–10 mm broad; hairy ligule. Inflorescence: 

Panicle spike–like 3–15 cm long, typically loosely 

flowered and tapering to a point, often lobed or 

interrupted below, branches 2 cm long, occasionally 

panicle contracted and dense flowered, 5–10 mm 

long; bristles 5–15 mm long, 1–2 below each spikelet, 

flexuous, scabrous, green or purplish; spikelets 2 mm 

long; glumes strongly nerved, blunt, first very short, 

second equaling or slightly shorter than sterile and fertile lemmas; caryopsis 

acute, finely cross–wrinkled. Ecology: Found on rocky slopes, washes, and in 

open woodlands from 2,000–6,500 ft (610–1981 m); flowers August–November. 

Notes: Told apart form S. leucopila by its being an annual. Etymology: Setaria 

is from Latin saeta, a bristle or hair. Synonyms: None 

79 

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80 

Setaria leucopila 

streambed bristlegrass 

General: Tufted perennial, 20–100 cm, 

usually pale or glaucuous, erect culms 

or geniculate from cespitose base, 

compressed, scabrous below panicle and 

nodes, often pubescent below nodes. 

Vegetative: Sheaths compressed–keeled, 

glabrous except near scabrous summit 

and keel, villous along upper margins; 

ligule 1–2.5 mm long, densely ciliate; leaf 

blades 2–5 mm wide, flat or folded, 8–25 cm long, scabrous on both surfaces 

or nearly glabrous beneath. Inflorescence: Densely flowered panicle, 6–15 cm 

long, pale green, columnar, often interrupted below, axis scabrous or villous; 

bristles mostly solitary below each spikelet, three–fourths to nearly equaling 

spikelet, 5–nerved; sterile lemma and fertile one about equal; fertile lemma 

apiculate, finely rugose transversely, sterile palea one–half to three–fourths 

as long as fertile palea. Ecology: Found in grasslands and open ground from 

3,000–7,000 ft (914–2134 m); flowers May–October. Notes: One of the most 

common of the perennial plains bristlegrasses. Pay particular attention to the 

interruption on the lower part of the stem. Etymology: Setaria is from Latin 

saeta, a bristle or hair, leucopila is from Greek leukos and Latin pilus, a hair. 

Synonyms: Chaetochloa leucopila 

Setaria pumila 


H M L 

yellow bristlegrass 

General: Introduced tufted annual, culms branching at base, usually 

geniculate, 30–100 cm tall. Vegetative: Sheath open, keeled, only slightly 

compressed, one margin ciliate; ligule dense fringe of stiff, white hairs, 0.2–1.2 

mm long; blades flat, 4–12 mm wide, 5–25 cm long, loosely twisted, long hairs 

near throat, these pustulate, 3–4 mm long. Inflorescence: Panicle well exserted 

from sheath, dense, spike–like, cylindrical, 2–10 cm long, mostly 5–7 mm thick, 

excluding awns; bristles 5–20 in cluster, mostly 4–8 

mm long but occasionally longer, yellow, golden, 

or purple, antrorsely scabrous; spikelets 2.5–3 mm 

long; glumes shorter than sterile lemma and fertile 

lemma, first glum one–third as long, the second 

half or slight more as long; fertile lemma coarsely 

transverse rugose, usually more or less short– 

beaked at apex. Ecology: Found in lawns, irrigated 

lands, waste places, in disturbed soils from 4,500– 

7,000 ft (1372–2134 m); flowers July–October. 

Notes: Etymology: Setaria is from Latin saeta, a 

bristle or hair, pumila means dwarf. Synonyms: 

Setaria lutescens 

©2007 Robert E. Preston, PhD 


Setaria viridis 

green bristlegrass 

General: Introduced, tufted annual with rolled vernation, culms decumbent, 

branching, glabrous 15–50 cm tall. Vegetative: Sheaths open, keeled, only 

slightly compressed, one margin ciliate, often on collar also; blades flat, mostly 

4–10 mm broad, 5–20 cm long, gradually tapering to a slender tip, scaberulous, 

margins wavy; ligule densely ciliate, 1–2 mm long. Inflorescence: Dense, 

spikelike panicle, cylindrical, 2–8 cm long and 5–8 mm broad excluding the 

bristles, rarely lobed or interrupted, rounded at the apex; bristles green or 

purple, antrorsely scabrous, mostly 5–8 mm long, occurring 1–4 at the base 

of each spikelet, spikelets 2–2.5 mm long; first glume short, second equaling 

sterile and fertile lemmas; fertile lemmas 

minutely reticulate or finely rugose, 

rounded at apex. Ecology: Found in 

lawns, along roads, waste places, irrigated 

lands, and disturbed ground from 2,000– 

8,000 ft (610–2438 m); flowers June– 

October. Notes: This is an aggressive 

species. Etymology: Setaria is from Latin 

saeta, a bristle or hair, viridis means green. 


©2005 Louis–M. Landry H M L Impact risk level 


H M L Sorghum bicolor 

sorghum 

General: Robust annual, culms 1–3 m tall. Vegetative: Sheaths glabrous, ligules 

membranous 1.5–5.5 mm long; blades flat, 20–40 mm broad. Inflorescence: Panicles 

10–25 cm long, dense and compact, pedicel of the spikelet 0.7–2 mm long with hairs 

0.5–0.7 mm long; spikelet usually sterile, rarely staminate, usually shorter than sessile 

spikelet, 3.8–5 mm long, narrow–lanceolate; glumes subequal, first 9–11 nerved, flat to 

sulcate on back, clasping second glume, second glume narrow, 3–nerved, appressed– 

hirsute near margins; sessile spikelet spreads apart at 

maturity. Ecology: Found in cultivation and rarely 

escaped from cultivation. Notes: The size of the seeds 

is one indicator, but another is the reddish tinge found 

on S. halepense. Two subspecies, one being the base 

species of all cultivated sorghums (ssp. bicolor), while 

the other being more specifically that of sudangrass 

(ssp. drummondii). Sudangrass is typically used 

as a cover crop and has slightly reddish caryopsis, 

while being slightly smaller than other sorghums. 

Etymology: Sorghum is from Italian sorgo, for a tall 

cereal grass, bicolor means two–colored, often the case 

of the caryopsis. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 


81 

Poaceae 

Graminoids

Poaceae 

Graminoids 


Sorghum halepense 

82 

H M L 

Johnsongrass 

General: Perennial from stout, scaly rhizomes, culms 1–2 m tall, culm nodes glabrous 

or finely pubescent. Vegetative: Sheaths glabrous, puberulent across the collar; 

ligules membranous, truncate, ciliate 1.5–3 mm long; blades large, flat, 4–15 mm 

broad, 20–50 cm long, margins white, midvein white and prominent. Inflorescence: 

Panicle usually large, densely flowered, variable, mostly 15–35 cm long; spikelets 

and pedicels more or less hirsute; sessile spikelets 4.5–6 mm long, glumes broad, 

coreaceous, nerveless and shiny except at tip; glumes of sessile spikelet subequal, 

first glume smooth and shiny on back, hispidulous on the margins or sometimes all 

over, 5–7 nerved, second glume glabrous, smooth and shiny below and hispidulous 

toward apex; fertile lemma membranous, usually with a twisted, once–geniculate 

awn 1–1.5 mm long, this readily deciduous; pediceled spikelet staminate, awnless, 

lanceolate, usually as long or longer than the sessile one. Ecology: Common weed 

on moist roadsides, ditchbanks, cultivated fields, and wastelands below 5000 ft 

(1524 m); flowers April–November. Notes: 

Gnarly rhizomatous weed that spreads with 

seemingly every effort to control it. Best bet 

is to continually cultivate it, exhausting its 

rootstock; or burn it continually. Etymology: 

Sorghum is from Italian sorgo, for a tall cereal 

grass, and halepense refers to being of or 

from Allepo, northern Syria. Synonyms: 

Holcus halepensis, Sorghum milaceum 



©2005 James M. Andre 

Sporobolus airoides 

alkali sacaton 

General: Semi–decumbent perennial with firm and 

tough culms, found in large, dense clumps from a 

hard, knotty base, mostly 50–100 cm. Vegetative: 

Sheaths rounded, open, glabrous, or short–ciliate on 

upper margin, with few hairs on either side of collar; 

ligule usually a minute crown of short hairs, often 

bordered by small tufts of long hairs; blades firm and 

fibrous, involute, 2–6 mm wide, 5–25 cm long, smooth 

on lower surface, scabrous above, tapering to a long 

slender tip. Inflorescence: Panicle 12–40 cm long, 

typically open and with widely spreading branches, 

branchlets, and spikelets; spikelets 2–3 mm long, 

brownish or lead–colored; glumes thin and rounded, first about half the length 

of lemma, second two–thirds or more the length of the lemma; lemma thin, 

rounded, blunt to narrowly acute; palea about as long as the lemma and usually 

broader at apex. Ecology: Found on sandy plateaus, washes, heavy soils, often 

alkaline, bottomlands and flats from 2,500–6,500 ft (762–1981 m); flowers from 

May–October. Notes: Rolled, drooping leaves and large cresting, fountain– 

like habit help to identify this grass. Ethnobotany: Seeds used as famine food, 

ground and mixed into a porridge with corn meal and for flour. Etymology: 

Sporobolus is Greek for “seed–caster” while airioides means it is like the genus 

Aira. Synonyms: Agrostis airoides 

Sporobolus contractus 

spike dropseed 

General: Tufted perennial, culms 40–120 cm tall and 

2–4 mm in diameter at the base, in small clusters to 

large clumps. Vegetative: Sheaths rounded, open, 

glabrous with one pubescent margin; leaves 2–5 mm 

wide,10–30 cm long, flat or involute, tapering to a 

slender tip, glabrous; ligule a dense fringe of short 

hairs 0.5–1 mm. Inflorescence: Dense contracted, 

spikelike or moderately lobed, 1 cm or less thick and 

15–50 cm long; basal portion of spike and sometimes 

entire spike remain enclosed in sheath; spikelets light 

brownish or lead–colored, 2–3 mm long; glumes 

thin, membranous, unequal, first usually about half 

as long as second; second equaling the lemma or slightly shorter; caryopsis 

1 mm in length, broad and flattened. Ecology: Found in dry, open, sandy or 

rocky slopes and washes, frequent along roads from 2,500–6,500 ft (762–1981 

m); flowers August–October. Notes: This species is notable for its tightly 

compact, dense spike. Etymology: Sporobolus is Greek for “seed–caster” 

while contractus means contracted. Synonyms: Sporobolus cryptandrus var. 

strictus 

83 

Poaceae 

Graminoids

Poacerae 

Graminoids 

84 

Sporobolus cryptandrus 

sand dropseed 

General: Erect, tufted perennial; round stem, not 

branched, 0.3–1 m tall. Vegetative: Blades 2–5 (3–8) mm 

wide, 5–15 (15–20) cm long; flat, margins becoming rolled 

upward towards tip; 3–4 veins each side of midrib; margin 

toothed. Sheaths open, one margin ciliolate; strongly 

overlapping; smooth; panicle more or less covered by 

sheath. Ligule densely ciliate, 0.5 mm long; hairy; hairs 2–3 

mm on margin. Collar broad; conspicuous 2–3 mm long 

hairs at margins. Vernation rolled/curled. Inflorescence: 

Terminal panicle, somewhat included in sheath, to 25 cm 

long and 16 cm wide. Spikelets pale to leaden, 2–2.5 mm 

long, 1–flowered.1st glume 1/3 to 1/2 as long as lemma and 

palea. 2nd glume as long as lemma and palea. Ecology: Widespread; sandy 

soils of dry plains and slopes and on sandy open ground from 3,500–6,500 ft 

(1065–1980 m); flowers May–September. Notes: Perennial; panicle included 

in sheath; conspicuous tuft of hairs at ligule and collar; culms not branched, 

sheaths strongly overlapping with pubescent margins. Species is greatly harmed 

by fire. Re–establishment is from on or off–site. Forage value is fair to good for 

livestock and poor for wildlife, with quality decreasing rapidly upon maturity. 

Important desert winter forage, although not preferred by elk , pronghorn, or 

deer. Rodents eat seeds. Etymology: Sporobolus is Greek for “seed–caster.” 

Cryptandrus is Greek for hidden–male. Synonyms: Agrostis cryptandra 

Sporobolus wrightii 

big sacaton 

General: Large, coarse stemmed perennial 

bunchgrass 1–2 m tall, culms 4–6 mm thick at base. 

Vegetative: Sheath open, rounded, glabrous, one 

margin occasionally slightly ciliolate near collar; collar 

glabrous, a few hairs at margins; blades 3–6 mm wide, 

20–60 cm long, sparsely pilose at base behind ligule, 

midvein prominent, flat to involute; ligule ciliate, 1–2 

mm long. Inflorescence: Open, loosely branched 

panicle mostly 35–60 cm long, narrow, densely 

flowered, secondary branches closely appressed to 

primary branches; densely flowered nearly to base, 

spikelets 2–2.5 mm long; first glume about one–half 

as long as spikelet, second one–half to two–thirds as long as floret. Ecology: 

Found on river banks, in sandy washes, plains, valley flats, and floodplains from 

2,000–6,500 ft (610–1981 m); flowers March–November. Notes: One of the 

largest grasses in the region, often found in clumps more than 1 m in diameter. 

Had much more extensive range historically, covering the valley bottoms that 

were overgrazed and often plowed up for agriculture. Etymology: Sporobolus 

is Greek for “seed–caster” while wrightii is named for William Greenwood 

Wright (1831–1912) a Californian lepidopterist. Synonyms: Sporobolus airioides 

var. wrightii 

©2006 Louis–M. Landry 



Tridens muticus 

slim tridens 

General: Small perennial bunchgrass 

20–50 cm tall, stout. Vegetative: Sheaths 

open, rounded, upper ones glabrous, 

lower usually pilose; blades mostly 8–15 

cm long, involute or occasionally flat, 

often glaucous; collar and ligule mostly 

long–hairy, ligule ciliate with fused base, 

.5–1 mm long, with membranous lateral 

©Patrick Alexander @ USDA–NRCS Plants DB 

auricles. Inflorescence: Paniculate 

or racemose inflorescence 6–20 cm, narrow and spikelike, spikelets rather 

distant, not crowded; spikelets 9–13 mm long and 5–10 flowered; glumes 

broadly lanceolate or ovate, very thin and hyaline, one–nerved, second rarely 

with short lateral nerve stubs; lemmas about as long as glumes, thin, hyaline 

or deeply tinged with purple, broadly rounded apex, occasionally notched 

or mucronate. Ecology: Found on dry plain, rocky slopes, grasslands, and 

woodlands below 5,500 ft (1676 m); flowers May–September. Notes: When 

mature, seeds drop off, leaving a pair of paper–like scales that persist through 

year. Etymology: Tridens means three–toothed, while muticus means blunt or 

without a point. Synonyms: None 

Urochloa arizonica 

Arizona signalgrass 

General: Annual, culms 15–60 cm tall, much– 

branched at base, glabrous or sparsely hispid 

at the nodes and below the panicle. Vegetative: 

Sheaths glabrous to papillose–hispid, 

loose; blades 5–15 mm broad, glabrous or scabrous, 

ciliate on margins at least near the base. 

Inflorescence: Panicle 7–20 cm long with 

appressed or erect–spreading hairs, branches 

scabrous; spikelets mostly 3–4 mm long, 

on pedicels 1–3 mm long, paired, appressed, 

glabrous or pubescent; first glume half or slightly less as long as the spikelet; 

second glume and sterile lemma puberulent or glabrous, abruptly pointed at 

apex, without fine cross–veins or those present only near apex; grain reticulate 

or finely rugose, abruptly short–beaked or cuspidate, 2–3 mm long. Ecology: 

Found on sandy ground, rocky slopes, and canyon bottoms from 1,000–5,500 

ft (457–1676 m); flowers June–October. Notes: Pubescent spikelets, reticulate– 

veined only at apex, its green color are all diagnostic. Etymology: Urochloa 

is from Greek oura, a tail and chloe or chloa, grass, while arizonica refers to 

Arizona. Synonyms: Brachiaria arizonica, Panicum arizonicum 

85 

Poaceae 

Graminoids

Poaceae 

Graminoids 

86 

Urochloa fusca 

browntop signalgrass 

General: Annual, culms erect or decumbent and 

spreading below, 30–100 cm tall. Vegetative: Sheaths 

glabrous to papillose–hispid; blades glabrous or thinly 

pubescent, 15 mm broad, rarely if ever ciliate margins; 

ligule a tuft of stiff white hairs. Inflorescence: Panicle 

6–15 cm long, with appressed or erect–spreading, 

mostly simple branches; main panicle axis and 

branches scabrous or with scattered long, stiff hairs, 

short branchlets and pedicels usually hairy; spikelets 

2.6–3 mm long, yellowish–brown or golden–tinged at 

maturity; first glume thin, one–third to one–fourth as 

long as the spikelet; second glume and sterile lemma 

mostly reticulate with fine cross veins to well below 

middle, rounded at apex; fertile lemma rugose, nearly as long as the spikelet, 

the apex blunt, not short–beaked or cuspidate. Ecology: Found on sandy 

washes, open rocky slopes, often as a weed in disturbed soils; flowers July– 

October. Etymology: Urochloa is from Greek oura, a tail and chloe or chloa, 

grass, fusca means dark or brown. Synonyms: Urochloa fasciculata, many 

others, see Tropicos 


Flowering Trees and Shrubs 

The best way to start thinking about the flowering plants (or angiosperms) is to 

start with the big stuff—the trees. A conventional definition is “a woody plant 

with a single trunk.” More specifically, trees are defined by the presence of a 

single main trunk that is upright, with a crown of either leaves or needles that 

fall (deciduous trees) or needles or even leaves that do not fall (evergreen). 

Think of an elm tree or a willow. 

In the Sonoran Desert region, however, trees may not have just a single stem, 

nor a definite crown. Trees in this region often have many stems growing from 

one root, giving them a downright shrubby appearance, quite unlike the singlestemmed 

pine tree, with its single, straight trunk and pointed crown on top. 

To this end, we will consider the shrubs. Conventionally, shrubs are “woody 

plants, shorter than a tree and with many stems.” Problematically, some trees 

can be shrubs and some shrubs can be trees. For our purposes, it is best to 

simply consider trees and shrubs to be the woody plants—those which persist 

long after the rains have gone in the fall, whose leaves fall, and whose trunks 

and stems remain throughout the year. Trees and shrubs are the most common 

of the common plants; their sheer size and number are what we see when we 

look at a large landscape. 

87 

Trees and Shrubs

Trees and Shrubs 

88

© 2008 Patrick Alexander 

Anisacanthus thurberi 

Thurber’s desert honeysuckle, chuparosa 

General: Perennial, cold-deciduous shrub 

1–2 m (3–6 ft) high, leaves reappear in early 

spring; bark exfoliating, brown to gray with 

two vertical lines of pubescence. Leaves: 

Opposite lanceolate, sparsely hairy, entire, 

4–6 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, to 2 cm rarely, 

puberulent to glabrous. Flowers: Usually 

brick red, occasionally yellow or orange, 

tubular, 2–3.5 cm long. Fruits: Dehiscent, 

2-valved capsule 12–14 mm long, flattened with a long stalk. Ecology: Rocky 

canyon bottoms and gravelly or sandy washes from 2,000–5,000 ft (610– 

1524 m); blooms March–June, rarely in Fall (October–November). Notes: 

Summer rains stimulate stem growth, with flowers that are well adapted for 

hummingbird pollination. One of the better browse plants in the desert. 

Often found growing in shade. Ethnobotany: Potential use of nectar as sweet, 

but no documented use. Etymology: Anisacanthus is from Greek anisos 

‘unequal’, while Thurberi is for Dr. George Thurber (1821–1890) a botanist on 

the Mexican Boundary Survey in 1850–1854. Synonyms: Drejera thurberi 

Educational use only; not for sale 89 

Acanthaceae 


Adoxaceae 


Sambucus nigra 

common elderberry 

General: Shrubs or small trees, deciduous; 

shrubs to 2 m tall, thicket-forming; trees to 6 

m; trunk to 0.3 m diameter; crown rounded 

and compact; bark gray or brown, furrowed; 

twigs stout, angled, with thick, soft pith; lateral 

buds green, scaly. Leaves: Opposite, pinnately 

compound, 13–18 cm long; leaflets 3–5, elliptical 

with serrated edges, 3–13 cm long, base often 

oblique, margins coarsely serrate, apex pointed; 

green and glabrous above, paler, glabrous or 

pubescent beneath. Flowers: Inflorescence 

in flat-topped clusters with or without a stalk; many-branched, commonly 

10–25 cm wide. Flowers bisexual, yellowish-white, fragrant, 4–7 mm wide, 

corolla 5-lobed. Fruits: Berries in clusters; dark blue with whitish coating, 6 

mm diameter, juicy, 3–5 seeded; maturing in summer and autumn. Ecology: 

Moist soils along streams, in canyons, and loamy bottomlands; 2,500–5,000 ft 

(762–1524 m); flowers June–August. Notes: Diagnostic characteristics include 

its thick, pithy twigs; opposite, pinnately compound leaves; flat-topped cluster 

of flowers; dark blue berries with whitish coating. This species is still in a 

bit of systematic netherland regionally, with a measure of uncertainty as to 

the correct placement and taxonomic separation. There are a few questions 

about the taxonomy of this species. An effort should be made at TUMA to 

collect specimens to clarify the precise identity. Note the new family name. 

Ethnobotany: Elderberries were often eaten when cooked, as some species 

are poisonous in raw form. They were often used in preserves, wine, or liquor 

(Sambuca). Washes made from bark were used to soothe external sores. Berries 

dried, mashed for cakes and mush, beverages including wine by the Gila River 

Pima, but it was important as winterfood. Stems used for orange dye, while 

berries make black or purple dye. Flowers stimulate sweating in dry fevers, 

while leaves have a mild laxative effect. Flowers and dried berries are diuretic 

and is useful in rheumatism and arthritis. Etymology: Sambucus comes from 

the Greek Sambuke, referring to an ancient instrument, however there seems 

to be some debate as to the construction and use of this instrument; nigra 

refers to the dark berries. Synonyms: See Tropicos 


© 2008 T. Beth Kinsey

© 2009 Pstrick Alexander 

Atriplex canescens 

fourwing saltbush 

General: Shrub, frequently 1.5–2 m, moundlike, 

much branched and drought deciduous. 

Leaves: Alternate, simple, gray-green, entire, 

narrowly spatulate to narrowly oblong, 

5 cm long or less, salty tasting. Flowers: 

Inconspicuous, tiny, yellow, in clusters on 

stem; dioecious. Fruit: Small seeds enclosed 

by 4-winged bracts, often 1–2 cm and nearly 

as wide. Ecology: Found on sandy or gravelly 

soils, from desert scrub to pinon-juniper 

communities from 300–6,500 ft (100–2400 m) 

Notes: Browse for livestock, deer and antelope; 

seeds eaten by birds and rodents; very tolerant 

of salty soils. Ethnobotany: Seeds used for meal, yellow dye. Havasupai used 

it to make soap for hair washing and to treat itches and rashes. Hopi used the 

ashes as a substitute for baking soda. Navajo used it as an emetic, to treat ant 

bites, cough, and as a hair tonic. They also used it as feed for cattle, sheep and 

goats. Etymology: Atriplex is an old Latin name for this plant, canescens 

means covered with short gray or white hairs. Synonyms: None 

Atriplex linearis 

thinleaf saltbush 

General: Shrub 1–2 m high and wide. Leaves: Linear to narrowly oblong, the 

larger leaves often 1–3 cm by 2–4 mm. Flowers: Dioecious, enclosed in a sepallike 

accrescent bracts. Fruits: Fruiting bracts 4-winged, often 5 mm and about 

as wide. Ecology: Found in dry places, sandy soils, dunes, flats, often saline 

soil below 3,000 ft (914 m); flowers May–July. Notes: Most floras identify 

this species as being below 2,500 ft (762 m), the specimen was documented 

in inventory work at Tumacácori. Ethnobotany: Seeds used for meal, yellow 

dye. Havasupai used it to make soap for hair washing and to treat itches and 

rashes. Hopi used the ashes as a substitute for baking soda. Navajo used it as 

an emetic, to treat ant bites, cough, and as a hair tonic. They also used it as feed 

for cattle, sheep and goats. Etymology: Atriplex is an old Latin name for this 

plant, linearis mean linear, or parallel sided. Synonyms: Atriplex canescens ssp. 

linearis, Atriplex linearis 


Amaranthaceae 


Anacardiaceae 


Rhus aromatica var. trilobata 

skunkbush sumac, squaw bush, lemonade 

berry 

General: Upright shrubs, deciduous; to 3 

m tall, thicket-forming. Branchlets brown, 

becoming gray with age. Leaves: Alternate, 

ternately compound or simple; leaflets 1–4.5 

cm long, lobed, often 3-lobed, margins 

coarsely toothed; shiny, dark green above, 

paler green beneath, glabrous or puberulent 

on one or both sides, turning red in fall. 

Flowers: Inflorescence in dense, spikelike 

clusters; lateral, arising from twigs of the previous years; 1–1.5 cm long; sessile. 

Ovate pinkish sepals, obovate pale yellow petals, to 3 mm long. Fruits: Drupes 

crowded in clusters; reddish-orange, rounded, 5–8 mm diameter, covered 

with short, sticky, red hairs. Ecology: Dry hillsides, canyons, and mesas from 

2,500–7,500 ft (762–2286 m); flowers March–June. Notes: Ternately compound 

leaves; clusters of sticky, reddish-orange, hairy drupes; flowers appearing 

before leaves; strong citrusy odor when bruised. There is a bit of uncertainty 

surrounding this species. Anderson 2007 suggested that all species of R. 

trilobata and its varieties be subsumed under R. aromatica. Anderson treated 

the species as polymorphic, suggesting our species differed from those in the 

East by virtue of its sparsely pubescent fruits; secondly, he indicated that var. 

trilobata is more ill-smelling than its citrusy eastern counterpart. Anderson 

indicated several varieties of this species, but that the species be treated as 

one complex. Ethnobotany: Fruit is eaten raw. Leaves are chewed to alleviate 

stomachache. Oil from fruit is used to treat hair loss. Wild and tended forms 

very dfferent, so that tended shrubs have long, straight shoots used in basketry. 

Extensively tended in CA, AZ, for basketry materials (hats, baskets). Fruit sour 

but edible, often mixed with water for a refreshing beverage. Also ground into 

a meal, after drying in the sun. Fruits, leaves and bark used in making dye. 

Navajo used it to treat skin problems and stomach problems. Different parts 

are used for dying wool and baskets. Etymology: Rhus is derived from rhous, 

an ancient Greek name for Sumac, Trilobata refers to three lobed. Synonyms: 

Schmaltzia anisophylla, Schmaltzia trilobata var. anisophylla 



© 2000 Wynn Anderson 

Rhus lanceolata 

prairie sumac, flame-leaf sumac 

General: Deciduous large shrub, can 

grow as single trunked tree to 10 m or 

from suckers forming colonies. Bark: 

Bark light brown to gray, smooth with 

numerous lenticels when young, later 

large, thin scales. Leaves: Alternate, 

pinnately compound, lanceolate up 

to 12 inches long, 7 to 15 leaflets per 

leaf; leaflets narrowly lance-shaped 

and somewhat hooked, entire 

margins; rachis have prominent 

wings between the leaflets, shiny, dark green above, paler, slightly fuzzy below. 

Flowers: Monoecious, greenish-yellow to white and small, borne on 3–5-in 

wide, terminal, pyramidal panicle in mid to later summer. Fruits: Dark red 

drupe, borne on terminal cluster, covered with short, sticky, red hairs. Matures 

in fall, present through winter. Ecology: Found on rocky hillsides in limestone 

and calcareous soils; blooms July–August. Notes: Sumacs often thrive in the 

poorest soil and tolerate extremes of heat, cold, and drought. Larval host and 

nectar source for Hairstreak butterfly. Ethnobotany: Female plants produce 

berries that can be soaked in water for a tart but high in Vitamin C tea. 

Etymology: Rhus is derived from rhous, an ancient Greek name for Sumac, 

lanceolata ‘lance-like’ refers to the shape of the leaves. Synonyms: Rhus 

copallina var. lanceolata, R. copallinum var. lanceolata 


Anacardiaceae 


Asparagaceae 


Dasylirion wheeleri 

sotol, desert spoon 

General: Large, succulent shrub emerging from 

a central thick, woody, subterranean caudex. 

Leaves: Linear, basally clumped, elongated 

about 1 m long, 3–4 cm broad, margins armed 

with sharp, curved spines. Flowers: Dense 

racemes in elongated panicles, stalk 1.5–5 m 

tall. Perianth about 2–2.5 mm long, sepals 

and petals thin, whitish, stamens longer than 

perianth, slender filaments. Catkinlike spikes. 

Fruits: Capsule 7–9 mm long, 6–8 mm broad, 

1-celled, 3-winged. Ecology: Found on rocky or gravelly hillsides and slopes 

from 3,000–6,000 ft (914–1829 m); flowers May–July. Notes: Known to be eaten 

by livestock in years of extreme drought. Ethnobotany: Crowns pit-baked, 

crushed, and fermented for use as a beverage. Stalks roasted, boiled, eaten raw. 

Stalks used for cradleboard backs, as a source for material for basketry, mats, 

and for ceremonial purposes. Etymology: Dasylirion comes from the Greek 

root dasys ‘shaggy, thick, hairy, rough’, while wheeleri is named for George 

Wheeler (1842–1905) an early American explorer. Synonyms: None 

Yucca elata 

soaptree yucca 

General: Native shrub with definite trunk, 

rarely up to 9 m tall, not often over 1 to 2 m, 

simple with a few branches. Stalk can reach 9 

m Leaves: Rigid linear leaves, sharp-pointed 

white margined, with curly filaments 2-5 

cm long, about 5 mm wide, plano-convex. 

Flowers: Inflorescence a spreading panicle 

that extends well above foliage; closed to 

open, uppermost flowers racemose. Flowers 

campanulate to globose, 4-6 cm long, white to 

cream, pendant on slender to stout pedicels. Ecology: Mesas, desert washes, 

sandy plains, and grasslands from 1,500-6,000 ft (457-1829 m); flowers May- 

July. Notes: Plant arborescent. Fruits indehiscent and erect. Inflorescences 

racemose. Oblong-cylindric capsule, 4-7 cm long. Seeds dull black, with or 

without marginal wing. High drought tolerance, no fire tolerance. Bare-root 

and seed propagation. Livestock use leaves as secondary or seasonal food 

source. Woodrats, jackrabbits, and cottontails consume leaves and seeds. Mule 

deer consume leaves and inflorescence stalks, while pronghorn consumes 

inflorescence. It is cover for small mammals and birds, while birds also use 

it for perching. Ethnobotany: Flowers and buds were used as food. Roots 

used as substitute for soap, leaves used for basketweaving. Etymology: Yucca 

comes from Haitian for uuca, or manihot, because young inflorescences are 

sometimes roasted for food, while elata means tall. Synonyms: None 




2011 NPS/Steve Buckley 

©2008 T. Beth Kinsey 

Ambrosia monogyra 

singlewhorl burrobrush 

General: Slender shrub to 2.5 m, with multiple, 

slender, mostly erect stems branching above. 

Leaves: Sparse, drought deciduous, mostly 

2–7 cm; young leaves of vigorous shoots often 

pinnately divided into several segments, upper 

leaves reduced and mostly entire. Leaves 0.5 

mm wide, grooved above (involute) grooves 

filled with short, white, elongate-conical hairs. 

Flowers: Wind-pollinated, inconspicuous and 

monoecious, disk florets only, pistillate heads 

below staminate heads clustered in upper axils 

of branches. Membranous, spreading bracts 

of the fruiting head distinctive. Fruits: Fruiting bur spindle shaped 3.5–4 mm 

wide, bract wings in a single whorl, wings 0.8–1.4 mm wide, longer than wide. 

Ecology: Found on floodplains and along arroyos and washes from 1,000–4,000 

ft (305–1219 m); flowers September–November. Notes: Thrives on disturbance 

created by occasional floods, seeds are transportable by flood making it an early 

successional floodplain species. Ethnobotany: Used as a remedy for abdominal 

pains, while the Seri used the seeds for food. Etymology: Hymenoclea is from 

hymen ‘membrane’ and kleio ‘to encose, while monogyra refers to being in or 

with one circle. Synonyms: Ambrosia monogyra 

Baccharis salicifolia 

mule’s fat, seep willow, batamote 

General: Perennial deciduous shrub 1–4 m 

tall. Willow-like branches grow long, tan, 

and wandlike. Leaves: Mostly 8–15 mm wide, 

alternate, strongly serrate, only sometimes 

denticulate to entire, sticky or resinous to 

glabrous, three-nerved. Flowers: Whitishyellow, 

without petals, tubular-filiform pistillate 

heads in terminal, flat-topped clusters. Fruits: 

Small achenes have copious pappus 8–10 mm long, off-white. Ecology: Found 

along streams and drainages, often forms thickets, from sea level to 5,000 ft 

(0–1524 m); flowers April–October. Notes: Characteristic of riparian areas and 

often increases in degraded riparian areas, not grazed by livestock or wildlife, 

it is good erosion control. Readily reproduces from stem cuttings along stream 

channels, tends to form thickets. Ethnobotany: Used as a hair wash to prevent 

baldness, as an infusion it was used as an eyewash, while the young shoots were 

roasted and eaten as a famine food. The stems were used in house construction 

when mixed with adobe, and also for arrows to hunt small game. Etymology: 

Baccharis is named for Bacchus, the god of wine, salicifolia means salix-leaved. 

Synonyms: Baccharis glutinosa, B. viminea, Molina salicifolia 


Asteraceae 


Asteraceae 


Baccharis sarothroides 

desert broom 

General: Woody shrubs often 2–2.5 m with 

broomlike green branches, often nearly 

leafless. Twigs angled or striate-ridged. Leaves: 

Few, quickly deciduous leaves linear to linearlanceolate 

reaching 1–3 cm, larger leaves often 

minutely toothed, most leaves much smaller or 

reduced to scales. Flowers: Cylindroid pistillate 

heads about 1 cm long, 5 mm in diameter, erose 

to ciliate membranous, outer phyllaries broadly 

ovate, inner ones linear. Fruits: Achene, 1.5–2.7 

mm, 10-ribbed, pappus 7–11 mm. Ecology: Found in sandy-gravelly washes, 

watercourses, shallow drainages, flats, and low hills, sometimes in saline soil 

from 1,000–5,500 ft (305–1676 m); flowers September–December. Notes: 

Because of its evergreen nature often used as an ornamental, not particularly 

palatable to livestock or grazing. Ethnobotany: Infusions were used for coughs 

and stomach aches, while many stalks were tied together to make brooms and 

single stalks made arrows. Etymology: Baccharis is named for Bacchus, the 

god of wine, sarothroides means broom-like. Synonyms: None 

Ericameria nauseosa 

rubber rabbitbrush 

General: Native perennial shrub up to 2 m tall. 

Stem twigs flexible, covered with dense, felt-like 

tomentum. Leaves: Alternate, linear to filiform, 

up to 8 cm long; glabrous to tomentose. Flowers: 

Heads numerous in terminal clusters involucres 

6–14 mm high; phyllaries in more-or-less vertical 

rows; flowers generally 5 per head, 6–12 mm long. 

Fruits: Achene Ecology: Open places in valleys, 

plains, and foothills from 2,000–8,000 ft (610–2440 m); flowers July–October. 

Notes: Larger than similar Gutierrezia sarothrae, with pale green stems and 

longer leaves. It has more and longer involucre bracts and flexible fleshy stems 

with more white pubescence on leaves. Two subspecies in Arizona; a total of 

22 varieties, 10 of these in Arizona. Poisonous to mammals. Ethnobotany: 

Numerous uses as utilitarian items such as brooms, brushes, baskets, dye and 

arrows, and sometimes provide windbreaks. Bark makes green dye and flowers 

make yellow dye. Navajo used this plant for coughs, colds, fever, rheumatism, 

internal injuries, headach and menstrual pain. Etymology: Eric- is ancient root 

for heath or broom, amari means bitter and nauseosa means to vomit or be 

nauseous. Synonyms: Chrysothamnus nauseosus 






Isocoma tenuisecta 

burroweed 

General: Shrub to sub-shrub, .3–1 m tall and 1 

m wide. Bark of larger branches gray. Leaves: 

Alternate, dark-green to gray, glandular, 

pinnately cleft into four to eight linear acute 

lobes. Main axis of leaves 2–3.5 cm long, about 

1 mm broad, divisions .2–2 cm long, about 1 mm 

broad. Flowers: Yellow, discoid, with no ray 

flowers, arranged into dense terminal clusters. 

Flowers dry and turn a light brown but remain 

on stems. Bracts are glandular as well. Fruits: Achene with pappus of many 

coarse persistent bristles of uneven length. Ecology: Found on dry slopes, 

mesas, and alluvial plains from 2,000–5,500 ft (610–1676 m); flowers from 

August–October. Notes: Significant invader of depleted rangelands, often 

coming to constitute the principle cover. Susceptible to drought and is not 

fire tolerant. This plant is toxic to livestock. Ethnobotany: No known uses. 

Etymology: Isocoma is from the greek meaning ‘an equal hair-tuft’ referring 

to flowers, while tenuisecta means thinly or narrowly cut. Synonyms: 

Happlopappus tenuisectus 

Chilopsis linearis 

desert willow 

General: Native tree or shrub reaching 10 

m at maturity. Bark is dark and ridged on 

older stems. Leaves: Whorled, opposite or 

alternate; simple, deciduous; very long linear 

less than 15.2 cm long, 10 mm wide, curved. 

Flowers: Large, 2-lipped, showy, 2.5 cm 

long; white to purplish, fragrant; in clusters 

of several. Fruit: Long slender capsule 10.2– 

20.3 cm long, 6 mm diameter; two halves 

persistent in winter, seed flat with 2 hairy 

wings. Ecology: Found along washes in 

deserts and foothills from 1,500–5,500 ft (457–1740 m); flowers April–August. 

Notes: Diagnostic characters of this plant are its very long slender and whorled 

leaves, long, slender pod, and the strikingly beautiful bilabiate flowers. The 

Flora of Arizona project identifies the only extant subspecies in the state as ssp. 

arcuata, which is characterized by its arcuate, drooping leaves. Ethnobotany: 

Havasupai used in basketry. Hualapai used to make cradleboards. It is a good 

anti-fungal and general antimicrobial. Synonyms: None 


Asteraceae – Bignoniaceae 


Cannabaceae 


Celtis ehrenbergiana 

spiny hackberry 

General: Densely branches shrub 1–6 m high. 

Paired, straight spines and short, lateral thorntipped 

branches. Leaves: Subentire to serrate, 

ovate to elliptic, 1–3 cm long, 0.6–2 cm wide. 

Flowers: Perfect, staminate, and pistllate, 

greenish yellow flowers in small cymes growing 

at leaf base. Fruits: One seeded drupe, yellow or 

orange 5–8 mm in diameter. Ecology: Common 

along washes and on rocky and gravelly slopes, 

occasionally dominates bajadas, grows in 

Sonoran desertscrub and semidesert grassland 

from 1,500–4,000 ft (457–1219 m); flowers March– 

April and again July–October. Notes: Paired spines at node distinguish this 

shrub from other thorny, simple-leaved shrubs in the region. Ethnobotany: 

Wood is used for fuel and fence posts, many birds and animals eat drupes and 

use shrub for cover. Etymology: Celtis is a Greek name for the tree, while its 

old name pallida means pale. Synonyms: Celtis pallida, C. spinosa var. pallida, 

C. tala var. pallida, Momisia pallida 

Celtis reticulata 

netleaf hackberry 

General: Trees or shrubs with a rounded crown 

up to 10 m, bark is smooth or warty with age, 

gray to whitish. Leaves: Alternate, simple, 

deciduous, two-ranked, ovate, less than 5 cm 

long, asymmetrical; thick with 3 primary veins 

but numerous cross veins (hence reticulate); 

scabrous above. Flowers: Small, greenish. 

Fruits: Orange-red drupe 6 mm diameter; dry, 

sweet, 1 hard seed. Bark: Smooth, gray becoming 

rough with large corky warts on trunk. Ecology: On dry slopes, often on 

limestone or basalt, ravine banks, rocky outcrops, 1,000–7,500 ft (300–2300 

m); flowers March–May. Notes: Diagnostics include: asymmetrical, scabrous 

leaf; corky warts on bark; witches brooms and galls; reticulate venation 

undersurface. Ethnobotany: Fuel, posts, wildlife food; Navajo–Kayenta use 

medicinally to treat indigestion. Etymology: Celtis is a Greek name for the 

tree, while laevigata means smooth or slippery, lustrous or shining, reticulata 

means net-veined. Synonyms: Celtis douglasii, C. occidentalis var. reticulata, C. 

reticulata, C. reticulata var. vestita 





Juniperus coahuilensis 

redberry juniper 

General: Evergreen small tree or large shrub 

1–4.5 m with spreading branches forming 

an irregular, open crown; bark is shreddy 

but formed close to trunk, ashy gray to 

brown; multi–trunked at base. Needles: 

Erect branchlets with tricussate, scalelike, 

appressed leaves green to light green, abaxial 

glands obvious and elliptic to ovate. Cones: 

Dioecious terminal pollen cones, 3–4 mm 

long, oblong; seed cones terminal, 10–12 

mm long, spheric to ovoid, bluish but 

maturing blue–brown to reddish–brown 

the second year; dry, hard, and fibrous. 

Seeds: Ovulate cones contain 1–3 

seeds per, ovate to pyriform, grooved, 

tip acuminate. Ecology: Found on dry, 

well–drained soils in full sun, from 

4,000–6,500 ft (1372–1981 m); flowers 

October–November. Notes: The complex of Juniperus can be confusing in 

the field, but with fruit this species stands apart. Absent that, it can be difficult 

to distinguish it from J. monosperma in the field, the only apparent point of 

departure between the two is the glands on J. coahuilensis are covered (more 

than 25 percent) by conspicuous white resin. Ethnobotany: Used for fuelwood 

and posts, mats, saddles, fleshy cones were ground for flour. Seeds when dried 

used for beads, often as measure of protection. Etymology: Juniperus is the 

Latin name for Juniper, Coahuilensis is named for the type specimen from 

Coahuila, Mexico. Synonyms: None 

Editor’s Note: The junipers are actually gymnosperms, or plants with naked 

seeds. But because this is the only species from the gymnosperms, we have 

included it here. Please note that this species does not have flowers and has 

cones with a naked seed, rather than a seed enclosed by an ovule as is found in 

the angiosperms. 


Cupressaceae 


Fabaceae 


Calliandra eriophylla 

fairyduster 

General: Spreading shrub growing to 1 m 

high, with unarmed light gray to whitish 

stems. Young stems and twigs densely to 

moderately pubescent with short white 

hairs. Leaves: Widely spaced leaves twicepinnate 

with 2–4 pairs of pinnae, each 

with 7–9 (occasionally 10) pairs of leaflets 

2–3 mm long. Generally cold deciduous. 

Flowers: Showy, dense spherical heads 

4–5 cm in diameter. Corollas 5–6 mm long 

and inconspicuous; stamens showy, pink, 

rose, or reddish purple up to 1.5 cm long. Fruits: Linear velvety pods 5–7 

mm wide and 3–7 cm long with thickened margins. Ecology: Grows along 

washes, on slopes and mesas, typically low and creeping, from 2,000–5,000 

ft (762–1676 m); flowers February–April, occasionally September–October. 

Notes: Readily identifiable because of its stamens. Ethnobotany: Decoction 

taken as a gynecological aid after childbirth by Yavapai. Etymology: Calliandra 

is from Greek kallos ‘beautiful’ and andra ‘stamen’, while eriophylla is from 

Greek erion ‘wool’ and phyllon ‘leaf’ referring to matted white hairs that cover 

the plant when young. Synonyms: Calliandra eriophylla var. chamaedrys, C. 

eriophylla var. eriophylla 

Mimosa aculeaticarpa 

catclaw mimosa, wait-a-minute bush 

General: Shrub or small tree 0.6–2 m with paired 

recurved thorns at the nodes. Leaves: Twice 

pinnate leaves with 4–7 pairs of pinnae, each 

with 6–13 pairs of leaflets 2 mm long. Flowers: 

Capitate cluster about 15 mm broad, pink or 

white. Fruits: Pod 4 mm wide, curved, valves 

not jointed, with marginal prickles. Ecology: 

Grows in thickets on hills and canyon slopes 

and along washes from 3,000-6,000 ft (1067– 

1981 m). Notes: Common shrub in thickets, 

chaparral, good honey plant, soil binder; eatable 

pods. Diagnostics include: stout recurved spines in pairs, broadened far 

above base; round flower head; fruit NOT jointed. Taxonomists recognize var. 

biuncifera as a distinct species, found in the semidesert grassland and Madrean 

evergreen woodlands, while M. aculeaticarpa is a more widespread species 

in the Sonoran Desert. Both are documented at Tumacácori. Ethnobotany: 

Pods of this plant were ground into a meal. Synonyms: Mimosa biuncifera 




© 2008 T. Beth Kinsey 

© 2011 Max Licher 

Parkinsonia aculeata 

Mexican palo verde, Jerusalem thorn 

General: Trees with well-developed trunk smooth, 

green bark on upper branches and brown, rough 

bark on trunk and main limbs, to 12 m tall. Young 

twigs have paired nodal, spines with small white 

hairs, soon becoming glabrous. Leaves: Leaves 

obscurely twice-pinnate, with reduced primary 

rachis, 1–3 flattened pinnae, up to 30 cm long, with 

10–40 pairs of ephemeral leaflets 2–8 mm long. 

Flowers: On racemes 10–16 cm, relatively fewflowered; 

showy, 27–35 mm wide, sepals and petals yellow, banner petal at 

first with basal red-orange spots or flecks, anthers pale orange to somewhat 

rose colored. Fruits: Pods few seeded, more or less indehiscent or tardily 

semidehiscent. Ecology: Found along arroyos, sandy plains, or other lowlying 

areas where water accumulates in the low desert from 3,000–4,500 ft 

(914–1372 m); flowers March–May, occasionally post-monsoon. Notes: The 

flattened pinnae and the brown bark on the trunk and main branches set P. 

aculeata from the other Parkinsonia. Not considered a native, instead it is 

widely planted and its range is expanding as a consequence. Ethnobotany: 

Many tribes to seeds winnowed, parched, dried, cooked and stored them for 

food. Etymology: Parkinsonia is named after John Parkinson (1567–1650), 

while aculeata means prickly. Synonyms: None 

Parkinsonia florida 

blue paloverde 

General: Large shrubs to small trees reaching 

7–10 m tall with a well-developed trunk. Small 

straight spines borne singly at nodes. Bark of 

twigs and branches bluish green, while older 

trunks are often gray. Leaves: Leaves are pinnate 

with single pair of pinnae, with 2–4 pairs of 

obovate leaflets 4–8 mm long, darkening when 

dried. Flowers: Found in terminal racemes, 22– 

28 mm wide, calyx green to yellow-green, lobes 

reflexed; Petals bright yellow, banner with small 

orange-red spots basally. Fruits: Straw colored 

oblong pods 4–10 cm long moderately flattened, mostly indehiscent, seeds 1–6. 

Ecology: Generally found along washes, plains, and canyons, sometimes on 

slopes from sea level to 4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers March–April. Notes: Larger 

than most other species of this genus. Ethnobotany: The seeds were dried 

and roasted before being ground into meal for mush or cakes. Green pods can 

be eaten raw, similar to edamame (soybean) in texture. The wood was used 

for carving ladles. Etymology: Parkinsonia is named after John Parkinson 

(1567–1650), florida refers to either free-flowering, abundant flowers or bright. 

Synonyms: Cercidium floridum, C. floridum ssp. floridum 


Fabaceae 


Fabaceae 



velvet mesquite 

General: Common, shrub or tree, reaching to 

17 m. Leaves: Alternate, deciduous, bipinnately 

compound, with 1 or 2 pairs of pinnae each 

with 9–30 pairs leaflets; leaflet 4–13 mm long, 

oblong, closely spaced on stalk; paired straight 

stipular spines 1–2 cm borne at nodes. Flowers: 

Greenish yellow flowers in spikelike racemes 

5–12 cm long. Fruits: Legume 7.6–20.3 cm 

long, pubescent, non-dehiscent, sweetish pulp. 

Bark: Dark brown, thick, long narrow strips. 

Hard, heavy, reddish-brown, yellow sapwood. Ecology: Common along 

washes, in bottomlands, slopes and mesas from 3,000–5,500 ft (914–1675 m). 

Notes: Diagnostic features include: bipinnate leaf with 1 or 2 pairs of pinnae, 

always with hairs; stout, straight stipular spines; pubescent leaves, twigs, pods. 

Ethnobotany: Excellent fuel, charcoal, posts, novelties, cattle eat the pods, 

browse, honey; grassland invader; pods make highly edible flour. Etymology: 

Prosopis was a Greek name for burdock (seemingly misnamed), while velutina 

refers to velvet-like. Synonyms: Neltuma velutina, Prosopis articulata, P. 

chilensis var. velutina, P. juliflora, P. juliflora var. articulata, P. juliflora var. 

velutina 

Senegalia greggii 

catclaw acacia 

General: Native shrub or tree reaching to 6 m or 

more. Leaves: Alternate, deciduous, bipinnately 

compound; 2.5–7.6 cm long, with 2 or 3 pairs of 

pinnae, each with 4–6 pairs leaflets; pinnae 1–1.5 mm 

long. Flowers: Cream colored, fragrant, spikes 5.1 

cm long, 13 mm diameter; summer. Fruits: Legume 

5.1–12.7 cm long, 13 mm wide, flat, often twisted 

and narrowed between seeds; persists into winter. 

Wood: Hard, heavy, sapwood cream to yellow; 

heartwood, reddish-brown. Ecology: Found on 

flats, washes, and slopes below 5,000 ft (1524 m). Notes: Diagnostics include: 

small double-compound leaves less than 7.6 cm long; very stout recurved 

solitary spines; flat twisted pod constricted between seeds. Ethnobotany: 

Disagreeable because of stout spines, tool handles, fuel, good honey plant, 

quail, ground up into a meal. Used as an astringent, emollient, disinfectant, 

antiinflammatory. Havasupai used in basket making. Etymology: Acacia is 

from Greek akakie taken from ake or akis, ‘a sharp point, greggii is reference 

to Josiah Gregg (1806–1850), a frontier trader and author who worked with Dr. 

George Engelman. Synonyms: Acacia greggii 


© 2011 Liz Makings 

© 2011 Max Licher



Vachellia constricta 

whitethorn acacia 

General: Spreading shrubs to 3 m, 

symmetrical with generally straight branches. 

Bark smooth, light gray to mahogany-colored, 

lower branches spreading near ground level. 

Stipular spines in pairs at the nodes of the 

stems, usually white, 1–3 cm. Leaves: Winter 

deciduous and tardily drought deciduous, 

even-pinnate, 3.5–4 cm long, the pinnae 3–9 

pairs, leaflets many 1.5–3 mm. Petioles with a 

prominent nectary gland. Flowers: Fragrant, 

bright yellow in rounded heads about 1 cm in 

diameter. Fruits: Pods 4.5–13.5 cm long by 4–6 mm width, constricted between 

each seed, moderately compressed, reddish with viscid glands, gradually 

dehiscent. Ecology: Found along washes, on slopes and mesas from 2,000– 

6,500 ft (610–1981 m); flowers April–June. Notes: Specimens are thought to 

be var. paucispina, which is described as one with few or no spines and less 

glandular leaves. Many taxonomists reject this taxon because it is not clear 

because spininess is variable. Ethnobotany: Seri made a tea from the mashed 

seeds and leaves to relieve diarrhea or upset stomachs. Powdered, dried pods 

and leaves have been used to treat skin rashes, medicinal tea can be made from 

the roots. Etymology: Acacia is from Greek akakie taken from ake or akis, ‘a 

sharp point, while constricta refers to constricted or contracted. Synonyms: 

Acacia constricta 

Fouquieria splendens 

ocotillo 

General: Long-lived desert “shrub” 3–5 m tall, with 

slender wandlike spiny branches from reduced 

trunk. Adults have 12 or more branches. Leaves: 

Short-shoot leaves appear after ground-soaking 

rain, turning yellow with hot weather or high soil 

moisture. Flowers: Dense panicles at branch tip, 

often 19–24 cm, with conspicuous leafy bracts 

falling at about anthesis. Bright red-orange, the 

corolla lobes reflexed. Fruits: Capsule with 6–15 

flat, papery-winged seeds. Ecology: Found on dry, rocky or gravelly slopes and 

sandy plains from sea level to 5,000 ft (0–1524 m); flowers February–March. 

Notes: Very distinct plant in our region, particularly good for hummingbirds. 

Ethnobotany: Blossoms soaked for a summer drink, as a blood purifier and 

tonic, while seeds were parched and ground into flour for mush or cakes. 

Papago pressed the nectar out of blossoms, hardened it like rock candy and 

chewed. Flowers sucked for nectar. Stems used for fences and houses. Apache 

use it powdered root paste to ease swelling and a gum from the bark used to 

wax leather. Etymology: Fouquieria is named for Pierre Eloi Fouquier (1776– 

1850) a French physician, professor of medicine and naturalist, while splendens 

means splendid. Synonyms: Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens 


Fabaceae – Fouquieriaceae 


Juglandaceae – Krameriaceae 


Juglans major 

Arizona walnut 

General: Tree up to 15 m tall, with a trunk diameter 

of 1 m or more, but usually much less. Bark is grayishbrown, 

furrowed on mature trees. Leaves: Alternate, 

15–30 cm long, odd-pinnate with mostly 9–15 leaflets, 

coarsely serrate, acuminate at apex, cuneate, rounded 

or somewhat asymetrical at the base, pubescent when 

young, later glabrous or nearly so, yellowish-green. 2009 NPS/Beth Fallon 

Flowers: Greenish catkins. Fruits: Round, brown-haired husks about 2–3 cm 

in diameter, with deeply grooved. Ecology: Along streams and in canyons in 

all counties in Arizona from 3,500–7,000 ft (1000–2100 m). Notes: Diagnostic 

characteristics include large alternate, odd-pinnate, fragrant leaves, and 

2–3 cm diameter dark brown husks that surround the fruit. Monoecious. 

Ethnobotany: Nutshells were used to make brown dye. Nuts eaten by 

Chiricahua and Mescalero Apache, Hualapai, and Navajo. The Yavapai make 

a decoction of purverised nut juice as a drink, trees used in building lodges by 

Mescalero. Etymology: Juglans is Latin for walnut. Synonyms: J. elaeopyren, J. 

microcarpa var. major, J. rupestris var. major 

Krameria erecta 

littleleaf ratany 

General: Low shrub often 0.3–0.5 m, usually 

less than 1 m across, with many short, crowded, 

spreading branches. Stems tough and woody with 

gray bark, upper branches knotty due to many 

short spur branches. Densely pubescent herbage 

and grayish with short white hairs, stems root at 

nodes. Leaves: Alternate, linear 3–9 long by 0.8–1.3 

mm wide, drought deciduous, sessile. Flowers: 

Showy, about 1.5 cm in diameter, solitary or in short 

racemes with leafy bracts. Sepals bright magentapurple 

inside, white hairy outside. Filaments whitish, anthers dull cream colored, 

styles magenta-purple. Fruits: Globose and moderately compressed, about 6 mm 

wide, with spines about 3.5 mm with small barbs more or less evenly distributed 

along upper part of shaft. Ecology: Found on sandy, gravelly plains adjacent to 

mountains and rocky hills from 500–5,000 ft (152–1524 m); flowers at various times 

during the year. Notes: Plant is in part a root parasite on other species. Palatable to 

both livestock and wildlife. Ethnobotany: Used predominantly as a red dye and 

as a poultice of root for sores. Etymology: Krameria named after Johann Georg 

Heinrich Kramer (1684–1744) and Austrian physician and botanist, while erecta 

means upright. Synonyms: Krameria glandulosa, K. imparta, K. parvifolia, K. 

parvifolia var. glandulosa, K. parvifolia var. imparata 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey

Morus microphylla 

Texas mulberry, littleleaf mulberry 

General: Shrub or small tree with 

smooth, light gray bark, up to 11 m tall. 

Leaves: Smaller than other Morus, 

blades up to 7 cm long, roughly ovate, 

frequently lobed, with toothed margins, 

extended tip, rounded or slightly lobed 

base. Flowers: Inconspicuous, drooping 

clusters. Fruits: Cluster of minute, 

fleshy, berrylike fruits from red to black. 

© 2007 WNMU, Zimmerman Herbarium 

Ecology: Found on hillsides, slopes, in 

canyons from 3,500–5,000 ft (1067–1524 m); flowers March–April. Notes: Eaten 

by many birds, leaves are a favorite food for worms. Ethnobotany: Berries eaten 

raw, dried and used as a spread, or pressed into pulpy cakes, dried and stored. 

Twigs split in half lengthwise to make baskets. Etymology: Morus is the classical 

name for mulberry, microphylla refers to being small-leaved. Synonyms: Morus 

confinis, M. crataegifolia, M. grisea, M. radulina to make bows, and as a sharp tool 

for gathering mescal agave. Etymology: Velutina refers to velvety. Synonyms: 

F. pennsylvanica ssp. velutina, F. velutina var. coriacea, P. velutina var. glabra, P. 

velutina var. toumeyi 


Moraceae 


Oleaceae 


Fraxinus velutina 

velvet ash 

General: Small to medium sized trees, 8–9 m 

tall, occasionally reaching 12–15 m tall; 30–45 

cm in diameter; rounded crown composed 

of many thin, spreading branches. Bark 

is gray to grayish-red, furrowed and zigzagged. 

Opposite branching twigs light gray 

and covered with small, fine hairs, becoming 

shiny gray and hairless with age; buds 

approximately .3 cm in length, comprised of 

three slightly hairy, oval-shaped scales; large, 

dark chocolate buds with fine, dark hairs. Leaves: Leaves opposite, pinnately 

compound, 10–13 cm in length; 3–5 elliptical or oval leaflets with pointed tips; 

leaflet margins may be finely round toothed; pale green and shiny above, green 

and slightly hairy below; young leaves covered with velvety hairs. Flowers: 

Flowers covered by bud scales with dense hairs; clusters of inconspicuous 

flowers on thin stalks. Fruits: Samara flat, paddle shaped 2 cm in length and 

0.75 cm wide; paddle end may be slightly notched. Ecology: Moist soils along 

streams and riparian areas from 3,000–7,000 ft (914–2134 m); flowers March– 

May. Notes: Characterized by opposite leaves, with 3–5 leaflets having pointed 

tips, and winged fruits. Low palatability for livestock, deer will browse and over 

browse when other preferred species not available. Provides habitat for wild 

ungulates and small rodents, as well as nesting sites for songbirds and other 

avian species. Host plant for Two-Tailed Swallowtail butterfly. Ethnobotany: 

Hualapai used wood to make bows, and as a sharp tool for gathering mescal 

agave. Etymology: Velutina refers to velvety. Synonyms: F. pennsylvanica ssp. 

velutina, F. velutina var. coriacea, P. velutina var. glabra, P. velutina var. toumeyi 


© 2005 Patrick Alexander

© 2008 T. Beth Kinsey 


Platanus wrightii 

Arizona sycamore 

General: Fast growing deciduous tree to 25 m, 

trunks erect to inclined or basally reclined or 

prostrate, white bark, plated appearance with 

older brown bark and younger whitish bark 

beneath. Branches are lateral buds hidden by leaf 

petiole. Leaves: Alternate, simple, 3–5 lobed less 

than 25 cm long, older leaves paler undersurface. 

Flowers: Male and female in clusters of 2–5 

balls each. Fruits: Brownish ball (multiple of 

achenes) 2.5 cm diameter, in clusters of 2–4 per 

stalk; gradually break up through fall to winter. 

Ecology: Found in canyons and along riparian streams from 2,000–6,500 ft 

(610–1981 m); flowers April–May. Notes: Ornamental, shade tree, stream bank 

erosion control. Diagnostic character is the mottled bark, which is brown with 

whitish and greenish patches. Needs to have its feet wet, usually indicative of 

good riparian habitat. Older growth P. wrightii indicative of excellent Elegant 

Trogon habitat in southeastern Arizona sky islands. Ethnobotany: Fuel, 

shelter for small mammals and birds. Etymology: Platanus is Greek platanos 

for the long-lived oriental plane tree, wrightii is for Charles Wright (1811–1885) 

an American botanical collector who was on the Mexican Boundary Survey. 

Synonyms: Platanus racemosa var. wrightii 

Ceanothus greggii 

desert ceanothus 

General: Intricately branched shrubs 

0.5–2 m tall. Bark is gray with branches 

opposite, stiff but not spiny. Leaves: 

Opposite, petioles only 1–3 mm long, 

blades narrowly ovate to elliptic or 

obovate, 5–18 mm long, 3–10 mm wide, 

entire to dentate, dark green above, 

paler and distinctly pinnate-veined 

beneath. Flowers: Infloresence in small 

umbel-like clusters, clayx lobes about 2 

mm long, whitish, petals white slightly 

longer than the calyx. Fruits: Capsule 

globose, slightly 3-lobed, 3–5 mm in 

diameter. Ecology: Grows on dry, rocky slopes, foothills, canyons, gullies and 

in erosion channels from 3,000–7,000 ft (915–2135 m); flowers March–April. 

Notes: Diagnostic characteristics include its lack of thorns, grayish bark, 

and leaves that are distinctly pinnate veined beneath. Some nitrogen fixation. 

Provides cover for wildlife, while small mammals and quail eat seeds. Host plant 

for Hedgerow Hairstreak butterfly. Ethnobotany: Important medicinal root for 

cleansing lymphs and blood. Berries eaten once sweetened with sugar, inner 

bark also edible. Used for tonsil inflammation, sore throats and enlarged lymph 

nodes. Etymology: Named after Josiah Gregg (1806–1850), frontier trader and 

author, who sent many specimens to Dr. George Engelmann in St. Louis from 

little known areas of the southwest. Synonyms: None 


Platanaceae – Rhamnaceae 


Rhamnaceae 


Condalia globosa 

bitter snakewood 

General: Shrubs to small trees 1–4.5 m, more or 

less symmetrical and densely-branched, often 

with short, thick trunks. Branches and twigs 

rigid, twigs thorn-tipped. Leaves: Spatulate, 

entire, 3–12 mm long and 1.6–5 mm wide, may 

be alternate or fasciculate, lower surface has 3–4 

pairs of prominent veins. Larger leaves petioled, 

the smaller leaves subsessile. Flowers: In small 

axillary clusters, yellowish green , about 3 mm 

wide, the disk at anthesis awash with sticky glistening nectar, no petals. Fruits: 

Globose drupes 3–5 mm long, black and very bitter at maturity. Ecology: 

Occasional to common in sandy washes, rare on rocky slopes, grows below 

4,500 ft (1372 m); flowers March–May and October–December. Notes: To 

tell apart from C. mexicana, C. corelleii one need only look at the spatulate, 

dull green leaves. The presence of this and a petiole, combined with a more 

diffusely branched architecture help to diagnosis it. Ethnobotany: Papago ate 

the fruits raw. Etymology: Condalia is named after Antonio Condal, and 18th 

century Spanish physician and botanist, globosa refers to the globose fruits. 


Condalia correllii 

Mexican bluewood 

General: Shrubs or small trees, openly branched, 1–2 m tall, 1–1.5 m wide. 

Several stems, bark light gray to whitish, primary lateral branches spreading to 

divergent, secondary lateral branches thorn-like. Leaves: Obovate, 8–16 mm 

long, 4–6 mm wide, acute to mucronate, bright green, sparsely hispidulous; 

veins inconspicuous. Flowers: Borne on delicate elongate, secondary shoots; 

sessile or with pedicels less than 0.5 mm long. Fruits: Drupe with stone 

distinctly longer than wide, 5–7 mm long, 3–5 mm wide. Ecology: Found on 

dry slopes, drainages, canyons, from 4,000–5,000 ft (1219–1524 m); flowers 

July–September. Notes: Confusion! Usual systematic madness. The collection 

from Tumacácori has been identified as C. correllii under a 1962 revision of 

the genus and the Flora of Arizona project does not even include C. correllii 

as a possibility, although C. mexicana is identified only from collections in 

Cochise county. Some consider C. correllii to be a segregate of C. mexicana, 

even the revision considers that C. correllii could be easily considered a variety 

of C. mexicana. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, although the berries 

of other species in the genus are eaten. Etymology: Condalia is named after 

Antonio Condal, and 18th century Spanish physican and botanist, mexicana 

refers to the type specimen being from Mexico. Synonyms: None 


© Hank Jorgensen

©Lee Dittman, www.nazflora.org 

Ziziphus obtusifolia 

lotebush 

General: Shrubs to 4 m tall, armed. Stems green to 

gray, or brown, canescent to glaucous, branchlets 

thorn-tipped, occasionally with axillary recurved 

thorns, thorn tips glabrous and brown. Leaves: Thin 

or thick, deciduous; stipules triangular, petioles 0.5–5 

mm long, blades linear to narrowly elliptic to oblong 

or ovate, 5–20 mm long, 2–15 mm wide, green to 

pale green, glabrous to canescent, margins entire to 

serrate or crenate. Flowers: Inconspicuous, 2–15 per 

inflorescence, hypanthium 1–2 mm long, glabrous 

to canescent, sepals yellowish green, glabrous to 

canescent, petals about 1 mm, white to light green, 

stigma 2-lobed. Fruits: Blue to purple to black with 

white waxy bloom, 5–8 mm wide, pedicles become thicker in fruit, flower cup 

persistent. Ecology: Found on mesas, canyon slopes, desert grasslands and along 

drainages from 1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 m); flowers May–September. Notes: 

To discern from Condalia, the following characteristics are found in Ziziphus: 

inflorescence a cyme, three nerved basal venation, no thorn tipped branches, 

ovate or oblong branches, stipular spines, easily falling seeds. Two varieties in the 

region: var. obtusifolia and var. canescens. Var. obtusifolia is found on gypsum soils 

in Cochise Co., about 3 m tall, thin, glabrous leaves, with a glabrous hypanthium, 

and fruits 7–8 mm wide. Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens is more widespread, to 

4 m tall, leaves thick, mostly canescent, hypanthium canescent, fwith fruits about 

5–8 mm wide. Ethnobotany: A decoction from the roots of var. canescens was 

used to treat sore eyes by the Pima and roots have been used in place of soap. 

Etymology: Ziziphus comes from the Persian word zizufun or Arabic zizouf, the 

Arabian name for a shrubby Mediterranean tree, obtusifolia means obtuse- or 

blunt-leaved. Synonyms: None for Z. obtusifolia, several for both varieties, see 

Tropicos 


Rhamnaceae 


Salicaceae 


Populus fremontii 

Fremont cottonwood 

General: Trees up to 30 m tall with open crown, 

whitish, smooth bark, that is deeply furrowed at 

maturity and twigs stout, glabrous or nearly so. 

Leaves: Leaves glabrous, the blades deltoid 4–7 

mm long and about as wide or wider, slightly 

cordate or cuneate at base, sharbly pointed 

at the tip, coarsely and irregularly dentate, 

bright green. Petioles flattened laterally, nearly 

as long as the blades. Flowers: Catkins 4–5 cm long, stamens 60 or more. 

Fruits: Capsule up to 12 mm long. Ecology: Found along streams banks and 

near lakes and ponds from 6,500 ft (1981 m) and lower; flowers March–June. 

Notes: Identified by its coarsely-toothed, delta-shaped leaves, larger size, and 

spreading crown. Good nesting habitat for birds, especially cavity nesters. 

Beavers, elk, deer, and squirrels feed on it, horses eat inner bark, but only fair 

to poor livestock palatability. Host plant for Red-spotted Admiral, Viceroy, 

and Swallowtail butterflies. There is potential that ssp. mesetae (which may 

simply be ssp. fremontii) enters Arizona but would require more taxonomic 

investigation. Ethnobotany: Hopi frequently use this specific species for 

Katsina dolls. For the Navajo many household game pieces were made with 

cottonwood. Etymology: Populus is Latin for “people” because the many 

moving leaves in a breeze resemble a moving populace. Synonyms: None 




Salix gooddingii 

Goodding’s willow 

General: Deciduous, medium to large 

sized trees to 25 m or more. Bark is thick 

and gray; split into many furrows and 

ridges. Twigs yellowish and hairy; smooth 

buds with a single conspicuous bud scale 

margin. Leaves: Leaves linear to very 

narrowly elliptical, but widest at the 

base, 6–13 cm long and 0.8–1.6 cm wide; 

margins finely toothed; upper and lower surfaces green to yellow green and 

hairless. Flowers: Catkins yellowish, 2–8 cm long. Fruits: Short stalked and 

hairy capsules 3–7 mm long, containing many cottony seeds. Ecology: Along 

streams, and in canyons and wet meadows up to 7,500 ft (2286 m); flowers 

March–June. Notes: Can be distinguished by its lance shaped, entirely green 

leaves, hairy yellowish twigs and its conspicuous bud scale margins. A similar 

species S. laevigata has wider leaves, whitish leaf undersides and more reddish 

twigs. Rapid growth and resprout ability. Coppice potential. High fire, medium 

drought tolerance. Propagated with cuttings, bare roots, and seeds. Preferred 

food for beavers, and is used in beaver dams. Stands provide habitat for many 

types of wildlife, as well as providing shade for streams and ponds. Major 

source of browse for elk and deer, while shoots buds, and catkins eaten by birds 

and small mammals. Highly palatable to livestock and wild ungulates. Host 

plant for Mourning Cloak butterfly. Ethnobotany: Not a valuable commercial 

species in Arizona. Its close relative S. nigra has been harvested comercially in 

the southeast U.S. for furniture and building materials. Pima used this species 

in basket making. Etymology: Salix is the Latin name for willow, meaning ‘to 

leap or spring’, while goodingii is named after Leslie Newton Gooding (1880– 

1967), botanist and collector, one of the first to explore the southern Arizona 

area. Synonyms: None 


Salicaceae 


Salicaceae – Simaroubaceae 


Salix taxifolia 

yewleaf willow 

General: Slow growing large shrub or tree up to 12 m 

tall, trunk 50–70 cm diameter, bark rough and fissured. 

Leaves: Linear or linear-lanceolate, entire or dentate 

with few obscure teeth toward apices, 2–4 mm long by 

1–4 mm wide, sessile or subsessile. Flowers: Catkins, 

yellow, deciduous, 2 separate stamens, stigmas 0.5–0.7 

mm long, slender. Fruits: Capsule, densely appressedhairy, 

silky, reddish brown. Ecology: Found along 

streams and washes from 3,500–6,000 ft (1067–1829 

m); flowers May–July. Notes: Easily identifiable by 

its remarkable similarity to yew leaves, and almost 

silvery gray cast. Ethnobotany: Inner bark can be dried and ground into a 

powder made into bread, very bitter flavor, only considered a famine food. 

Bark contains salicin, which decomposes into salicylic acid (aspirin), used as 

anodyne, febrifuge, and as remedy for malaria. Etymology: Salix is the Latin 

name for willow, meaning ‘to leap or spring’, while taxifolia refers to the leaves 

being like yew, from the genus Taxus. Synonyms: Salix taxifolia var. lejocarpa, 

S. taxifolia var. limitanea, S. taxifolia var. seriocarpa 

Ailanthus altissima 


H M L 

tree of heaven 

General: Highly invasive tree, native of China, reaches 15 m in only 25 years. 

Bark is smooth and light gray, often becoming rougher with light tan fissures. 

Leaves: Large, odd or even pinnately compound arranged alternately on stem, 

from 30–90 cm in length with 10–41 leaflets in pairs, largest leaves found on 

vigorous young sprouts. Rachis is light to reddish green with swollen base. 

Leaflets are ovate-lanceolate with entire margins. Flowers: Dioecious, small, 

appear in panicles up to 50 cm long, flowers yellowish green to reddish, five 

petals and sepals. Fruits: Samara, twisted at tips, to aid in wind dispersal, 

2.5 cm long, 1 cm broad. Ecology: Found widespread in US, highly invasive; 

flowers April–July. Notes: Host plant for the ailanthus silkmoth, brought to 

US in 1784. Allelopathic, so it spreads quickly as it colonizes disturbed areas. 

Thought to be the fastest growing tree in North America. Ethnobotany: Used 

in Chinese medicine as an astringent, wood can be used for cabinetry, the dried 

bark is actually a listed Chinese medicine, 

some treatments listed as antimalarial agent, 

for cardiac palpitation, asthma, and epilepsy. 

Etymology: Ailanthus is form a Moluccan 

name ailanto meaning ‘sky tree’, while 

altissima means very tallest. Synonyms: 

Ailanthus glandulosa 

© 2007 Luigi Rignanese 


© 2006 Sally and Andy Wasowski

© 1998 Larry Blakely 


Lycium andersonii 

wolfberry, water jacket 

General: Thorny rounded shrub 0.5-3 m high 

with densely branched, spinose ridgid branches 

and flexuous, silvery-white to tan barked 

twigs. Leaves: Alternate or clustered, sessile 

or on petiole 1-3 mm, mostly linear to linearspatulate, 

1-2 mm wide, 3-16 mm long, rounded 

to acute at apex, tapers to base. Flowers: 

Pedicel 3-9 mm long, filiform; calyx shallowly 

campanulate, glabrous to sparsely puberulent, 

1-2.5 mm long, irregularly 4-5 toothed, teeth one-fourth as long as tube, sparsely 

ciliolate, stamens equaling corolla tube or exserted 2-3 mm, dingy-lavender; 

filaments adnate to basal one-third of corolla tube, sparsely pilose on lower part 

of free portion; style about equaling stamens. Fruits: Berry ellipsoid to ovoid, 

bright orange-red, 3-9 mm, juicy, with multiple seeds. Ecology: Found along arid 

washes and arroyos, bajadas, rocky slopes, mesas and foothills up to 5,500 ft (1676 

m); flowers February-May, rarely August-September. Notes: Three recognized 

varieties in the area: var. wrightii whose leaves are broadly spatulate to obovate; 

var. andersonii whose leaves are 3-16 mm, linear terete to narrowly spatulate; and 

var. deserticola whose leaves are 20-35 mm, narrowly spatulate to spatulate. Some 

taxonomists place var. deserticola and var. andersonii as probably indistinct. Var. 

andersonii is the most widespread of the three species. Clarity is necessary for the 

genus, take a specimen and get identification. Similar to L. exsertum in stamens and 

adnate hairy filament bases, differs in non-pendulous flowers. Told apart from L. 

berlandieri by the lighter colored bark. Ethnobotany: Berries were eaten fresh and 

dried, dried for winter use, boiled into mush or ground into flour, or made into a 

drink. Etymology: Lycium is from Greek name Lykion used to describe a thorny 

tree or shrub, andersonii is named after Robert Clark Anderson (1908–1973) a USFS 

forest ranger or Dr. Charles Lewis Anderson (1827–1910) a physician and naturalist. 

Synonyms: None, just three varieties. 

Lycium berlandieri 

Berlandier’s wolfberry 

General: Thorny shrub, reclining or spreading, 

glabrous to hairy to 2.5 m. Leaves: Finely hairy 

or glabrous, linear to linear-spatulate, leaves 10- 

30 mm long, 1-2.5 mm broad. Flowers: Wide as to 

wider than long, corolla tube campanulate, corollas 

whitish to pale lavender, filaments densely hairy at 

base of free portion, stamens usually protruding, 

rarely enclosed by corolla. Fruit:Nearly spherical 

berry about 4 mm in diameter, red, fleshy and many 

seeded. Ecology: Found on alluvial plains and 

rocky foothills slopes below 3,000 ft (914 m); flowers March-September. Notes: 

Told apart from other Lycium by the minute puberulent or glabrous leaves, and 

often expanded funnelform corolla. The leaves of Lycium berlandieri are much less 

succulent and often larger. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Lycium is from 

Greek name Lykion used to describe a thorny tree or shrub, berlandieri is named 

after Jean Louis Berlandier (1805-1851) a Belgian botanist. Synonyms: None 


Solanaceae 


Solanaceae – Tamaricaceae 


Nicotiana glauca 

H M L 

tree tobacco 

General: Common weed, originally from Bolivia and Argentina, naturalized, 

much branched shrub to small tree growing to 8 m tall. Leaves: Thick and 

rubbery to 20 cm long, lance-shaped, smooth on short stalks, opposite on lower 

branches. Upper leaves lack stalks and lie on upward angle against branch. 

Flowers: Small, tubular, cream-colored, greenish white flowers form at branch 

ends, corolla flares at apex, 5-cleft, unequally toothed calyx. Fruits: Capsules 

contain many small brown seeds, sticky. Ecology: Found on disturbed soils, 

vacant lots, roadsides, along stream banks, washes and drainages below 4,500 

ft (1372 m); flowers March–November. Notes: Found through the range, 

escaped cultivar in many cases, spreads by 

prolific seeds. Ethnobotany: Plant is toxic. 

Contains anabasine, an alkaloid similar to 

nicotine which can be extracted to be used 

as an insecticide. Etymology: Nicotiana is 

named for Jean Nicot (1530–1600), the French 

ambassador to Portugal responsible for 

introducing tobacco to France in 1560, glauca 

comes form Greek meaning bluish-gray, 

referring to leaves. Synonyms: None 

Tamarix ramosissima 



H M L 

salt cedar, tamarisk 

General: Invasive, exotic shrubs and trees 1–7 m tall with many slender 

branches. Leaves: Minute, alternate, scale like leaves. Flowers: Pale pink 

to white, small, perfect and regular, arranged in spike-like racemes. Distinct 

petals occur in fours or fives. Fruits: Capsule with many, many, many, many 

seeds that have feathery hairs. Ecology: Found just about anywhere, this thing 

spreads like, well, a weed along any disturbed riparian area below 5,000 ft (1524 

m); flowers January–October. Notes: Tamarisk systematics is in a perpetual 

state of confusion because the members of the genus have few constantly 

differentiating features. Hybridization is a real potential, which may account 

for why there were thought to be eight 

introduced species that now really 

cannot be told apart. Ethnobotany: 

You can burn it, but it is stinky. 

Etymology: Tamarix comes from the 

Latin name derived from the Tamaris 

River in Spain, ramosissima means 

very branched. Synonyms: None 





Larrea tridentata 

creosote bush 

General: Aromatic, much branched evergreen 

shrub up to 3.5 m, growing from at or just 

above ground. Leaves: Alternate, persistent, 

composite (2 leaflets) 13–25 mm long; elliptical, 

dark “varnished” green, strong-scented 

(especially after rain). Flowers: Yellow, showy, 

7–11 mm long. Fruits: Five-segmented, white 

silky pilose. Ecology: Widespread and common 

on dry plains and mesas below 5,000 ft (1676 

m); flowers any time after adequate rain. Needs 

minimum 12 mm for flowering. Notes: Most common and widespread shrub 

in warm deserts of North America, ordinarily untouched by livestock; causes 

dermatitis in some people. Diagnostics include: sympodial stems, dark green, 

lustrous and paired leaves, 13 mm long; leaves 2-pinnate; strong “creosote” 

odor. Ethnobotany: Used to treat arthritis and allergies. As a salve it is a 

strongly antimicrobial and a moderate sunblock. Etymology: Larrea is named 

for Bishop Juan Antonio Hernandez Perez de Larrea (1731–1803) in Valladolid, 

Spain, while tridentata means three-toothed, the appearance of the leaves 

being three-toothed. Synonyms: None 


Zygophyllaceae 




Cacti 

Cactaceae 

Known for their tiny leaves, which are usually deciduous and absent, these plants 

produce spines. Their axillary buds (called areoles) are flattened and usually 

spine-producing. Each areole gives rise to leaf tissue, which constitutes the 

spines. Solitary inflorescences occur at the top of each branch. The flowers are 

bisexual (or perfect) and some have a well-developed hypanthium (a fused floral 

cup). They have numerous tepals that are spirally arranged, with the outer ones 

sepaloid and inner ones petaloid, and each flower has numerous stamens. 

The ovary is distinctly inferior (or borne below the flowers) and sunken into 

the stem tissue that bears more areoles. The ovary is comprised of two or more 

carpels (count styles to know), with one locule that has parietal placentation. The 

fruit is considered to be a berry. 

Subfamilies: 

Pereskoideae: Leaves broad, flat; no glochids; seeds black, nor aril (leaf cacti) 

Opuntioideae: Leaves small, terete; minute glochids, almost invisible to the 

naked eye, spines at the base of big ones; seeds with pale aril or winged 

Cactoideae: Leaves none or very small; no glochids; seeds black, no aril 

(the touchy feely cactuses with no glochids). 

Quick guide to the genera: 

Carnegia: Large columnar cacti, many–ribbed stems and branches, crowded 

areoles bearing spines with tuft of brown felt. Flowers borne singly, often in 

crown at apex. 

Cylindropuntia: The genus of the true chollas. Taxonomists recently separated 

this out of the Opuntia, to only include those species with the jointed chain 

structure familiar to the genus. 

Echinocereus: Stem with ridges and grooves on surface, flowers produced within 

the spine bearing areoles at side of plant or slightly below apex of branch, length 

of stem 15–100 times the diameter 

Ferocactus: Simple-stemmed, ovoid to cylindric, often large. Areoles large, 

tomentose or woolly, spines large and strong, in three distinct series, ribbed. 

Escobaria: Escobaria is a small North American genus extending from the 

southwestern U.S. into northern Mexico. It is closely related to Coryphantha 

and somewhat more distantly to Mammillaria. Escobaria spp. have small, funnelshaped 

flowers in the spring and summer. The flowers are generally yellow, pink, 

or brownish. 

Mammillaria: Solitary or few-branched, with globose, short, cylindrical stems 

with watery to milky juice. Terete or angled tubercles, areoles crowning tubercles, 

central spine or spines like radials. 

Opuntia: Stem a series of cylindroid or flat joints, areoles with glochids. 


Cacti

Cacti 

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis 

Christmas cactus 

General: A bushy cactus 0.5–1 m tall but sometimes 

spreading to more than 1 m, sparingly to densely 

branched with long cylindrical joints that are 3–6 mm 

diameter, usually bearing similar spineless terminal 

branchlets that are arranged at right angles along 

major axes. The stems are glabrous and yellow green, 

gray–green, or purplish, with riblike wrinkles. The 

areoles are broadly elliptic, wool white to yellow and 

aging to gray. Spines: The areoles usually have one 

short (less than 1 cm) or long (2.5–5 cm) spine, usually 

in apical areoles or well distributed, the spines are 

erect and flexible, reflexed or deflexed, red–brown to gray, yellow, or white, 

aging red–brown, with sheaths gray to purple–gray with yellow to red–brown 

tips or yellow throughout. The glochids are in an adaxial tuft or crescent to 

encircling areole, yellow to reddish–brown. Flowers: Inner tepals are pale 

yellow to greenish yellow, cream, or bronze, sometimes tipped red, 1–1.5 cm 

wide, the tepals are narrow obovate, with yellow anthers, a yellow style, and 

green–yellow stigma lobes. Fruits: Fruits yellow to scarlet, obovoid and up to 12 

mm long when ripe, fleshy, covered in minute glochids or smooth, occasionally 

proliferating. Ecology: Found on sandy, loamy, or gravelly soils in deserts, 

grasslands, chaparrals, woodlands, flats, bajadas, and slopes from 200–5,000 ft 

(61–1524 m); flowers March– August. Notes: Notable red fruits are usually the 

dead give away of this plant along with the very narrow stems. This plant grows 

much taller when growing within nurse association with mesquite or palo verde. 

Ethnobotany: Fruits were eaten, crushed and mixed with a beverage to produce 

narcotic effects; the small fruits were also eaten raw. Etymology: Cylindropuntia 

is from Greek kylindros or a cylinder, leptocaulis is Greek leptos for slender and 

caulis meaning stemmed. Synonyms: Opuntia leptocaulis 

Cylindropuntia spinosior 

cane cholla, walkingstick cactus 

General: Small trees or shrubs 1-2.5 m, 

trunk short, rarely up to 12 cm, joints 

growing at right angles to stem, 10-20 cm 

long about 3-5 cm wide. Spines: Numerous 

and closely arranged tubercules cover 

stems, 10-20 spines per areole, spreading in 

every direction, barbed. Flowers: Purplish 

generally, but color varies considerably, 

1-2 cm long, 0.2-1 cm broad, emarginated 

with tooth in notch. Fruits: Berry, bright lemon-yellow, fleshy at maturity, 

spineless, obovoid, strongly tubercled, falling off in March. Ecology: Found 

in desert grasslands from 2,000-6,500 ft (610-1981 m); flowers May-June. 

Notes: Distinctive with its grey to purplish-grey spines and whorls of short 

joints growing a right angles to stem. Ethnobotany: Papago pit baked buds, 

fruits and joints considered a staple food. Etymology: Cylindropuntia is from 

Greek kylindros or a cylinder, spinosior is from the Latin for spiny. Synonyms: 

Opuntia spinosior, O. whipplei var. spinosior 


2009 NPS 


©2008 SEINET-ASU, Liz Makings ©2006 Patrick Alexander 

Ferocactus wislizeni 

candy barrelcactus, compass barrel cactus 

General: Barrel cactus is about as tall as wide, 

to columnar plant, ribs 20-28, not markedly 

tuberculate. Spines: Hooked central spines 

obscure the stem, central spines red, or the 

surface layer of ashy gray, 4 per areole, forming 

cross, not flattened against the stem, strongly 

cross-ribbed 3-8 cm long. Radial spines ashy 

gray, mostly 12-20 per areole, spreading, curling 

irregularly back and forth, not cross-ribbed. 

Flowers: Yellow-reddish cup-shaped, perianth 

parts narrowly lanceolate, apically sharply acute 

and mucronate, borne on crowns of stem, distinct purplish middle stripe. 

Fruits: Yellow, barrel-shaped, flesh, covered by numerous almost circular, 

shallowly fimbriate scales. Ecology: Found on sandy desert soils, gravelly 

slopes and in grasslands from 1,000-4,500 ft (305-1372 m); flowers July- 

September. Notes: Called the compass cactus because it tends to lean south 

toward sun, species can live up to 100 years. Spines are said to cripple a horse 

unless they are treated the same day. Ethnobotany: The top of the cactus was 

lopped off and the interior pulp was crushed as a source of water in extreme 

circumstances; the seeds were parched, ground, and boiled into a mush; the 

spines were used as fish hooks by the Pima, and the fruit was made into a candy. 

Etymology: Ferocactus from Latin ferus, fierce and cactus referring to spines, 

while wislizeni is named after Frederick Adolf Wislizenus (1810-1889) and 

Army surgeon, explorer, and botanist. Synonyms: Echinocactus wislizeni 

Opuntia macrorhiza 

twist-spine pricklypear 

General: Prickly-pear cactus; clump forming, with 

clumps 0.5-2 m wide and 8-13 cm high; joints 6-10 cm 

long, 5-7 cm wide. Spines: Mainly on the uppermost 

aereoles; 1-6 spines per aereole, to 6 cm long, mostly 

pointing downward, straight or slightly curved. 

Flowers: Yellow, sometimes with reddish centers; 

5-6 cm wide, 5-6 cm long. Fruits: Purple or reddish 

purple; fleshy, with sparse glochids; 2-4 cm long, 2-3 

cm wide, with a shallow cup at the top. Ecology: Sandy 

or rocky soils in grasslands, pinon-juniper woodlands, 

and ponderosa pine forests from 2,000-8,000 ft (610- 

2440 m); flowers April-June. Notes: Our plants 

belong to var. macrorhiza. This species hybridizes or intergrades freely with O. 

martiniana and O. phaeacantha, producing plants intermediate in characters 

and very difficult to key. Ethnobotany: Fruit was traditionally eaten raw or 

dried and used as thickening agent for soups. Inner stems were boiled and 

fried. Inner stems were used as wound dressings or made into a drink to treat 

diarrhea. Cacti juice has also been shown to reduced blood sugar. Etymology: 

Opuntia from ancient root puncti- for prickled. Synonyms: None 


Cacti

Cacti 

Opuntia phaeacantha 

tulip pricklypear 

General: Prickly-pear cactus; prostrate 

or sprawling, with clumps 0.5-2.5 or even 

6 m wide and 30-90 cm high; joints 10-25 

cm long, 7.5-20 cm wide. Spines: Usually 

covering at least the upper third to quarter 

of the joint; 1-5 or 9 spines per aereole, 3- 

7 cm long; straight or curved, spreading 

or pointed downwards. Flowers: Yellow, 

sometimes with reddish centers; 6-8 cm 

wide, 6-8 cm long. Fruits: Purple or reddish purple; fleshy and smooth; 3-6 

cm long, 2-4 cm wide, with a shallow cup at the top. Ecology: Sandy or rocky 

soils in pinon-juniper woodlands, grasslands, and ponderosa pine forests from 

1,000-7,500 ft (305-2285 m); flowers spring and early summer. Notes: Very 

common in the pinon-juniper woodlands. Hybridizes or intergrades freely with 

O. macrorhiza and O. martiniana, producing plants intermediate in characters 

and very difficult to key. Ethnobotany: Fruit was traditionally eaten raw or 

dried and used as thickening agent for soups. Inner stems were boiled and 

fried. Inner stems were used as wound dressings or made into a drink to treat 

diarrhea. Cacti juice has also been shown to reduced blood sugar. Etymology: 

Opuntia from ancient root puncti- for prickled. Species name from Greek 

roots phaeo- for dark or dusky and cantharo for beetle. Synonyms: None 

Opuntia santa-rita 

Santa Rita pricklypear 

General: Sprawling shrub, violet or 

purple-hued, basal portion of plant often 

takes trunk-like from, with nearly circular 

segments. Spines: Few, if any spines along 

margins of pads, those present are 1 cm or 

less. Flowers: Bright yellow, found along 

upper margins of pads. Fruits: Barrel 

shaped, 3-5 cm long. Ecology: Found on 

sandy or rocky soils in plains or grasslands, 

canyons, oak woodland edges from 3,000-5,000 ft (914-1524 m); flowers April- 

June. Notes: Distinctive purple hue of pads make this a particularly notable 

species. Vulnerable to both drought and to overgrazing. Ethnobotany: Used 

widely as an ornamental plant because of its coloration. Etymology: Opuntia 

is Greek from the name used by Pliny for a different plant that grew around 

the town of Opus, santa-rita is named for the Santa Rita for the location of the 

type-locality. Synonyms: Opuntia chlorotica var. santa-rita, Opuntia violacea 

var. santa-rita 




Forbs 

Forbs are non-grasslike herbaceous plants, neither woody nor persistent, 

that die back at the end of a growing season. Herbaceous plants can be either 

annual (short-lived), perennial (living longer than a single season), or biennial 

(living two years and only flowering in the second), but they will grow into 

trees or shrubs because they lack any kind of persistent woody stem. 

Forbs can take a variety of physical forms. They can be upright, tall, tiny, bushy, 

even vines. Most forbs have a consistent structure of roots and stems, leaves, 

and an inflorescence (flower-bearing part) of flowers and fruits enclosed in an 

ovary. The structures vary widely between families but tend to be similar within 

families. For example, all plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, the Pink family, 

share a common characteristic of swollen nodes with opposite leaves. 

Forbs are part of a larger grouping of plants known as the angiosperms, 

demarcated by the presence of a seed contained within an enclosed ovary. 

Flower types and structure are as diverse, occur in many different colors, and 

all sorts different numbers of petals, seeds, and even leaves. 

121 

Forbs

Forbs 

122



Carlowrightia arizonica 

Arizona wrightwort 

General: Subshrub 15–30 cm, or up to 1 m in the 

protection of a spiny shrub, much branched, 

often leafless. Stems slender and brittle, herbage 

densely pubescent with minute hairs and 

inconspicuous understory of minute glands. 

Leaves: Quickly drought deciduous, sessile 

to petioled, blades mostly lanceolate, entire. 

Flowers: Corollas 1 cm in diameter, pealike, fall 

as unit, white with yellow eye and purple guide 

lines on upper lip, formed by 2 fused petals. 

Fruits: Capsule about 1 cm, glabrous, 4 seeds. Ecology: Found on dry rocky 

slopes from 2,500–4,000 ft (762–1219 m); flowers April–May. Notes: Grazed by 

rabbits and rodents, livestock. There is considerable variation in appearance 

in different seasons or at different stages of growth. Corollas open at sunrise 

and fall by late morning with the heat of the day. Ethnobotany: No uses. 

Etymology: Carlowrightia is named for American botanist Charles (Carlos) 

Wright (1811–1885), and arizonica refers to Arizona. Synonyms: None 

Dicliptera resupinata 

Arizona foldwing 

General: Perennial, ascending to erect herb 

to 80 cm tall, stems branching, glabrous or 

sparingly puberulous about nodes, hairs curved. 

Leaves: Petioles to 2 cm long, blades lanceolate 

to lance–oblong or ovate to 8 cm long, blunt 

tip, narrowed at base, glabrous or nearly so, 

inconspicuously ciliolate. Flowers: Peduncles 

short or elongate, bibracteate at apex, 3–5– 

branched, branches to 3 cm long; involucral 

bracts cordate, deltoid–subcordate, or rarely 

round–obovate to 7 mm long and 8 mm wide, rounded or obtuse at apex, often 

emarginated, sometimes subapiculate, very flat, veiny, glabrous or nearly so; 

corolla purple with darker purple dots about 1.5 cm long, lips obovate. Fruits: 

Capsules about 5 mm long, glabrous, flat. Ecology: Found on dry wooded 

slopes or flats from 3,000–6,000 ft (914–1829 m); flowers September–May. 

Notes: With age the plants are usually leafless and the bracts become papery 

and white. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Resupinata means upside 

down due to twisting of the pedicel. Synonyms: Diapedium resupinatum, D. 

torreyi, Dicliptera pseudoverticillaris, D. torreyi, Justicia resupinata 


Acanthaceae 

Forbs

Acanthaceae 

Forbs 

Elytraria imbricata 

purple scalystem 

General: Acaulescent or leaves crowded at tip 

of a glabrous or sparingly pilose stem to 30 cm 

long. Leaves: Blades ovate to oblong or obovate, 

rarely linear–lanceolate, usually 3–12 cm long, 

1.5–4 cm wide, blunt or acute at apex, narrowed 

at base to a slender winged petiole, both surfaces 

appressed–pilose or glabrate, margins undulate. 

Flowers: Numerous scapes, axillary, usually 

5–24 cm long, simple or branched, covered 

by tightly appressed, ovate to subulate scales; 

spikes 1 to several to 6 cm long, bracts oblong to 

elliptic, 3–6 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, firm, awn– 

tipped and bearing near apex a pair of triangular 

or rhombic hyaline teeth; bractlets 3 mm long, 

calyx segments thin, upper bidentate; corolla narrowly funnelform blue, 5–8 

mm long. Fruits: Glabrous capsule. Ecology: Found on dry rocky slopes, 

banks, or ledges from 3,500–5,000 ft (1067–1524 m); flowers September–May. 

Notes: Widely distributed species, extremely variable in its growth habit. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Imbricata means overlapping, closely 

put together, referring to the calyx lobes. Synonyms: Justicia imbricata 

Ruellia nudiflora 

violet wild petunia 

General: Erect perennial forb from a woody 

caudex, 30–50 cm; sparsely pubescent with 

flexuous trichomes about 2.5 mm long, 

sometimes with dense understory of straight 

trichomes and glands. Leaves: Opposite, 

petiolate, ovate to broadly ovate 10–17 cm long, 

long attenuate to truncate–attentuate at base, 

rounded to subacute at apex, margin undulate– 

crisped, surfaces pubescent. Flowers: Tubular, 

purple, slightly irregular, 3 cm long, in loose, 

open terminal panicles; corolla 30–50 mm long, lobes 10–12 mm long. Fruits: 

Capsule ellipsoid, 12–22 mm long, glandular. Ecology: Found in sandy washes 

and ditches:, in desert scrub and desert grassland from 1,500– 4,500 ft (457– 

1372 m); flowers April–September. Notes: Note the ovate leaves, quite unlike 

the other species in Acanthaceae which are more lanceolate. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Nudiflora means bare flower. Synonyms: None 


©2007 Patrick Alexander ©2008 T. Beth Kinsey

©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2007 Patrick Alexander 

Tetramerium nervosum 

hairy fournwort 

General: Herb to 30 cm high, stems terete, 

branched, brittle, pilosulous or glabrous. 

Leaves: Blades lanceolate to ovate–lanceolate 

1–7 cm long, 0.5–2.5 cm wide, obtuse at apex, 

rounded to cuneate at base, pilose; petioles to 

8 mm long, slender, pilose. Flowers: Borne in 

terminal and lateral spikes to 9 cm long and 

about 8 mm in diameter, rachis glabrous or 

sparingly pilose; bracts lanceolate to ovate– 

lanceolate, 7–15 mm long, about 4 mm wide, 

acute, ending in spine .5 mm long, ciliate, 3–5–nerved, closely imbricate; corolla 

bilabiate 1 cm long, white to deep yellow with occasional purplish markings, 

glabrous, tube slender, lips 5 mm long, entire upper lip, lower 3–lobed, lobes 

elliptic, 3 mm long. Fruits: Capsule 4.5 mm long, pubescent or glabrate. 

Ecology: Found on dry open ground and slopes from 3,000–5,000 ft (914–1524 

m); flowers September–June. Notes: Often found sprawling. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Tetramerium is from tetras, four and meris, part, 

meaning four parts, while nervosum means having distinct veins or nerves. 

Synonyms: Tetramerium hispidum, T. nervosum var. hispidum 

Trianthema portulacastrum 

desert horsepurslane 

General: Annual forb, hot weather ephemeral, 

semisucculent, usually reddish green. Stems 

first ascending then spreading, relatively 

weak and prostrate, often 15–60 cm, glabrous. 

Leaves: Opposite, 3–4.5 cm on robust, young 

plants, older plants usually thicker around 

2 cm, prominent petioles, blades obovate to 

orbicular. Stipules and expanded leaf bases form 

membranous sheath around stem. Flowers: 

Solitary, perianth sessile, enclosed by sheathing 

leaf bases. Calyx lobes petal–like, 2.3–12.5 mm, pink with a green horn, anthers 

pink–violet. Stamens 6–10. Fruits: Several seeded, crested capsule. Ecology: 

Common in disturbed areas, fields with sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils from 

1,00–4,000 ft (305–1219 m); flowers June–October. Notes: Host plant of the beet 

leafhopper. Ethnobotany: Plants are cooked and eaten as greens in summer. 

Etymology: Trianthema is from Greek treis for three and anthemon for flower, 

portulacastrum comes from a combination of Portulaca and astrum meaning 

star to indicate a portulaca–like plant with star shaped flowers. Synonyms: 

None 


Acanthaceae–Aizoaceae 

Forbs

Amaranthaceae 

Forbs 


Alternanthera pungens 

H M L 

khakiweed 

General: Introduced herbaceous perennials with thick, woody, vertical root, 

stems prostrate or procumbent, forming mats. Leaves: Opposite leaves, oval or 

obovate, the pairs unequal, pilose, glabrate. Flowers: On short axillary spikes 

with conspicuous white bracts, 5 perianth segments, pubescent with stiff, 

jointed hairs, minutely barbed at apex. Fruits: Utricles compressed within 

tepals, brown 1.8 mm, apex truncate. Seeds lenticular 1.3–1.5 mm. Ecology: 

Common weed, spreading mat–like from 2,500–5,500 ft (762–1676 m); flowers 

July–September. Notes: Resembles Guilleminea densa but A. pungens has larger 

leaves and flower spikes. Ethnobotany: None regionally, but in Africa where 

this plant is native it is used for a variety 

of internal disorders, including worms 

and other stomach troubles. Etymology: 

Alternanthera is from Latin alternus, 

alternate and anthera, anthers which refers 

to alternating stames and staminodia, while 

pungens means spiny, sharp–pointed. 

Synonyms: Achyranthes leiantha, A. repens, 

Alternanthera achyrantha, A. repens 

Amaranthus palmeri 

carelessweed 

General: Annual forb, 0.2–3 m tall, usually 

erect with a well–developed main axis, highly 

variable depending on soil moisture; glabrous 

or sparsely pubescent but not glandular. Leaves: 

Mostly lanceolate, highly variable in size, the 

lower stem leaves largest and soon deciduous, 

often with petioles 1.5–7.5 cm and blades 3–12 

cm. Flowers: Dioecious, inflorescence terminal, 

indeterminate, long and slender, tips usually 

drooping, and also with short axillary clusters. 

Floral bracts and sepals still and spinescent, 5 

pistillate sepals. Fruits: Cicumscissile, seeds less than 1 mm, obovoid–lenticular, 

red–brown to blackish when fully ripe. Ecology: Widespread weed, grows 

quickly in disturbed areas, abundant in river bottoms and irrigated land 

below 5,500 ft (1676 m); flowers June–October. Notes: Usually top–killed with 

first frost in the fall. Grows quickly and prolifically where present in the seed 

bank. Ethnobotany: Amaranthus spp. all have similar medicinal qualities. Tea 

made from leaves is used to relieve stomach pain. Herb stimulates mucous 

membranes. Leaves mixed with lavender may be steeped in milk for infants that 

are undergoing continuous vomiting. Seed can be ground into meal for food. 

Leaves are highly in vitamins and minerals, excellent as greens or cooked like 

spinach. Etymology: Amaranthus is ancient word for unfading, palmeri is an 

honorific for Edward Palmer (1829–1911) an American explorer and botanical 

collector. Synonyms: None 


©2007 Zoya Akulova 




Atriplex elegans 

wheelscale saltbush 

General: Annual, rarely perennial 5–45 cm tall, stems 

ascending or procumbent to erect, stramineous or whitish, 

simple or much branched at base, obtusely angled in 

age, slender or stout, scurfy to glabrate. Leaves: Many, 

subsessile or shortly petiolate; blade elliptic to spatulate, 

oblanceolate, oblong, or obovate 5–30 mm long by 2–8 

mm wide, base cuneate to attenuate, margin entire or 

irregularly dentate, densely scurfy abaxially, usually green 

and glabrate adaxially. Flowers: Staminate flowers with 3–5 parted perianth; 

pistillate flowers intermixed with staminate in small axillary clusters. Fruits: 

Bracteoles subsessile or short stipulate, orbiculate, strongly compressed, 2–4 m 

and as wide, united except at thin margin, margin dentate, terminal teeth often 

prominent, faces smooth or with appendages; seeds brown, 1–1.5 mm wide. 

Ecology: Found in alluvial soils, ditchbanks, field edges, roadsides, washes, 

generally disturbed soil below 3,500 ft (1067 m); flowers March–August. Notes: 

This species can be distinguished readily when fruiting because of the two bracts 

deeply toothed all around the margins that enclose the seed. Two varieties are 

recognized: var. elegans whose bracteole margin is dentate to incised with teeth 

0.5–1 mm, found from Chihuahuan to the Sonoran; and var. fasiculata with a finely 

toothed bracteole margin, 0.3–0.5 mm, and a strongly samaralike bracteole, found 

from Mohavean to the Sonoran. Ethnobotany: Gila Pima ate as a famine food, or 

rarely boiled the plant with mean. Etymology: Atriplex is the Latin name for the 

plant, while elegans means elegant. Synonyms: None 

Atriplex wrightii 

Wright’s orach 

General: Native, bushy annual with erect to 

ascending stems, sparsely branched 1.5–10 

dm, scurfy when young. Leaves: Sessile or 

short petiolate, blade white abaxially, green 

adaxially, linear to lanceolate, elliptic, or 

oblong, 2.5–6 cm, irregularly toothed margins. 

Flowers: Staminate flowers in glomerules, 

forming dense, naked terminal paniculate 

spikes, panicles 6–30 cm, with small 2–3 mm 

thick, beadlike glomerules. Pistillate flowers 

in axillary clusters. Fruits: Bracteoles, short stipitate, compressed 2–2.5 

mm, basally united. Ecology: Found on alkaline or saline soils, often along 

roadsides and in other disturbed ground from 1,000–4,000 ft (305–1219 m); 

flowers in summer. Notes: One of the few annuals that commonly grows 

through the hot early summer (Felger). Ethnobotany:Unknown, plants of the 

genus have many uses. Etymology: Atriplex is the Latin name for the plant, 

while wrightii is named for Charles Wright (1811–1885), an American botanical 

collector. Synonyms: None 


Amaranthaceae 

Forbs

Amaranthaceae 

Forbs 

Chenopodium berlandieri 

pitseed goosefoot 

General: Stems erect to ascending, much–branched 

to simple, 1–10.5 dm, farinose. Leaves: Nonaromatic; 

petiole 0.2–9 cm; blade narrowly to broadly 

lanceolate, rhombic, ovate, or triangular, 1.2–12 cm 

long by .5–7.5 cm long, base cuneate to truncate, 

margins serrate, irregularly dentate, or entire, often 

with 2 basal lobes, apex acute to acuminate, farinose. 

Flowers: Glomerules in compound spikes, 5–17 cm; 

glomerules irregularly rounded, 4–7 mm diameter; 

bracts absent; perianth segments 5, distinct nearly to 

base, lobes ovate to deltate 0.7–1.5 mm by 0.7–1.3 mm, 

apex obtuse, farinose, often prominently keeled, covering fruit at maturity, 

stamens 5, stigmas 2. Fruits: Achenes or utricles, depressed–ovoid; pericarp 

adherent or nonadherent near base of style, alveolate–rugose; round seeds 

1–2 mm diameter; brown to black. Ecology: Widespread, often in disturbed 

habitats below 8,000 ft (2438 m). Notes: Ethnobotany: Edible leaves, many 

other uses for species in this genera. Etymology: Chenopodium is goose foot 

in Latin, berlandieri is named after Jean Louis Berlandier (1805–1851) a Belgian 

botanist. Synonyms: None 

Chenopodium incanum 

mealy goosefoot 

General: Stems erect to spreading, branched 

profusely from base, 6–75 cm, farinose. Leaves: 

Petiole 0.5–1 cm, blade broadly triangular to 

broadly ovate, distal leaves narrowly triangular 

to narrowly ovate, 1–1.5 cm by 0.5–1.6 cm, thin 

or thick, base cuneate to subtruncate, margins 

usually with two basal teeth or lobes, acute 

to acuminate, obtuse or rounded, farinose 

abaxially. Flowers: Perianth segments 5, distinct 

nearly to base, lobes ovate, 0.8–1.1 mm by 0.7–1 

mm, apex acute to obtuse, keeled or not, smooth, completely covering fruit at 

maturity, 5 stamens, 2 stigmas. Fruits: Ovoid utricles, nonadherent pericarp, 

smooth, round seeds, 0.9–1.25 mm diameter, rounded margins with narrow 

rim, dark black and wrinkled. Ecology: Found on sandy soils, disturbed, 

and waste areas from 1,500–8,000 ft (457–2438 m); flowers May–September. 

Notes: Uncertain if this species is at Tumacacori, single specimen collected 

in 1951 along road near park. Ethnobotany: Stem used ceremonially, seeds 

ground and eaten, young shoots boiled, as were leaves all eaten as greens. 

Etymology: Chenopodium is goose foot in Latin, incanum means grayish or 

hoary. Synonyms: None 


©2003 Keir Morse 

© Al Schneider, 

www.swcoloradowildflowers.com

©2011 Max Licher 

©2011 SEINet 

Chenopodium pratericola 

desert goosefoot 

General: Strictly erect stems, simple or 

branching above, 20–80 cm tall, moderately 

to densely farinose. Leaves: Petiole 0.4–1 

cm, blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, or 

oblong–elliptic, 3–veined, 1.5–4.2 cm by 0.4–1 

cm, thick and somewhat fleshy, cuneate base, 

margins entire or with pair of lobes near 

base, apex acute, abaxial surface densely to 

sparingly white–mealy. Flowers: Glomerules 

in terminal and axillary panicles, 1–13 cm by 

0.15–0.5 cm; densely disposed, maturing irregularly, bracts leaflike; perianth 

segments 5, distinct nearly to base, lobes oblong–ovate, 0.8–1 mm by 0.5–0.7 

mm, apex obtuse, rounded or emarginated, strongly keeled along midvein, 

densely farinose, usually spreading from fruit; stamens 5, stigmas 2. Fruits: 

Ovoid utricles, pericarp nonadherent, smooth; round seeds, black, 0.9–1.3 

mm diameter, rounded margins. Ecology: Open sandy soils, often in saline or 

alkaline places from sea level to 8,000 ft (2438 m); flowers May–September. 

Notes: Ethnobotany: Leaves boiled and eaten by the Gila Pima. Etymology: 

Chenopodium means goose foot, pratericola is from Latin partum, a meadow, 

meaning it dwells in meadows. Synonyms: Chenopodium albescens, C. 

desiccatum var. leptophylloides, C. pratericola ssp. eupratericola, C. pratericola 

var. leptophylloides 

Chenopodium rubrum 

red goosefoot 

General: Annual, 20–60 cm tall; erect, glabrous. 

Leaves: Leaves triangular to rhombic, cuneate 

base, dentate margins or entire; glabrous; 

toothed, 15–90 mm. Flowers: Axillary spike, 

flowers inconspicuous, generally 3 sepals, 

glabrous to sparsely powdery, calyx green 

in fruit. Fruits: Utricle (0.5–1 mm). Ecology: 

Found in open, saline places, drying mudflats 

old fields below 3,500 ft (1067 m); flowers June– 

September. Notes: Difficult to distinguish from 

C. capitatum which has a bright red calyx in fruit; cannot be distinguished from 

the introduced C. murale. Low drought, no fire tolerance. Low browse and 

graze potential. Ethnobotany: Seeds are staple in Gosiute diet. Etymology: 

Chenopodium means goose foot. Rubrum means red. Synonyms: None 


Amaranthaceae 

Forbs

Amaranthaceae 

Forbs 

Gomphrena sonorae 

Sonoran globe amaranth 

General: Annual or short–lived perennial 

with erect, sparingly branched, sparsely 

villous to glabrate stems with conspicuously 

swollen nodes. Leaves: Short–petiolate 

or upper sessile, narrowly elliptic, oblong, 

or oblanceolate, 3–21 mm wide, 2–9 cm 

long, acute to acuminate at apex, gradually 

attenuate at base, entire, green, sparsely 

villous when young, often glabrate with 

age. Flowers: Solitary or in few–headed glomerules and the end of branches 

and sessile in some axils, subglobose to short–cylindric, about 10–12 mm in 

diameter; ovate bracts, short–acuminate, 2.5–4 mm long, scarious, white or 

bright stramineous, bractlets ovate–acuminate, 5–6 mm long, carinate but not 

cristate, white or tinged with red, perianth lobes lanceolate–acuminate, almost 

equals bractlets, densely woolly below. Fruits: Utricle ovoid, 1.5–2 mm long, 

membranous, reddish brown seed, obovoid–lenticular, 1.5 mm long. Ecology: 

Found on stony hills and plains, occasionally on grassy slopes, from 3,000– 

5,500 ft (914–1676 m); flowers August–March. Notes: Gomphrena is identifiable 

by the globose heads which are consipuously subtended by cream to pale 

orange, scarious bracts. Ethnobotany: None Etymology: Sonorae means of 

or from Sonora, Mexico. Synonyms: None 

Guilleminea densa 

small matweed 

General: Prostrate mat–forming 

perennial herb with densely lanate stems, 

much branched 3–30 cm from woody root. 

Leaves: Basal leaves short lived, other 

leaves opposite, oblanceolate to elliptic, 

blades 4–9 mm wide, 1–2.5 cm long, 

petioles about equaling blades, woolly 

pubescent underneath, asymmetric, 

3–15 mm long, 2–10 mm wide, abruptly 

narrowed at base, acute or rounded 

at apex. Flowers: In dense axillary 

glomerules, bracts ovate–acute, white, scarious, glabrous, 1–1.5 mm long; calyx 

2–2.5 mm long, lobes lance–ovate, actue, glabrous, white–scarious. Fruits: 

Glabrous utricle, compressed–ovate, about equaling perianth tube, seeds 

ovoid–lentiular, .5 mm long, brown, lustrous. Ecology: Found on dry soil, from 

2,500–6,000 ft (762–1829 m); flowers May–October. Notes: Flora of North 

America rejects calling this species var. densa but this it is considered to be the 

most widespread species in our region by most taxonomists. Ethnobotany: 

None Etymology: Guilleminea is named for Jean Baptiste Antoine Guillemin 

(1796–1842) a French botanist and author, densa simply means compact or 

dense. Synonyms: Brayulinea densa, Illecebrum densum 




©2006 Louis–M. Landry H M L 


Salsola kali 

Russian thistle 

General: Annual 5–50 cm tall, papillose to hispid, occasionally glabrous, stems 

erect to ascending, branched from base, arcuate, occasionally prostrate. Leaves: 

Alternate, blade linear, mostly 1–2 mm wide, fleshy, apex acuminate into firm 1–1.5 

mm spine. Flowers: Interrupted inflorescence at maturity, usually 1–flower per axil 

of bract, bracts alternate, not imbricate at maturity, reflexed, not distinctly swolled 

at base, apex narrowing into subulate spine; bracteoles free or becoming connate 

and adnate to perianth base; perianth segments with comparatively narrow wing 

or in lower flowers occasionally wingless. Fruits: Fruiting perianth 4–6 mm 

diameter. Ecology: Found widespread in disturbed areas. Notes: Widespread 

agricultural weed, told apart from S. tragus, 

by the reddish, longitudinal striations in S. 

tragus. Ethnobotany: Used medicinally 

against bee stings, smallpox, and for 

influenza; the seeds were roasted and eaten 

as were the young sprouts. Etymology: 

Salsola is from Latin salsus, for salty, and 

kali which is thought to be a derivation of 

alkali. Synonyms: None 


Amaranthaceae 

Forbs

Amaranthaceae–Amaryllidaceae 

Forbs 

Tidestromia lanuginosa 

woolly tidestromia 

General: Procumbent, ascending, or 

prostrate but much branched annual, 

yellowish green to gray–green or reddish, to 

50 cm, densely rough pubescent to glabrate 

with age. Leaves: Opposite on petiole 2.5 cm 

long, ovate–orbicular to lanceolate 1–3 cm 

each direction, densely pubescent. Flowers: 

Minute and perfect in axillary glomerules, the 

perianth yellow 1.5–3 mm long, the segments 

oblong, acute to obtuse, 5 stamens, filaments 

united at base, glabrous or villous perianth segments, with globose ovary, 

stigma capitate or 2 lobed. Fruits: Utricle subglobose, glabrous, indehiscent, 

brown globose seeds. Ecology: Found on dry plains, hillsides, and often on 

disturbed soils below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers August–October. Notes: Two 

species are found in the area, generally T. languinosa is a slightly more common 

higher elevation species, while T. oblongifolia is found in more true desert. 

Generally, this species as an annual is clearly distinguishable from the others 

in the genus. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Tidestromia is named for 

the American botanist Ivar (Frederick) Tidestrom (1864–1956) who wrote the 

Flora of Arizona and New Mexico, while lanuginosa means woolly or downy. 

Synonyms: Achyranthes lanuginosa, Alternanthera lanuginosa, Cladothrix 

lanuginosa, Tidestromia lanuginosa ssp. eliassoniana 

Nothoscordum bivalve 

crowpoison 

General: Perennial scapose herb with a globose 

to subglobose bulb, to 1–1.5 cm with brown 

membranous coats. Leaves: Narrowly linear, 

1–4 mm wide, acute to obtuse at apex, equaling 

scape or shorter. Flowers: The scape is solitary 

and terete, 20–40 cm tall by less than 3 mm 

wide, the sheaths envelop the neck of the bulb, 

topped by 6–12 flowered asymmetrical umbel, 

the unfragrant flowers white 10–12 mm long, the 

outer ones with a red or purplish red midvein, elliptic, the apex acute.Fruits: 

Capsule subglobose or obovoid, 6–8 mm long and wide, obtusely 3–lobed. 

Ecology: Found in sandy soil and open sites from 2,500–8,000 ft (762–2438 m), 

flowers April–May. Notes: FNA folds the former N. texanum under one single 

taxonomic entity as done here. Notably there is no onion–like smell. Nearly 

identical to higher elevation Allium species minus the tell–tale onion smell. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown, but probably eaten. Etymology: Nothoscordum is 

from Greek nothos for false and scordum for garlic, while bivalve means two 

sides. Synonyms: Nothoscordum texanum 






Bowlesia incana 

hoary bowlesia 

General: Delicate winter–spring annual 

with stellate hairs throughout; stems 

weak 4–45 cm, slender, prostrate and 

dichotomously branching. Leaves: Simple, 

petioled, wider than long, 10–23 mm wide 

with 5 or 7 broad lobes, entire to dentate. 

Flowers: Borne in simple umbels, sepals 

and petals scalelike 0.5 mm, peduncles 2–6 

flowered, shorter than petioles, sometimes 

vestigal, inconspicuous corolla greenish white with prominent calyx teeth. 

Fruits: Sessile or nearly so, ovate, 1–1.5 mm, stellate–pubescent, turgid. Ecology: 

Found under bushes and canopies from 100–3,500 ft (30–1067 m); flowers 

January–June. Notes: Distinguished by habit, basal and opposite leaves, and its 

tendency to form extensive mat; whole plant is covered in downy, star–shaped 

hairs. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Bowlesia is named for William 

Bowles (1705–1780) an Irish naturalist, while incana means grayish or hoary. 

Synonyms: Bowlesia septentrionalis 

H M L 


Conium maculatum 

poison hemlock 

General: Tall, hairless biennial herb; 0.5–3 m tall; stems streaked or spotted 

with purple blotches; large taproot; pungent odor. Introduced from Eurasia. 

Leaves: Leaves pinnately compound, finely divided, and sometimes toothed. 

Flowers: Loose inflorescence of umbels; flowers white. Fruits: Seeds ribbed 

(crenulate), about 2 mm long. Ecology: Widely distributed in moist disturbed 

areas, streams, and canyons from 5,000–7,500 ft (1525–2285 m) and lower; 

flowers June–September. Notes: The purple streaked/spotted stems and habitat 

of moist areas leads to poison hemlock. Also look for the finely dissected 

leaflets and loose axillary and terminal 

umbels. Host for Black Swallowtail butterfly. 

No effective biological control techniques are 

known, but mechanical removal (hand pulling, 

grubbing, or mowing) is effective if done prior 

to flowering. Ethnobotany: All parts of this 

plant are highly toxic. Notorious from ancient 

times as the poison that Socrates drank. 

Differentiated from many other members 

of Apiaceae by the purple–spotted stems. 

Etymology: Name from “koneion,” ancient 

Greek name for this species. Maculatum refers 

to spotted, referring to purple splotches on the 

stems of leaves or on petals. Synonyms: None 


Apiaceae 

Forbs

Apiaceae 

Forbs 

Daucus pusillus 


Cyclospermum leptophyllum 

H M L 

marsh parsley, slender celery 

General: Exotic annual, erect to spreading stems 30 cm, rather coarse, 

grooved. Leaves: Pinnately 3 or 4 times divided into linear–filiform segments, 

3–8 cm. Flowers: Petals 0.3–0.4 mm, white, often fading pink. Fruits: Broadly 

ellipsoid to globose, 1.5–2 mm, mericarps each with 5 prominent narrow ribs. 

Ecology: Widespread weed, thrives in lawns, 

where it becomes knotty or spreading. Notes: 

Very widespread weed, thought to be from 

Brazil. Ethnobotany: Some in this genus 

(and old genus Apium) used for flavoring, for 

tuberculosis, and as potherb. Etymology: 

Cyclospermum from Greek kyklos, circle or 

ring and sperma, seed, referring to the shape 

of the fruit and seeds. Synonyms: Apium 

leptophyllum, A. tenuifolium, Cyclospermum 

ammi 

American wild carrot 

General: Winter–spring ephemeral with stiff 

white hairs sometimes papilla–based on stems 

and inflorescence branches, the stems slender, 

7–50 cm. Leaves: Highly dissected into small, 

narrow segments. Flowers: Densely flowered 

umbels, on stout peduncles 3.5–2.7 cm, the bracts 

leafy. Sepals absent, petals 0.6 mm, pale yellow. 

Fruits: Burlike, body dark colored, 3 mm, 

intricately sculptured with yellow barb–tipped 

spines. Ecology: Common in disturbed habitats 

from 5,000 ft (1524 m) and lower; flowers spring. Notes: Its cultivated relative 

D. carota ssp. sativa is similar and much larger. Ethnobotany: Decoction 

of plant taken to clean the blood, as a remedy for colds, itching, fevers, and 

snakebite. Roots were gathered and eaten both raw and steamed. Etymology: 

Daucus is a Greek name, while pusillus means weak, small, or insignificant. 







Spermolepis echinata 

bristly scaleseed 

General: Taprooted annual, low spreading 

5–40 cm. Leaves: Leaves ternately 

decompuond, ovate with petiole 3–20 mm, 

blade 7–25 mm wide, segments 2–18 mm, 

thread–like. Flowers: White, on peduncle 

1–5 cm, few bractlets, thread–like to linear, 

entire or toothed; rays 5–14, 1–15 mm generally 

ascending, very unequal, pedicels generally 

less than 7 mm. Fruits: Widely ovate 1.5–2 

mm wide, prominent ribs, short bristles. 

Ecology: Found on rocky slopes and sandy flats from 1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 

m); flowers February–May. Notes: Mature fruit is critical for identification. 

Ethnobotany: None Etymology: Spermolepis is from Greek sperma, seed 

and lepis, scale, for scale seeded, while echinata means covered with prickles 

like a hedgehog. Synonyms: Apium echinatum 

Funastrum cynanchoides var. hartwegii 

Hartweg’s twinevine 

General: Stems numerous, from woody root, 

slender, herbaceous above, 1–3 m long or 

more, somewhat glaucescent. Leaves: Linear 

to lanceolate, sometimes auriculate–lobed or 

even cordate–hastate at base, 1–5 mm wide, 

2.5–6 cm long, short–petiolate, glabrous to 

puberulent. Flowers: Peduncles slender, 1–5 cm 

long, few to many flowered, pedicels 5–12 mm 

long, sparsely puberulent with spreading hairs; 

calyx lobes ovate, 1–1.5 mm long, puberulent, 

corollas purplish, 8–10 mm broad, lobes acute to slightly acuminate, sparsely 

puberulent to subglabrous without, ciliate on margins, glabrous within, corona 

ring rectanguloid, widest below middle, 0.5–0.8 mm high, free from vesicles. 

Fruits: Follicles slender 6–9 mm in diameter, attenuate at each end, 7–11 cm 

long. Ecology: Found along arroyos and in arid valleys below 5,500 ft (1676 m); 

flowers February–September. Notes: Leaves can be diagnostic for this species, 

as can its drier habitat. Ethnobotany: Plant was eaten raw, the sap secretions 

were heated over coals and eaten like gum by the Papago. Etymology: 

Funastrum is from funis, a rope, cord, or sheet and astrum, incomplete 

resemblance, while cynanchoides refers to being like the genus Cynanchum. 

Synonyms: Funastrum cynanchoides ssp. heterophyllum, F. heterophyllum, F. 

lineare, Philibertia heterophylla, Sarcostemma cynanchoides ssp. hartwegii, S. 

cynanchoides var. hartwegii 


Apiaceae – Apocynaceae 

Forbs

Aristolochiaceae 

Forbs 

Aristolochia watsonii 

Watson’s dutchman’s pipe, Indian piperoot, 

birthwort 

General: Perennial from a single, thickened, 

carrot–shaped rook, dying back to root in 

drought or with freeze. Stems slender, training, 

herbaceous, often less than 30 cm or vining 

to 1–1.5 m in shaded, moist habitats. Leaves: 

Alternate, larger leaves 3.5–12 cm, blades 

narrowly triangular–hastate, with lower leaves 

often broadly triangular to triangular–hastate 

under favorable conditions, lobes as long as 

or longer than the petioles. Flowers: Solitary in leaf axils, calyx tube slightly 

inflated surrounding style and stamens, just above ovary, narrowed at the 

throat, curved, deciduous, limb somewhat tooth–shaped (1–lobed), yellow– 

green with brown–purple spots mostly along 5 prominent veins, margin and 

tip dark maroon. Fruits: Capsule, ovoid, 1.6–2.5 m, with narrow ridge or 

wing along the midrib of each of 5 valves; seeds flattened, blackish. Ecology: 

Widespread in gravelly soils, along rocks in drier areas from 2,000–4,500 

ft (610–1372 m); flowers July–September. Notes: Easily identifiable by its 

maroon leaves with prominent central vein of light green and its triangular– 

hastate shape. Ethnobotany: Used as a snakebite remedy, as a decoction it 

was medicinal for fever, and as a toxin for the removal of afterbirth (hence 

name birthwort). Etymology: Aristolochia is from Greek, aristos, the best, 

most excellent and locheia or lochia, childbirth, hence name birthwort and 

watsonii for Sereno Watson (1826–1892) an assistant to Asa Gray. Synonyms: 

Aristolochia porphyrophylla 




Hydrocotle verticillata 

whorled marshpennywort, 

water pennywort 

General: Glabrous perennial, 

floating or creeping stem or 

rootstock. Leaves: Round, 

peltate on petioles 3–10 cm, 

blades 18–35 mm wide, shallowly 

lobed. Flowers: Sessile to short 

stalked, axillary; greenish white, 

petals 0.5–0.8 mm. Fruits: 

©Erica Asai @ USDA–NRCS Plants DB 

Ribbed 2 mm wide, 1.5 mm high, 

ovoid to ellipsoid. Ecology: Aquatic or wet ground, widespread; flowers May– 

August. Ethnobotany: Other species in this genus used for shortness of breath 

and cough, while some species used for greens. Etymology: Hydrocotyle 

is from Greek hydor, water and kotyle, a small cup, while verticillata means 

whorled. Synonyms: None 

Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum 

bluedicks 

General: Perennial herb with large 

underground deep–seated corm (bulb), 

scape 20–80 cm tall. Leaves: Slender 2–4 

mostly shorter than scape, 2–15 mm wide, 

scaberulous margins. Flowers: Bracts 8–15 

mm long, broadly ovate, abruptly acuminate; 

slender pedicels 2–10 mm long, perianth 

deep violet–purple, rarely reddish purple 

or white, 12–18 mm long, thin tube 4–8 mm 

long, constricted at throat. Umbels are open with 2–12 flowers. Fruits: Capsule 

6–10 mm long with persistent style. Ecology: Found on dry open ridges and 

grassy plains, especially on heavier textured soils such as clays and heavy loams 

below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February–May. Notes: Obvious plant in 

spring with its violet–colored flowers. Ethnobotany: Corms were eaten raw or 

cooked and eaten. Etymology: Dichelostemma comes from Greek dicha, bifid, 

and stemma, a garland or crown, refers to appendages on the stamens, while 

capitatum refers to the way the flowers form in a head–like cluster. Synonyms: 

Brodiaea capitata, B. pulchella, Dichelostemma lacuna–vernalis, D. pulchellum, 

D. pulchellum var. capitatum, Hookera pulchella 


Araliaceae–Asparagaceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Acourtia nana 

dwarf desertpeony 

General: Low perennial herb 5–30 cm tall from a 

woody, platform–like rootstock 1–5 cm below soil, 

densely covered with a thick brownish tomentum 

and bearing several to many tough woody roots 

1–2 mm in diameter on lower side; stems erect or 

ascending, simple or moderately branched, finely 

scabrous with simple and gland–tipped hairs. 

Leaves: Sessile or short–petioled, leathery, pale 

green, obovate–suborbicular or suborbicular, 2–5 

cm long and nearly or quite as wide, coarsely and unequally spinulose–dentate, 

scaberulous, veins conspicuous on both surfaces. Flowers: Solitary heads at 

ends of branches on stoutish peduncles 4–10 mm long or subsessile, campanulate 

involucre about 1.5 cm high, 9–12 mm high; broadly ovate bracts and abruptly 

attenuate to lance–linear and acute to apiculate in 4–5 series, inner ones narrow, 

often purplish, slightly scarious margins and lanate–ciliate below, fragrant pale 

pink flowers 10–14 mm long, glabrous. Fruits: Linear achene 5–6 mm long, 

strongly ribbed, pappus of numerous slender silky hairs 10–15 mm long, silvery 

white to tawny. Ecology: Found on mesas, arid plains, and slopes, usually under 

shrubs below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers March–June. Notes: Simple, grayish green 

leaves clasp the stems, are leathery and holly–like with rippled, spiny–toothed 

margins. Ethnobotany: Cottonlike material at root base place on a newborn’s 

umbilicus. Etymology: Acourtia is named for Mary Elizabeth Catherine Gibbes 

A’Court (1792–1878), nana is from Greek nannos, dwarf. Synonyms: Perezia nana 

Agoseris heterophylla 

annual agoseris 

General: Annual from slender taproot. Leaves: 

Oblong, spatulate or linear, entire, denticulate or 

sinuate–pinnatifid, 0.2–3 cm wide, 5–15 cm long, 

sparsely villous or glabrous, lobes on pinnatifid 

blades ovate to oblong, spreading or ascending, 

nearly as wide as long. Flowers: Slender scapes 

5–40 cm tall, often several from single root, 

glabrous or very sparsely villous, involucres 10–18 

mm high, often nearly as broad, bracts lance– 

acuminate, inner ones glabrous and hyaline– 

margined, outer ones shorter and arachnoid– 

villous to glabrate; inconspicuous ligules, barely 

surpassing involucres and withering early; yellow 

corolla. Fruits: Fusiform achenes, body smooth or longitundinally 10–ribbed, 

3–4 mm long, glabrous to villosulous, slender beak 5–8 mm long; pappus bristles 

white, 5 mm long. Ecology: Found on grassy hillsides and openings in brush from 

2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 m); flowers March–May. Notes: Overlaps with A. glauca 

in the transition zones in our region. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, 

other species in this genera have medicinal and edible uses. Etymology: Agoseris 

is from Greek name for goat chicory, heterophylla means the leaves are different 

on the same plant. Synonyms: None 


2009 NPS/Beth Fallon ©2004 Steve Matson



Ambrosia artemisiifolia 

annual ragweed 

General: Annual herb that is variously 

pubescent; mostly branching above but 

sometimes below; 10–100 cm tall. Leaves: Leaves 

all cauline; opposite below but alternate above, 

once or twice pinnatifid, 3–10 cm long, middle 

and lower leaves petiolate. Flowers: Staminate 

heads nodding in terminal racemes, 3–5 mm 

wide; involucre 2–3 mm high, only scarcely lobed 

and with coarse hairs, no thickened dark stripes; 

lobes on staminate corolla notably dark–lined on margins. Pistillate heads in 

sessile clusters, involucres 1–flowered, 3–5 mm long, with one whorl of spines 

that are about 1 mm long. Fruits: Burs globose to pyriform, 2–3 mm, 3–5 spines. 

Ecology: Weed on roadsides, old fields, or other waste places; but not common; 

5,000–8,000 ft (1524–2438 m); flowers August–September. Notes: Probably a 

native to eastern U.S. and similar in appearance to A. acanthicarpa, but with 

generally more dissected leaves. Host plant for Bordered Patch butterfly. 

Ethnobotany: Various non–regional tribes use this plant. Etymology: 

Ambrosia is Greek for food of the gods, artimisiifolia means having leaves that 

resemble Artemisia. Synonyms: None 

Ambrosia confertiflora 

weakleaf burr ragweed 

General: Herbaceous perennial from a hard, 

knotty base, with stout, deeply buried, woody 

taproots, stems often 40–75 cm, erect, and leafy 

with white, mostly appressed hairs. Leaves: 

Green, often 6–17 cm, 2 or 3 times pinnately 

divided. Flowers: Heads small, numerous, 

in terminal panicles; corollas pale yellow, 

puberulent; pistillate heads disposed singly 

or in small clusters near base of racemes, 1–2 

flowered. Fruits: Burs 3–4 mm with small, terete, hooked spines. Ecology: 

Found on hillsides, slopes, mesas, and sometimes a weed in fields and along 

roadsides from 1,000–6,500 ft (305–1981 m); flowers March–October. Notes: 

Pinnately divided leaves are one diagnostic for this species. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown for this species, other species in this genera have many uses. 

Etymology: Ambrosia is Greek for food of the gods, while confertiflora means 

crowded flowers. Synonyms: Franseria confertiflora, F. strigulosa, Gaertneria 

tenuifolia 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Ambrosia cordifolia 

Tucson burr ragweed 

General: Shrubby perennial with several 

slender ascending branches from a 

woody base; minutely but densely white– 

tomentose branches when young, growing 

to sparingly floccose or gabrate, striate; 

silvery in appearance. Leaves: On slender 

petioles, nearly or quite equaling blades, 

ovate–cordate in outline 1–5 cm broad, 

1.5–6.5 cm long, moderately 3–7 lobed and 

coarsely dentate, densely cinereous–tomentulose beneath, deep green and 

often scaberulous above. Flowers: Heads in terminal racemes to 15 cm long, 

saucer–shaped staminate involucres 4–5 mm in diameter, densely puberulent 

in youth, later subglabrate, lobes broader than long; staminate corollas finely 

puberulent on brownish lobes; pistillate heads solitary or in small clusters at 

base of raceme, sessile or on short axillary branches to 2.5 cm long, 2–flowered. 

Fruits: Bur–like ellipsoidal, 6–8 mm long, densely glandular–puberulent, 

conical beaks, united below, somewhat hooked. Ecology: Found in canyons, 

arroyos, and on rocky slopes from 1,500–3,500 ft (457–1067 m); flowers 

January–April. Notes: The leaves of this plant help identify it: heart–shaped, 

bluntly toothed and lobed, with silvery veins. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this 

species, but many other uses for species in this genus. Etymology: Ambrosia is 

Greek for food of the gods, cordifolia means heart–shaped leaves. Synonyms: 

Franseria cordifolia 



©2003 Michelle Cloud Hughes 


Ambrosia psilostachya 

Cuman ragweed 

General: Colonial perennial herb arising from 

deep, creeping rhizomes; rough–pubescent; 

20–100 cm tall. Leaves: Leaves all cauline, 

opposite below but alternate above, thick and 

firm, pinnatifid with broad midstripe; 2–15 cm 

long, 1–8 cm wide. Flowers: Staminate heads 

nodding and numerous, involucre 2–3 mm high, 

moderately hispidulous, only shallowly lobed. 

Pistillate involucres 1–flowered, 4–6 mm long, 

with one set of short tubercles (or tubercles 

obsolete). Fruits: Burs obpyramidal to globose, 2–3 mm, hirsutulous, spines 1–6. 

Ecology: Disturbed places and streamsides from 4,000–7,000 ft (1300–2100 m); 

flowers July–October. Notes: The leaves generally appear narrower, firmer, less 

dissected and less petiolate than A. artemisiifolia. Species may have moderate 

forage value, seed is eaten by upland game birds, and plant is used in habitat of 

small mammal communities. Also used as nesting material and habitat by small 

mammals and non–game birds. Although species is an invader it is native and 

may be used in prairie restoration. Post–fire regeneration strategy is mostly from 

rhizomes. Ethnobotany: Cheyenne used leaves and stems to remedy painful 

digestion, as a laxative, for labor pain and as a cold treatment. Keres, Kiowa and 

Deguena tribes used stem and leaf tonic for dandruff. Plant also rolled with sage 

in Kiowa sweatlodge. Etymology: Species name from ancient word psilo for 

smooth or bare and stachy for spike–like. Ambrosia is the word depicting food 

of ancient Greek gods. Synonyms: None 

Ambrosia trifida 

great ragweed 

General: Large annual, 2–3 meters tall; stem 

sometimes glabrous below. Leaves: Leaves 

always opposite, petiolate, up to 20 cm long, 

serrate, and palmately 3–5 lobed (small leaves 

sometimes not lobed). Flowers: Staminate 

heads nodding, involucre shallowly or 

obscurely lobed with 3 dark strips extending 

from the center to the margin. Pistillate 

involucres 5–10 mm long, several ribbed with 

each rib ending in short spine, the spines form 

a cycle around the stout, cone–shaped beak. 

Fruits: Burs pyramidal 3–5 mm, glabrous or 

glabrate, spines 4–5. Ecology: Weed in waste 

places, usually in moist soil but not particularly 

common; ranges from 2,500–8,000 ft (760–2400 

m); flowers July–October. Notes: Distinguished 

from other ragweeds by its palmately lobed leaves. Ethnobotany: Numerous 

non–regional tribes have uses. Etymology: Ambrosia is Greek for food of the 

gods, while trifida means cleft into three parts. Synonyms: A. aptera 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Artemisia ludoviciana 

white sagebrush, wormwood 

General: Perennial herbs arising from rhizomes; 

stems 20–100 cm tall; glabrous to tomentose. 

Leaves: Mostly cauline, entire to lobed to 

pinnately divided (mostly at tip), white tomentose 

on lower surface, green glabrous to tomentose 

on upper surface, 0.8–9 cm long, 0.1–2 cm wide. 

Flowers: Paniculate to spicate; heads numerous, 

small, sessile to short pedunculate, somewhat 

pendulous; involucres 2.5–4.5 mm long, 3–7 

mm wide, the bracts glabrous to tomentose, 

with broad scarious margins; corolla with disk 

flowers only, marginal. Fruits: Achenes glabrous Ecology: Found on exposed 

slopes, hillsides, rocky slopes, and flat plaints from 2,500–8,500 ft (760–2590 

m); flowers August–November. Notes: Easily confused with A. carruthii 

but leaves are larger with wider, more robust lobes (vs. smaller leaves with 

thin linear lobes in A. carruthii). These two species may hybridize. Used in 

sweathouses. Five subspecies are found in AZ: ssp albula, ssp. ludoviciana, ssp. 

mexicana, ssp. redolens (rare) and ssp. sulcata. Ethnobotany: Branches used 

in sweathouses. Often found in moist waterways but can be found in many 

zones in Arizona. Widely distributed and used throughout the Intermountain 

west as a medicinal bitter, purifying and cleansing plant, and in making towels. 

Etymology: Named after queen Artemisia of Caria, Asia Minor. Ludoviciana 

means of or from Louisiana. Synonyms: None 


2011 NPS?Steve Buckley


Baileya multiradiata 

desert marigold 

General: Annual or short lived perennial 

with floccose stems and leaves, stems 

branch at base, decumbent to ascending, 

20–40 cm tall, leafy on lower portion only. 

Leaves: Basal, 3–5 cm long, spatulate, 3– 

lobed and crenate early in season, later 

ones deeply 3–cleft and lobed, all densely 

white–floccose; upper cauline leaves linear 

to spatulate, entire, 2–4 cm long. Flowers: 

Peduncles 10–30 cm long, involucres 7–8 mm high, 10–15 mm broad, lanate; one 

head per stem; phyllaries 5.5–6.5 mm, linear–lanceolate 20–35; flower heads 

3.5–5.3 cm wide including rays; rays many, bright yellow, 15–20 mm by 5–8 mm, 

the apex conspicuously 3–toothed, style branches truncate to slightly rounded 

at tips. Fruits: Achenes cylindrical–truncate, 3–4 mm long, evenly striate. 

Ecology: Found on arid plains, arroyos, outwash slopes, sandy plains and 

roadsides below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers March–October. Notes: Not always 

readily distinguishable from B. pleniradiata, but when sampled in the correct 

time of year the shape of the style is diagnostic. Ethnobotany: Rubbed under 

the arms as a deodorant, or mixed with clay and used in making adobes and 

in plaster. Etymology: Baileya is named for Jacob Whitman Bailey (1811–1857) 

an early American microscopist, multiradiata comes from the Latin for multi– 

radiata. Synonyms: Baileya multiradiata var. thurberi 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Bidens laevis 

smooth beggartick 

General: Annual or perennial herb, up to 

100 cm tall, glabrous. Leaves: Leaves sessile, 

lanceolate to elliptic, up to 20 cm long, glabrous, 

and coarsely serrate. Flowers: Heads erect at 

anthesis, not so consistently nodding in fruit 

as B. cernua; rays yellow and showy, 1.5–3 cm 

long; disk corollas yellow; outer phyllaries 5–9, 

green, oblong and ciliate, up to 25 mm long; 

inner phyllaries ovate to 10 mm long, brownish 

with hyaline margins; receptacular bracts often 

reddish at tip. Fruits: Achenes 6–9 mm long, brown or purplish–brown with 

2–4 retorsely barbed awns. Ecology: Low, wet places or in shallow water from 

4,000–9,000 ft (1220–2740 m) ; flowers July–October. Notes: The ray flowers 

are larger and more showy than in B. cernua, and the inflorescence is not so 

consistently nodding in fruit. Very similar to B. cernua, except this species has 

showier rays that are 1.5–3 cm long. Ethnobotany: Used by Paiute for food. 

Etymology: Bidens is derived from the Latin bis, twice and dens, tooth, hence 

meaning 2–toothed. Synonyms: B. elegans, B. nashii, Helianthus laevis 

Bidens leptocephala 

fewflower beggarticks 

General: Herbaceous annual with moderately 

branched, quadrangular, striate, slender stems 

10–50 cm tall. Leaves: Sparsely ciliate–hispid 

petioles, connate at base, 0.3–4 cm long, leaf 

blades 1.5–5.5 cm wide, 2–10 cm long, once or 

twice pinnately divided into linear to ovate 

segments, hispid to glabrate, margins and lower 

surfaces of veins more or less hispid–ciliate. 

Flowers: Heads obscurely radiate or sometimes 

apparently discoid, 4–8 mm wide, 3–5 mm high 

at anthesis, on slender peduncles 2–8 cm long, 

exterior involucral bracts 4–6, linear, marginally ciliate, 1–2.5 mm long, inner 

ones half as long, lanceolate, puberulent at apices; ray flowers usually 2–3, 

ligules 2.5 mm long, one–half as wide, pale yellow to white. Fruits: Achenes 

5–13, linear, hispidulous above, glabrous below, all bearing 2 retrorsely barbed 

awns 1–3 mm long. Ecology: Found in moist soil, usually in shaded, sandy 

soil from 3,000–6,000 ft (914–1829 m); flowers August–October. Notes: These 

little buggers will attach their little retrorsely barbed angles to everything in 

fall. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, others in genus have many uses. 

Etymology: Bidens is derived from the Latin bis, twice and dens, tooth, hence 

meaning 2–toothed, leptocephala means thin headed. Synonyms: None 


©2005 Dr. Dean Wm. Taylor, 

Jepson Herbarium 




Calycoseris wrightii 

white tackstem 

General: Plant simple and erect to much 

branched with spreading–ascending branches, 

5–30 cm tall. Leaves: Lower leaves pinnately 

cleft to midrib in linear divisions, 0.5–2 mm wide 

and 2 cm long, whole blade 10 cm long, central 

rachis 5 mm wide or less, glabrous or essentially 

so, upper leaves linear and entire or with 

1–3 subbasal lobes; upper one have of stems, 

branches, and involucres with glandular hairs, 

pale reddish, brownish, tack–shaped. Flowers: Involucres 9–15 mm long 

at anthesis, bracts to 2.5 mm wide, acute to slightly acuminate, ligules white 

with pinkish or pinkish–brown spots or streaks on under side and turning 

purplish or reddish when dry. Fruits: Achenes about 6 mm long, including 

beak, usually 1–1.5 mm long, body of achene dark brown, shallowly sulcate 

between ribs and bearing row of low, rounded bumps; pappus bristles 7–8 

mm long. Ecology: Found on sandy plains, rocky mesas, and slopes from 

500–4,000 ft (152–1219 m); flowers from March–May. Notes: Often growing 

up through shrubs. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Calycoseris is from 

Greek kalux, cup and seris, a chicory–like genus, while wrightii is named for 

Charles Wright (1811–1885) an American botanical collector. Synonyms: None 

Chaetopappa ericoides 

rose heath 

General: Native perennial herb from a 

branching woody caudex and deep–seated 

rhizomes; stems numerous, much–branched, 

5–15 cm tall; more–or–less pubescent with 

appressed hairs, and sometimes glandular. 

Leaves: Numerous, all cauline, linear to 

oblanceolate, 6–20 mm long, up to 2.5 mm wide, 

entire, ascending to more–or–less appressed to 

the stem; pubescent with short, rough hairs 

on the surface and margins. Flowers: Heads 

solitary on numerous slender branches, 

forming a flat–topped inflorescence across the top of the plant; involucre 

5–7 mm high, with phyllaries imbricated in 3–7 vertical series; rays 8–25, 

white or vaguely pinkish, 4–8 mm long; disk flowers yellow. Fruits: Achenes 

more–or–less pubescent, with a pappus of copious white bristles. Ecology: 

Open, dry sites from 3,000–7,500 ft (914–2285 m); flowers March–October. 

Notes: The linear leaves on wiry, much–branched stems make this plant 

distinctive. Ethnobotany: Havasupai use for gastrointestinal benefit. Hopi 

use as panacea, stimulant, for divining sex of baby. Zuni use as cold remedy, 

Navajo use for kidney remedy. Etymology: From chaeto– meaning hair–like 

and ericoides meaning heath–like. Synonyms: Aster arenosus, A. hirtifolius, A. 

leucelene; Inula ericoides; Leucelene ericoides 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Cirsium neomexicanum 

New Mexico thistle 

General: Native biennial herb from a stout 

taproot; stems stout, 30–200 cm tall; pubescent 

with tangled, wooly hairs. Leaves: Basal 

and cauline; basal and lower cauline leaves 

lanceolate to elliptic or oblong, up to 40 cm 

long and 7 cm wide, shallowly and regularly 

pinnately lobed, the lobes further toothed and 

with spines 2–8 mm long, or rarely almost entire 

with spiny margins; stem leaves reduced and scattered above, sometimes with 

short (about 1 cm) downward extensions of the leaf bases; pubescent with 

tangled, wooly hairs. Flowers: Heads solitary or a few at the ends of stems 

and branches; involucre 2.5–5 cm high, pubescent with tangled, woolly hairs, 

with outer and middle phyllaries spine–tipped and reflexed, inner phyllaries 

appressed, with long, tapering tips; flowers white to lavender or pink. Fruits: 

Achenes 5–6 mm long; pappus bristles 20–25 mm long. Ecology: Dry, exposed 

slopes from 1,000–6,500 ft (305–1980 m); flowers March–September. Notes: 

Characterized by the few or solitary white to lavender or pink flower heads 

with spine–tipped and reflexed outer and middle phyllaries. Products of the 

plant provide food for some insects and some bird species. Second season 

plants may be killed by fire. Post–fire regeneration process is via seed. Seeds 

favorite of Goldfinches and other birds while flowers provide nectar and 

pollen for bees. Host plant for Painted Lady butterfly. Ethnobotany: Taproots 

of young plants are eaten raw or roasted. They are often sliced, fried, mashed 

or ground into flour. Flowers may be eaten raw or cooked and have high 

nutrition content. Navajo use for chills, fever. Used also as a panacea as root 

infusion, especially for colds. Etymology: Cirsium is Greek for thistle, while 

neomexicanum means of or from New Mexico. Synonyms: None 





H M L 


Conyza bonariensis 

asthmaweed 

General: Introduced annual 10–40 cm tall with 1 to several stems from base and 

corymbosely branching above, herbage hirsute and slightly scabrous, grayish. 

Leaves: Linear, numerous, 1.5–4 mm wide, 1.5–9 cm long, shallowly dentate to 

entire. Flowers: Heads 6–8 mm in diameter, numerous, corymbosely arranged, 

peduncles 3–20 mm long, involucral bracts lance–subulate to linear–subulate, 

4–6 mm long, greenish, hirsutulous, margins slightly scarious; inconspicuous 

ray flowers, ligules barely equaling or slightly surpassing pappus, 3–4.5 mm long, 

disk corollas 3–3.5 mm long, greenish yellow, slender tube 1.2 mm long, lobes 

narrowly lance–triangular, 0.2–0.3 mm long. Fruits: Brownish achenes, 1.2 mm 

long, faintly compressed, minutely and sparsely strigulose to glabrate, pappus 

bristles capillary 3–4 mm long, tawny or shining 

white in youth, reddish in age. Ecology: Found 

along irrigation ditches, river bottoms and 

occasionally as a roadside weed below 3,500 ft 

(1067 m); flowers June–September. Notes: This 

is a widespread weed, generally on disturbed, 

urban sites. Ethnobotany: Unknown, but C. 

canadensis has many uses. Etymology: Name 

used by Theophrastus, Pliny, and Dioscorides, 

presumably from the Greek konops (flea), 

bonariensis means of or from Buenos Aires. 

Synonyms: Erigeron bonariensis, E. crispus, E. 

linifolius, Leptilon bonariense, L. linifolium 

Conyza canadensis 

Canadian horseweed 

General: Native annual herb; stems simple 

below inflorescence, 50–150 cm tall; glabrous to 

spreading–hairy. Leaves: Alternate, numerous; 

basal leaves up to 10 cm long, reduced above; 

mainly oblanceolate and petiolate below, 

increasingly linear and sessile above; serrate. 

Flowers: Inflorescence terminal, open, with 

numerous flower heads; involucres 2–4 mm 

high, 3–7 mm wide; inconspicuously radiate. 

Fruits: Achene Ecology: Disturbed soil from 

1,000–8,000 ft (305–2440 m); flowers July–October. Notes: Characterized 

by its numerous alternate, serrate leaves and its terminal, open inflorescence 

with many small flower heads. Often weedy especially in disturbed and moist 

areas. Ethnobotany: Dried parts used as astringent for face. Used by Hopi 

as a poultice of rubbed plant on temples for headaches. Used by navajo for 

pimples, earaches, stomaches. Etymology: Name used by Theophrastus, 

Pliny, and Dioscorides, presumably from the Greek konops (flea). Synonyms: 

Erigeron canadensis 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Diaperia verna var. verna 

spring pygmycudweed 

General: Annual, diffusely branched from 

base with leafy, decumbent branches 5–15 

cm long, these bearing small, densely 

crowded glomerules of heads nearly hidden 

by bractlike leaves. Leaves: Cauline leaves 

broadly spatulate 1.5–3.5 mm wide, 5–12 

mm long, sessile, arachnoid–tomentose. 

Flowers: Heads subglobose, 2–3 mm high, 

bracts of fertile flowers oblong, scarious 

below, densely inflexed–woolly at apex, those of sterile flowers wooly farther 

down. Fruits: Achenes 1–1.2 mm long, smooth, yellowish. Ecology: Found in 

sandy soil from 1,500–3,000 ft (457–914 m); flowers March–April. Notes: Low 

taprooted annual that is woolly all over. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Verna means of spring. Synonyms: Diaperia multicaulis, Evax multicaulis, 

Filaginopsis multicaulis, Filago nivea, F. verna 

Erigeron arisolius 

arid throne fleabane, dry–sun fleabane 

General: Annual or short–lived perennial, 3–70 cm, taproot. Erect stems, 

coarsely hirsute to hispid (hairs only along ribs, bases thickened), minutely 

glandular. Leaves: Mostly cauline, blades linear to linear–oblong, lanceolate 

to oblanceolate, 25–50 mm long by 2–5 mm wide, margins entire or sometimes 

lobed (lobes 1–2 pairs, coarse, rounded). Flowers: Heads 20–50+ in loose, 

corymbiform arrays (erect buds); involucres 2.5–3.5 mm by 5–8 mm, phyllaries 

in 3–4 series, minutely hispid, minutely glandular; ray flowers 125–180; corollas 

white, sometimes lavender or pinkish, 6–7 mm, laminae reflexing; disc corollas 

2–25 mm (throats indurate and inflated). Fruits: Cypselae (achene with adnate 

calyx) 0.7–1 mm, 2–nerved (nerves orange), faces sparsely strigose to glabrate, 

pappus 12–17 bristles. Ecology: Found in grasslands, often in moist areas, 

sometimes with mesquite, in openings, roadsides, oak from 4,000–5,500 ft 

(1219–1676 m); flowers May–June. Notes: Of conservation concern. Similar in 

appearance to E. divergens; the erect buds and reflexing rays of E. arisolius 

contrast with the nodding buds and non–reflexing rays of E. divergens. 

E. divergens also has evenly distributed stem pubescence. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown for this species, other species in this genera have many uses. 

Etymology: Name means Early–Old–Man, named by Theophrastus, arisolius 

means dry sun. Synonyms: None 





Erigeron divergens 

spreading fleabane 

General: Native biennial herb; stems 

branched from base and above, 5–50 cm 

tall; spreading–hairy. Leaves: Alternate; 

basal leaves up to 5 cm long, reduced above; 

oblanceolate and long–petioled below, 

to nearly linear above; entire to slightly 

lobed. Flowers: Heads several to many on 

leafy peduncles; involucres 4–5 mm high; 

disk 7–11 mm wide; rays 75–150, 5–10 mm 

long, pale blue, pink or white; disk yellow. Fruits: Achenes sparsely hairy, 

2–4 veined, with a double pappus of 5–12 long, fragile bristles surrounded 

by short, narrow scales. Ecology: Semi–arid, open to lightly wooded areas 

from 1,000–9,000 ft (305–2740 m); flowers May–August. Notes: Lacks the 

numerous stolons of E. flagellaris; related species Erigeron colomexicanus (=E. 

divergens var. cinereus), which has leafy stolons. Ethnobotany: Aerial parts 

are sometimes used to make oil to treat pets for fleas (Hence the common 

name – fleabane). Many Erigeron spp. used similarly. Etymology: Name 

means Early–Old–Man, named by Theophrastus. Divergens is ancient word 

for diverging. Synonyms: Erigeron divergens var. typicus 

Eriophyllum lanosum 

white easterbonnets 

General: Loosely floccose, spreadingly 

branched annual with slender stems 5–15 

cm long, erect, ascending or the lowermost 

often decumbent. Leaves: Linear to narrowly 

oblanceolate, entire 1–3 mm wide, 5–20 mm long, 

acute to apiculate at apex, gradually narrowing 

toward base. Flowers: Slender peduncles, 1–6 

cm long, campanulate involucres 5–8 mm wide, 

5–6 mm high, 8–11 bracts, oblanceolate, short– 

acuminate, 1–1.5 mm wide floccose; ray flowers 

8–10 with white ligules 6 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, yellow disk corollas, 2.5–3 

mm long, sparsely glandular–puberulent, tube about equaling throat and limb. 

Fruits: Achenes, linear–obpyramidal, 3–3.5 mm long, sparsely strigose, black; 

pappus of 4–5 slender, lance–subulate, scaberulous awns about equaling 

corollas and about as many or a few more short, obtuse and whitish. Ecology: 

Found on arid mesas, gravelly slopes and washes from 1,000–3,000 ft (305–914 

m); flowers March–April. Notes: Distinguished by its tomentose herbage, 

slender achenes and white to rosy rays. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Lanosum means woolly. Synonyms: Eriophyllum lanosum 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Gamochaeta purpurea 

spoonleaf purple everlasting 

General: Biennial or short–lived 

perennial, often flowering in 

first season, usually considerably 

branched from base and with 

ascending to erect stems 

10–35 cm tall, closely woolly– 

canescent. Leaves: Broadly 

spatulate, 4–15 mm wide, 2–6 

cm long, finely and compactly 

tomentose beneath, greenish and 

©1995 Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary’s College 

glabrate above, mostly obtuse to rounded and often minutely apiculate at apex, 

gradually narrowed to a petiole–like base. Flowers: Heads spicately arranged, 

inflorescence 1–10 cm long, heads 3.5–5 mm high, outer bracts brownish or 

purplish, at least tips, obtuse, shining, inner most bracts oblong, thinner and 

paler than outer, often acutish or minutely erosulate and apiculate at apex; 

pistillate flowers about 1.5–1.8 mm long, very slender, pappus bristles 7–15, 

connate in funnelform ring at base, falling together. Fruits: Achenes straw– 

colored, about .5 mm long, faintly roughened. Ecology: Found on open plains 

and slopes, ditch banks and waysides from 3,000–7,500 ft (914–2286 m); flowers 

from March–May. Ethnobotany: Infusion of dried plant taken for the grippe 

and colds. Etymology: Gamochaeta is from Greek gamos, marriage, stigma, or 

female part, and chaite, bristle, mane, long hair, while purpurea means purple. 

Synonyms: Gnaphalium purpureum 

Gnaphalium palustre 

western marsh cudweed 

General: Low annual, commonly much 

branched at base with erect or ascending stems 

10–25 cm long, herbage loosely floccose–lanate. 

Leaves: Wool persistent on stems but often 

more or less deciduous from spatulate to linear– 

spatulate leaves, these 5 mm wide and 3 cm long 

but usually smaller, uppermost ones subtending 

and exceeding heads, usually lanceolate to 

oblong. Flowers: Heads in dense subglobose 

glomerules at tips of branchlets, each 2–3 mm 

high, involucral bracts deeply embedded in 

loose wool, only scarious tips showing, scarious 

part usually obtuse, often denticulate; flowers 

and pappus bristles about equaling longer 

involucral bracts; pappus falling separately or in groups. Fruits: Achenes 

about 0.5 mm, papillate. Ecology: Found along streams, grassy plains and on 

valley floors from 1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 m); flowers March–October. Notes: 

Diagnostics for this plant are the heads clustered at the tips of the stem and 

branches and the loosely floccose–woolly herbage. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, but others in the genera have medicinal use. Etymology: 

Gnaphalium is derived from the Greek gnaphalon, a lock of wool, and palustre 

means growing in marshes. Synonyms: Filaginella palustris 


©2008 Keir Morse


Gutierrezia microcephala 

threadleaf snakeweed 

General: Native perennial subshrub 

from a woody base; stems more–or–less 

herbaceous (though generally more 

woody than G. sarothrae), branched, 

30–100 cm tall, dying back somewhat 

in winter. Leaves: Alternate; primary 

leaves linear to linear–oblanceolate, 2–5 

cm long, 2–4 mm wide, often deciduous 

by flowering; secondary leaves in fascicles in axils of primary ones, shorter and 

narrower. Flowers: Heads numerous, usually in clusters of 3–several at tips of 

branchlets; inflorescence usually dry and persistent throughout non–growing 

season above green living parts; involucres 3–4 mm high; disk 1–1.5 mm wide, 

yellow; rays 1–2, 3–4 mm long; phyllaries whitish or yellowish with a green tip. 

Fruits: Achenes 2–3 mm long, hairy, with a pappus 0.5–1 mm long. Ecology: 

Dry, open, often disturbed/overgrazed areas from 1,000–7,000 ft (305–2134 m); 

flowers June–October. Notes: Similar to G. sarothrae, except for the somewhat 

more woody stems and smaller flower heads. Usually only one ray and one 

disk flowers. Poisonous and unpalatable to livestock. Presence indicates 

overgrazing, and may decrease biodiversity even after grazing has stopped. 

Invasive in overgrazed lands. Ethnobotany: Hopi use for gastric problems, 

as decorations for paaho (prayer sticks), and in roasting sweet corn. Navajo 

use it to heal cuts and bites. The ashes are rubbed on the forehead to cure a 

headache, nervousness, or fever. The flowers make a yellow dye. Etymology: 

Gutierrezia is named for Pedro Gutierrez (Rodriguez), a 19th century Spanish 

noblemen and botanist, while microcephala means small head. Synonyms: 

G. sarothrae var. microcephala, Xanthocephalum microcephalum, Brachyris 

microcephala 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Helianthus annuus 

sunflower 

General: Native annual herb; stems stout, 

erect, 30–200 cm or more tall; rough–hairy. 

Leaves: Only the lowermost leaves opposite, 

otherwise alternate; long–petioled, ovate 

or even broader, especially below, 4–20 

cm long, 3–15 cm wide, coarsely toothed to 

(less commonly) almost entire; rough–hairy. 

Flowers: Heads solitary or few at the ends 

of stems and branches; phyllaries ovate with 

a long narrow tip, more–or–less pubescent and ciliate–margined; disk usually 

3–4 cm wide, purplish–brown or occasionally yellow; rays 15–40 mm long, 

yellow; central receptacle bracts inconspicuously pubescent at the tips. Fruits: 

Achenes plump, glabrous or finely pubescent, with a pappus of 2 or more awns 

or scales. Ecology: Open or disturbed areas from 1,000–7,000 ft (305–2134 m); 

flowers March–October. Notes: A related species, H. petiolaris, is very similar 

but smaller and more slender in all respects, with phyllaries lanceolate and 

usually not ciliate–margined, and the central receptacle scales conspicuously 

white–bearded at the tip. Medium drought tolerance, no fire tolerance. Stalks 

used as fuel, livestock fodder, poultry food, and silage. Stems used as source of 

commercial fiber. Fiber may be used in paper. Host plant for California Patch, 

Bordered Patch, and Painted Lady butterflies. Ethnobotany: Seed is dried, 

ground and mixed with water to make a coffee–like drink. It is also ground to 

make sunflower seed cakes or crushed and boiled to make oil. The oil relieves 

coughs. The pith of a sunflower stalk has also been burned and used as a wart 

remover. Etymology: From ancient root helio– for sun loving and meros– 

meaning part. Synonyms: Numerous, see USDA Plants db 




Helianthus petiolaris 

prairie sunflower 

General: Erect stems, strict to 

moderately branched annual 3–10 

dm tall or more with scaberulous 

but distinctly green stems and leaves. 

Leaves: Petioles slender 1–5 cm long, 

sparsely scaberulous, often tinged with 

red, leaf blades narrowly lanceolate to 

ovate–lanceolate, 0.5–5 cm broad, to 15 

cm long, cuneate to subtruncate at base, 

acute at apex, scaberulous and dark 

green above, paler and more densely pubescent beneath, margins entire to 

serrate or sinuate–serrate. Flowers: Slender peduncles to 15 cm long or more, 

sparsely puberulent below, densely so just beneath heads; involucres 1–1.8 cm 

wide, phyllaries lanceolate to lance–ovate, 6–10 mm long, slightly acuminate, 

equaling or barely surpassing disk corollas, scaberulous dorsally; ligules 1.5–2 

cm long; yellow disk corollas 4–5 mm long, nearly glabrous, lobes dark brown 

to nearly black; receptacular bracts rather thin, puberulent dorsally, entire and 

acuminate to obscurely tridentate at apex, inner ones black–tipped. Fruits: 

Achenes 4.5–5 mm long, striate and faintly mottled, sparsely silky–puberulent 

below, more densely so above; pappus paleae about 1 mm long, thin, caducous. 

Ecology: Found on hillsides and valley floors from 500–7,500 ft (152–2286 m); 

flowers March–October. Notes: H. petiolaris, is very similar to H. annuus 

but smaller and more slender in all respects, with phyllaries lanceolate and 

usually not ciliate–margined, and the central receptacle scales conspicuously 

white–bearded at the tip. Ethnobotany: Used as a spider bite medicine by the 

Hopi, for good luck in hunting when flower infusion is sprinkled on clothing, 

as life medicine, as an ointment on sores and swellings, seeds saved and eaten, 

ground as meal. Flower petals mixed with corn meal for ceremonial powder, 

and used as an indicator of rainfall. Etymology: From ancient root helio– 

for sun loving and meros– meaning part, petiolaris means with conspicuous 

petioles. Synonyms: None 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Heliomeris longifolia 

longleaf false goldeneye 

General: Native annual herb; stems slender, 

simple or often branched above, 15–70 

cm tall; sparsely to moderately pubescent 

with mostly appressed hairs, or almost. 

Leaves: Opposite below, usually alternate 

above; linear to lanceolate, 1.5–11 cm long, 

1.5–14 mm wide, with a deep midvein; 

sparsely to moderately pubescent with 

mostly appressed hairs, or almost glabrous. 

Flowers: Heads solitary or in loose clusters; involucres 3–7 mm high; disk 6–14 

mm wide, yellow; rays mostly 8–12, 8–17 mm long, yellow. Fruits: Achenes 2.5–3 

mm long, with no pappus. Ecology: Found on plains, arroyos, along washes, 

and on slopes from 2,500–8,000 ft (760–2440 m); flowers May–November. 

Notes: Two varieties thought to occur in at Tumacacori: Heliomeris longifolia 

var. longifolia and Heliomeris longifolia var. annua; var. longifolia has wider 

leaves and slightly bigger flowers than var. longifolia (description as written 

accounts for both varieties). Ethnobotany: Ramah Navajo use as life medicine 

and fodder for sheep food. Etymology: Heliomeris is from ancient roots 

helio– for sun loving and meros– meaning part, while longifolia means long 

leaved. Synonyms: H. annua, Viguiera annua, V. longifolia 

Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora 

showy goldeneye 

General: Native perennial herb, sometimes 

slightly woody at base; stems several, often 

somewhat reddish, 25–130 cm tall; more–or– 

less covered with short, stiff hairs. Leaves: 

Opposite below, often alternate above; linear to 

ovate, 2–25 mm wide, 3–8 cm long, with a deep 

midvein; covered with short, stiff, appressed 

hairs. Flowers: Heads solitary or in loose 

clusters; involucres 5–10 mm high; disk 6–15 mm 

wide, yellow; rays mostly 10–16, 7–20 mm long, 

yellow. Fruits: Achenes 2.5–3 mm long, with no pappus. Ecology: Open slopes 

and riparian areas from 3,000–9,500 ft (915–2895 m); flowers May–October. 

Notes: One variety occurs in the area: var. multiflora has wider leaves and 

occurs in more moist habitats. Ethnobotany: Navajo use for sheep and deer 

feed. Gosiute report use of seeds for food. Etymology: From ancient roots 

helio– for sun loving and meros– meaning part. Multiflora is ancient word for 

many–flowered Synonyms: Viguiera multiflora 





Heterotheca subaxillaris 

camphorweed 

General: Erect annual to biennial herb 40–150 

cm tall with striate and short–hirsute stems, 

moderately branched above. Leaves: Leaves 

ovate–lanceolate to somewhat lyrate in outline, 

0.8–3.5 cm wide, 2.5–10 cm long, at least upper 

cordate–clasping, serrate–dentate, acute to 

obtuse and apiculate at apex, short hirsute– 

scabrous on both sides. Flowers: Heads 

corymbosely or broadly paniculately arranged, 

6–8 mm high, 10–18 mm wide at anthesis; 

involucral bracts in several series, lance–linear to subulate, rather rigid, outer 

ones acute and apiculate, innermost attenuate and scraggly brush of spreading 

and ascending hairs on terminal part, pale greenish to stramineous below, 

tips often brownish or reddish; ray flowers 30–50, ligules about 5 mm long, 1 

mm wide, yellowish but soon turning brown; corollas 4–5 mm long. Fruits: 

Achenes of ray flowers about 3 mm long, glabrous, epappose; achenes of disk 

flowers about as long as ray achenes but more slender, densely silky–villous; 

pappus bristles reddish–brown, longer inner ones about 15 mm long. Ecology: 

Found along streams, ditches, fence–rows, and in disturbed soils from 1,000– 

5,500 ft (305–1676 m); flowers August–November. Notes: Sometimes known as 

camphor–weed because of the odor of the plant. Ethnobotany: Unknown for 

this species, other species in this genera have medicinal, poisonous, and as a 

dermatological aid. Etymology: Heterotheca is from Greek heteros, different, 

and theke, ovary for the different achenes, while subaxillaris means below the 

axil. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Lactuca serriola 

Laennecia coulteri 


H M L 

prickly lettuce 

General: Annual herb; leafy–stemmed with milky sap. Introduced from 

Europe. Stems 30–150 cm tall; glabrous for most of length, but prickly at bottom 

of stem. Leaves: Leaves have large prickles on the midrib on the underside, and 

have finer prickles on the margins of the leaves. Leaves are sometimes lobed, 

and are clasping. Milky sap is apparent. Flowers: Numerous small heads 

arranged in a panicle or corymb. Flowers are all ligulate and perfect, yellow, 

often drying to blue. Fruits: Achenes, white pappus Ecology: Wide range, 

weed of fields, waste places, and disturbed areas, naturalized throughout 

much of the U.S.; flowers July–September. Notes: Distinguished by milky 

sap, prickles on midvein of underside of leaf. 

Differs primarily by leaves without prickly 

margins and achenes that are not spinulose. 

The inflorescence also resembles a spike, 

whereas the inflorescence of L. serriola is 

an open panicle, with spreading branches. 

Ethnobotany: Navajo use steeped plant tea 

as ceremonial emetic. Etymology: Lactuca is 

Latin for milky sap; serriola is for ranked salad 

leaves. Synonyms: L. scariola 

conyza 

General: Annual herb; forming densely hairy 

basal rosette when young. Stems 10–100 cm tall; 

glandular or sticky hairs all over plant, hairs 

resembling spider web (arachnoid); taproot. 

Leaves: Numerous leaves, almost all cauline 

and clasping and with an oblong shape, many 

of them are irregularly toothed, especially near 

the base. Leaves become smaller and have many 

course teeth. Flowers: Corollas of the pistillate 

flowers are tubular–filiform, without a ligule. 

Fruits: Achenes, 0.5–0.8 mm long, with a very short neck. Ecology: Found in 

ditch banks, dry stream–beds and disturbed sites from 1,500–9,000 ft (457– 

2743 m); flowers September–October. Notes: Similar to L. schiedeana except 

that the achenes in L. schiedeana are 1–1.4 mm long, and the leaves are much 

less toothed. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Laennecia is named for 

Rene Theophile Hyancinthe Laennec (1781–1826), coulteri is named for John 

Merle Coulter (1851–1928) an American botanist. Synonyms: Conyza coulteri 





©2005 Carlos M. Gonzalez Leon 

Laennecia sophiifolia 

leafy marshtail 

General: Annual herb, forming densely hairy basal 

rosette; stems 10–100 cm tall, glandular hairs all over plant, 

hairs resembling spider web; taproot. Leaves: Leaves 

1–3.5 cm long and once or twice pinnately parted into 

linear lobes. Flowers: Corollas of the pistillate flowers are 

tubular–filiform, without a ligule, only about 3 mm high. 

Fruits: Achenes glabrous and puncticulate in fine lines. 

Ecology: Found on arid hills, mesas, and plains from 

2,500–6,000 ft (762–1829 m); flowers August–October. 

Notes: Less densely villous and more glandular than 

L. coulteri, along with smaller heads. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Laennecia is named for Rene 

Theophile Hyancinthe Laennec (1781–1826). Synonyms: 

Conyza coulteri var. tenuisecta, C. sophiifolia, Eschenbachia tenuisecta 

Machaeranthera tagetina 

mesa tansyaster 

General: Annual, or possibly biennial 

under favorable conditions, stems slender, 

moderately branched, 10–40 cm long, 

puberulent with both eglandular and 

gland–tipped hairs, slightly cinereous. 

Leaves: Lower leaves pinnatifid, 1.5–2.5 cm 

long, 3–7 lobes acute, spinulose–tipped, 

0.5–3 mm broad, 2–6 mm long, upper leaves 

reduced and denticulate, all hirsutulous 

and glandular–puberulent. Flowers: Stems 

leafy to heads, these 10–15 mm wide, bracts lance–linear, 3–8 mm long, green 

herbaceous part triangular to lance–triangular, nearly as wide as chartaceous 

part, densely glandular; rays 10–20, ligules 2–2.5 mm wide, 6–7 mm long, 

purplish; disk corollas 6–6.5 mm long, slender, slightly and gradually ampliate, 

glabrous. Fruits: Achenes about 4 mm long, silky–villous; pappus bristles 

slender, 5–6 mm long, whitish. Ecology: Found on arid mesas, plains, and 

roadsides from 1,500–4,500 ft (457–1372 m); flowers from April–October. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species in this genus have 

limited use. Etymology: Name comes from the Greek “machaira” meaning 

sword and “anthera” or anther, referring to the shape of the anther–tips, 

tagetina refers to the genus Tagetes. Synonyms: Aster tagetinus 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia 

tansyleaf tansyaster 

General: Native annual herb; 0.5–4 dm tall, 

highly branched when mature; taprooted. 

Leaves: Numerous, 2–10 cm long, pinnately 

incised to tripinnatifid. Flowers: Heads 

terminal on the branches; large, showy; 

involucre glandular and sometimes puberulent, 

imbricate bracts in several series with long, 

loose or reflexed green tips; 12–36 rays, blue. 

Fruits: Silky achenes 2.5–4 mm long. Ecology: 

Dry, open places and along streams and washes, 

lowlands from 1,000–6,000 ft (305–2300 m); 

flowers March–October. Notes: This is a very 

distinct plant with characteristic pinnately 

incised to tripinnatifid leaves, sharp bracts, and 

blue ray flowers. This is a very distinct plant with very characteristic leaves and 

sharp bracts. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species in this 

genus have limited use. Etymology: Name comes from the Greek “machaira” 

meaning sword and “anthera” or anther, referring to the shape of the anther– 

tips. Synonyms: Aster tanacetifolius, M. coronopifolia, M. parthenium 

Malacothrix clevelandii 

Cleveland’s desert dandelion 

General: Diffusely branched, slender–stemmed 

annual 10–60 cm tall with numerous heads 

paniculately arranged at tips of branches; herbage 

glabrous throughout, stems and lower leaves 

often reddish–tinged. Leaves: Basal leaves linear 

to narrowly lanceolate, 2–7 cm long to 1.5–2 cm 

wide, lobed to pinnatifid or less commonly with 

linear segments; cauline leaves remote, linear to 

lanceolate, entire or nearly so, gradually reduced 

upward to linear bracts 5–10 mm long. Flowers: 

Involucres cylindro–campanulate, 4–8 mm tall, 2–5 mm broad, bracts linear, 

0.4–0.7 mm wide, equal and scarcely imbricated, green with purple–dotted tips, 

margins narrow, scarious; basal bracts calyculate, ovate, 1–2 mm long; ligules 

pale yellow or rarely white, exceeding involucre only 1–3 mm. Fruits: Achenes 

linear–fusiform, truncate at apex, 1.4–1.8 mm long, finely 15–ribbed, 5 ribs more 

prominent that rest, buff to pale brown, truncate crown, bearing 14–17 minute 

white, scarious teeth; deciduous pappus bristles silvery white, 5–6 mm long. 

Ecology: Found along arroyos and streams, on slopes and grassy hillsides from 

2,500–4,500 ft (762–1372 m); flowers from March–May. Notes: Told apart from 

Malacothrix fendleri by the pale yellow petal color. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, but other species in this genera have use as food and medicine. 

Etymology: Malacothrix is from malakos, soft and thrix, hair, while clevelandii is 

named after Daniel Cleveland (1838–1929) a botanical collector. Synonyms: None 




Malacothrix fendleri 

Fendler’s desert dandelion 

General: Sparingly to moderately 

branched annual with spreading to 


ascending stems 5–30 cm long, stems, 

upper leaves and involucres glabrous. 

Leaves: Basal leaves oblong–oblanceolate 

to spatulate in outline, 2–8 cm long, 

sinuately lobed to remotely pinnatifid, 

lobes or teeth deltoid to oblong, mostly 

less than 1 cm long, sinuately lobed to 

remotely pinnatifid, lobes or teeth deltoid 

to oblong, mostly less than 1 cm long, petioles often with a dense mat of wool on 

upper surface near base, cauline leaves few, smaller, glabrous or essentially so. 

Flowers: Fairly numerous heads, paniculately arranged or some solitary at tips 

of unbranched but sparsely leafy branches, involucres broadly campanulate, 

7–8 mm tall, basal bracts ovate, 1.5–3 mm long, main ones equal, scarcely 

imbricated, 1–1.5 mm wide, purplish at tip and along midrib, margins narrowly 

scarious; ligules yellow, washed with purple or lavender on underside, 7–10 

mm long. Fruits: Achenes cylindric, 1.8–2 mm long, dark brown, finely and 

evenly 15–ribbed or striate, glabrous; pappus bristles white, 5–6 mm long, 1–2 

of them persistent or all of them deciduous. Ecology: Found on sandy pains, 

mesas, and rocky hillsides from 2,000–5,000 ft (610–1524 m); flowers March– 

June. Ethnobotany: Used for sores, seeds for food, and as an eye wash for sore 

eyes. Etymology: Malacothrix is from malakos, soft and thrix, hair, fendleri is 

named for Augustus Fendler (1813–1883). Synonyms: None 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Malacothrix glabrata 

smooth desert dandelion 

General: Ascending, moderately branched, 

wholly glabrous plant except slightly pubescent 

on youngest leaves in some plants, and on 

smallest outer involucral bracts, stems 10–40 cm 

tall. Leaves: 1–2 cauline leaves near base, usually 

with 2–3 or rarely only 1 large head at tips of upper 

branches; basal leaves oblong–oblanceolate, 2–8 

cm long, sinuately lobed to remotely pinnatifid 

into linear segments, glabrous. Flowers: 

Involucres 5–12 mm high, glabrous or lowest 

bracts sparsely arachnoid–pubescent; ligules yellow, often tinged with purple 

or lavender on lower surface. Fruits: Achenes cylindric, 1.6–2 mm long, finely 

and evenly 15–ribbed or nerved, glabrous, truncate and with a low ring of 

tissue at apex, bearing a white–scarious, denticulate ring inside that tissue; 

pappus bristles white, 5–6 mm long. Ecology: Found on sandy and gravelly 

plains, rocky hillsides and mesas below 7,000 ft (2134 m); flowers March– 

June. Ethnobotany: The roots were used by the Apache as a blood medicine. 

Etymology: Malacothrix is from malakos, soft and thrix, hair, glabrata means 

somewhat glabrous. Synonyms: Malacothrix californica var. glabrata 

Melampodium longicorne 

Arizona blackfoot 

General: Erect annual 10–40 cm tall 

moderately branched from near base, stems 

and branches spreading–hispidulous. 

Leaves: Oblanceolate to oblong–spatulate, 

5–15 mm wide (without projecting lobes), 

1.5–5 cm long, entire with 1–2 pairs of 

abruptly spreading lobes 3–9 mm long, 

cuneate toward sessile base, acute at 

apex, blade sparsely scabro–hispidulous. 

Flowers: Heads sessile or subsessile at tips 

of branchlets, subtended by leaves 3–6 times as long as heads, outer involucral 

bracts distinct, obovate, abruptly short–acuminate, sparsely hispid on midrib 

and along margins, 3.5–4 mm long; ray flowers inconspicuous, ligules 1–2 mm 

long or less, barely equaling or usually shorter than outer involucral bracts; 

disk flowers few, often only 3–5, inconspicuous. Fruits: Fruit about 4 mm long, 

lightly but distinctly ridged, 3 low ridges on each lateral face and one fainter 

dorsal one, outer angles each bearing 1–3 low conical tuber–like swelling 

or projection, oblique cup, outer margin drawn into a recurvingly coiled, 

puberulent awn; achene black, shining, longitudinally striate. Ecology: Found 

in canyons, on hillsides, along streams, and often on limestone from 4,000– 

5,500 ft (1219–1676 m); flowers March–October. Notes: Yellow ray flowers and 

the larger hooded fruit enveloping the achene set this plant apart from M. 

leucanthum. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Longicorne refers to the 

long spur, or hook on the fruit. Synonyms: None 


©20072–2009 Michael L. Charters 




Parthenice mollis 

annual monsterwort 

General: Moderately to profusely branched 

herb to 2 m tall. Leaves: Ample, blades lance– 

ovate to broadly ovate–cordate, 1–15 cm broad, 

3–20 cm long, upper smaller ones entire, larger 

coarsely and irregularly dentate, bright green and 

sparsely puberulent to glabrate above, paler and 

more densely puberulent beneath; petioles to 

10 cm long, blades decurrent on upper portion. 

Flowers: Panicles 10–40 cm long, involucres 4–5 

mm in diameter at anthesis; bracts obtuse or rounded, thin, densely short– 

puberulent and somewhat scurfy; corollas of sterile disk flowers 1–1.3 mm long, 

tube very short, abruptly expanding into narrowly funnelform throat, lobes 

minute, densely cobwebby with hairs of adjacent corollas intertangled; corollas 

of pistillate flowers tubular, about .3 mm long or less. Fruits: Achenes 1–1.3 mm 

long, ovoid, compressed, attached to and falling with paleae of 2 disk flowers 

immediately adjacent. Ecology: Found along watercourses, hillsides, and 

mesas from 3,500–5,000 ft (1067–1524 m); flowers February–September. Notes: 

Endemic to Arizona. Very unique in appearance, with stalks to 5 cm in diameter, 

or larger. Odd flowers; plant appears to be farinose. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Parthenice alludes to members of the genus Parthenium, mollis 

means soft or with soft velvety hair. Synonyms: None 

Pectis prostrata 

spreading cinchweed 

General: Diffuse annual branching from base, 

1–30 cm across, with prostrate to ascending stems, 

often mat–forming, densely leafy and puberulent. 

Leaves: Linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 10–40 

mm long by 1.5–7 mm wide, margins with 4–12 

pairs of bristles 1–3 mm near base, faces glabrous, 

dotted below with round oil glands 0.1–0.3 mm. 

Flowers: Heads borne singly or in congested 

cymiform arrays on peduncles 1–2 mm, surpassed 

by subtending leaves; involucres campanulate, 

cylindric to ellipsoid; phyllaries coherent, oblong to obovate, 5–8 mm long by 

1–3 mm wide, dotted in submarginal rows of elliptic oil glands, 0.1–0.3 mm; ray 

florets 5, yellow, corollas 2.5–3.5 mm, scarcely surpassing phyllaries; disc florets 

3–17, about 2 mm long. Fruits: Cypselae 2.5–4.5 m, strigillose, with pappus of 

(2 ray and 5 disc) lanceolate scales, 1.5–2.5 mm long. Ecology: Found in open, 

dry and hot, often sandy soils from sea level to 6,500 ft (1981 m); flowers July– 

November. Notes: In this species the phyllaries stay together and fall as a unit 

with the achenes. Notably, the Pectis have C4 photosynthetic pathways which 

accounts for why they inhabit such hot, dry sites. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Pectis is from the Greek pecteo, to comb, while prostrata means 

prostrate. Synonyms: Pectis multisetosa, P. prostrata var. urceolata 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Pseudognaphalium canescens ssp.canescens 

Wright’s cudweed 

General: Erect or ascending, short– 

lived, perennial herb much branched at 

base, densely and closely white–woolly. 

Leaves: Leaves crowded and matted 

at base, oblong to oblanceolate or 

somewhat spatulate, to 1 cm wide, 2–4.5 

cm long, cauline leaves oblong to oblong– 

oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm wide, 1.5–3 cm 

long, densely tomentose on both sides, rarely slightly greenish on upper surface, 

acute and apiculate at apex, sessile and not at all or only slightly decurrent at base. 

Flowers: Inflorescence of numerous, small, ovoid–turbinate heads arranged in 

open corymbose panicle of few–headed glomerules, each head 4–5.5 mm long; 

bracts well imbricated in 3–5 series, white and shining, outermost woolly at base 

only, mostly obtuse, sometimes apiculate; pistillate flowers capillary about 3 mm 

long, about equaled by pappus bristles; perfect flowers about same length. Fruits: 

Achenes ovoidal, 0.5–0.7 mm long, pale brown, smooth, dull; pappus bristles 

distinct. Ecology: Found on arid rocky slopes from 3,500–7,000 ft (1067–2134 

m); flowers August–October. Ethnobotany: Ground flowers inhaled for head 

colds, or leaves used as a paste for linament. Etymology: Pseudognaphalium is 

false gnaphalium, the former genus name, and canescens means covered with 

short gray or white hairs. Synonyms: Gnaphalium canescens, G. canescens ssp. 

canescens, G. wrightii 

Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum 

white cudweed 

General: Erect perennial with 1 to 

several stems 30–80 cm tall, stems leafy, 

persistently tomentose with dense, 

finely packed wool. Leaves: Narrowly 

linear–attenuate or lowermost linear– 

oblanceolate, 1.5–6 mm wide, 2–8 cm long, 

green and only puberulent glandular 

above, persistently white–tomentose 

beneath, sessile. Flowers: In corymbose 

panicle, often 20 cm broad, many heads, 

turbinate, 6–7 mm high, 7–8 mm wide 

at anthesis, bracts well inbricated in 4–6 series, broadly ovate to oblong, dull 

pearly white, obtuse and erosulate at apex, only bases of outermost embedded 

in loose wool; flowers 4 mm long, pistillate barely equaling capillary pappus 

bristles, perfect ones 0.1–0.3 mm longer than pistillate or equaling them. Fruits: 

Achenes 0.8 mm long, pale brown or stramineous, smooth, dull, pappus bristles 

distinct, falling separately. Ecology: Found in sandy washes, dry hillsides, 

and disturbed areas from 2,000–5,000 ft (610–1524 m); flowers July–October. 

Notes: Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, but others in genus have 

medicinal use. Etymology: Pseudognaphalium is false gnaphalium, the former 

genus name, leucocephalum means white or dusky–headed. Synonyms: 

Gnaphalium leucocephalum 



©2008 SEINET–ASU, Liz Makings



Rafinesquia neomexicana 

New Mexico plumseed 

General: Simple to very branched, glabrous 

plant 15–50 cm tall with weak, zigzag, fistulous, 

purplish stems, frequently growing upward 

through shrubs. Leaves: To 15 cm long, 1–3 cm 

wide, deeply and often rucinately pinnatifid, 

lobes to 2 cm long, acute; blades sessile and 

auriculate–clasping or short–petioled. Flowers: 

Heads solitary and scattered at tips of branchlets, 

involucres about 2 cm long, main bracts lance– 

linear, with purplish midribs; ligules white 

within, rose–tinged without, outer ones 15–20 mm long. Fruits: Achenes 

12–15 mm long, body tapering only slightly into beak, nearly twice as long as 

latter, minutely and closely papillate or puberulent, pale to dark gray; pappus 

bristles 10–15 mm long, silvery white, about three times as wide as thick at base. 

Ecology: Found on arid plains, mesas, and gentle slopes 200–3,500 ft (61–1067 

m); flowers March–May. Notes: One of the more conspicuous flowers in 

the spring. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Rafinesquia is named for 

Constantine Samuel Rafinesque–Schmaltz (1783–1840) a 19th century botanist, 

while neomexicana is for New Mexico. Synonyms: None 

Senecio flaccidus 

threadleaf ragwort 

General: Native soft shrub or half– 

shrub or suffrutescent perennial; 

up to 1 m in height; numerous 

long, slender erect stems; dies 

back annually to ground; herbage 

tomentose. Leaves: Leaves 

numerous, well–distributed along 

the stem; 3–10 cm long, linear or 

linear–filiform, less than 2 mm 

wide, sometimes with a few short 

to elongate, spreading lateral segments. Flowers: Heads short–pedunculate 

in small to fairly large cymose clusters on each stem; seldom > 20 per stem, 

relatively large, with numerous involucral bracts (20–30), 7–11 mm long; 

bracteoles small and inconspicuous, not more than 1/4 the height of involucre. 

Ecology: Common on dry plains, mesas, slopes and along washes, and 

common in sagebrush and pinon–juniper zone, from 2,500–7,500 ft (760–2285 

m); flowers May–October. Notes: This species has numerous long, slender 

tomentose stems, giving the plant a grayish appearance; leaves are cauline, 

numerous, and linear to filiform; cymose clusters of flower heads occur on 

each stem. Ethnobotany: Senecio species are poisonous. Navajo use this 

species as medicine for arthritis, rheumatism and boils. Etymology: From 

the Latin senex – old man. Flaccidus is ancient word for flabby. Synonyms: S. 

douglasii var. jamesii, S. douglasii var. longilobus, S. douglasii ssp. longilobus, S. 

filifolius, S. longilobus 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Sonchus asper 


H M L 

spiny sowthistle 

General: A simple or scantily branched annual 0.3–2.5 m tall, herbage glabrous, 

peduncles and involucres with tack–shaped, glandular hairs. Leaves: Basal 

leaves oblanceolate to spatulate in outline, to 30 cm long, blades lyrately or 

rucinately pinnatifid into broadly ovate to oblong lobes and these saliently 

dentate with spinulose teeth or sometimes blades only dentate; petiole often 

equaling blade, cauline leaves similar but usually sessile, auricles to 2 cm long, 

rounded and saliently toothed. Flowers: Heads urceolate–turbinate in bud, 

on peduncles 1–10 cm long, involucres 10–16 mm long and campanulate or 

cylindric in anthesis; main bracts lance–linear, acute to attenuate, thickened 

along midrib toward base in age, glabrous or sparsely glandular–pubescent, 

outer bracts ovate, more commonly glandular, but rarely thickened; ligules 

3–6 mm long, pale yellow, quickly withering. Fruits: Achenes ovoid 2–2.5 

mm long, about 1 mm wide, strongly compressed, each face 3–ribbed and 

smooth in intervals, lateral margins very thin; pappus hairs 6–10 mm long, 

often much tangled, holding several achenes together in cluster. Ecology: 

Widespread, along roadsides, fields, and disturbed sites from 200–8,000 ft 

(61–2438 m); flowers April–August. Notes: Told apart from S. oleraceus by 

achenes, which are strongly 3–5 ribbed on each face, thin–margined; while 

S. oleraceus achenes are striate and 

strongly wrinkled transversely, not thin– 

margined. Ethnobotany: Given to babies 

as a sedative, taken as a heart medicine, 

while other tribes considered this species 

a poison. Etymology: Sonchus is the 

Greek name for sowthistle, while asper 

means rough. Synonyms: Sonchus asper 

ssp. asper, S. asper ssp. glaucescens, S. 

nymanii 



H M L 


Sonchus oleraceus 

common sowthistle 

General: Annual introduced herb; native to Europe; 10 cm–2 m tall; from a 

short taproot; glabrous except for an occasional spreading gland–tipped hair 

on the involucres and peduncles; milky sap. Leaves: Leaves alternate; pinnatifid 

to occasionally merely toothed; soft; the margins only weakly or scarcely 

prickly; 6–30 cm long and 1–15 cm wide; all but the lowermost prominently 

auriculate; leaves progressively less divided upwards. Flowers: Heads several 

in a corymbiform inflorescence; relatively small; 1.5–2.5 cm wide in flower; 

involucre 9–13 mm high in fruit; yellow rays; 120–150 flowers per plant. Fruits: 

Achenes 2.5–3.5 mm long; transversely rugulose and 3–5 ribbed on each face. 

Ecology: Disturbed areas, from 600–8,000 ft (185–2440m); flowers March– 

October. Notes: Two other species of Sonchus in the Intermountain West. S. 

arvensis is also native to Europe and widely introduced in North America; 

prefers fairly moist to wet soil. It is a perennial with deep–seated creeping 

roots and relatively large flowers. S. asper is an annual introduced species 

occurring in meadows, along streambanks and obviously disturbed habitats. 

It differs from S. oleraceus by having mature several–nerved achenes that are 

not rugulose (mature achenes are transversly rugulose as well as several– 

nerved in S. oleraceus). Ethnobotany: 

Young leaves are used in salads or 

cooked in curry and rice dishes. Salves 

are used to treat hemorrhoids and ulcers. 

Tea is used to treat anxiety and asthma. 

The milky juice is often used as eyewash. 

Etymology: Sonchus is the Greek name 

for sowthistle, while oleraceus means 

resembling garden herbs or vegetables 

used in cooking. Synonyms: None 



Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Tagetes minuta 

Tithonia thurberi 


H M L 

muster John Henry 

General: Introduced exotic annual 2–10 dm tall, erect, glabrous. Leaves: 

Leaflets serrate or dentate, pinnately divided, dotted with embedded with oil 

glands. Flowers: In terminal cymes, peduncles 

5–5.5 mm, slender, involucre 7–10 mm, narrowly 

cylindric, phyllaries 3–5, not splitting apart; ray 

flowers 1–3, corollas pale yellow, ligules 1–2 

mm, inconspicuous; disk flowers 3–5, corollas 

yellow 3–4 mm. Fruits: Cylindric achene 4.5–7 

mm, pappus of 1–2 acuminate scales, 2–3 mm, 

and 3–5 ovate to lanceolate scales. Ecology: 

Found in disturbed places below 3,500 ft (1067 

m); flowers throughout year. Notes: This is 

considered invasive in Arizona, still uncertain 

as to its distribution. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Tagetes is named after the 

Etruscan god Tages, while minuta means very 

small, minute. Synonyms: Tagetes bonariensis, 

T. glandulifera, T. glandulosa, T. porophylla 

Arizona sunflowerweed 

General: Slender, moderately branched annual 

0.5–2 m tall with whitish, striate stems sparsely to 

densely hispid–pilose with spreading; tuberculate– 

based, coarse hairs interspersed with finer ones, 

eventually glabrate. Leaves: Lower leaves opposite, 

upper ones alternate, blades ovate to broadly 

triangular–ovate, acute to acuminate, 3–27 cm wide, 

5–28 cm long, cuneately decurrent along petiole 

from a cuneate to broadly cordate base, crenate– 

dentate with mucronulate teeth, deep green 

and hispidulous with incurved hairs above, paler green and sparsely granular or 

hispidulous and hispid–pilose along veins beneath, petioles 2–10 cm long. Flowers: 

Fistulose peduncles, striate, 10–30 cm long, spreadingly hispid–pilose and finely 

hispidulous; heads 2.5–3.5 cm wide, involucres of graduated bracts in 3 series, 1–2 

cm tall, outer bracts lanceolate, oblong–ovate, or obovate, acute to acuminate; rays 

5–10, orange–yellow, oval–oblong 4–6 mm wide, 7–12 mm long; disk corollas 6–6 

mm long, hispidulous on lobes, glandular–pilosulous below, tube about 1 mm long, 

throat cylindrical; oblong receptacular bracts 1–1.5 cm long, abruptly acuminate at 

tip with a small tooth on each side just below tip, striate–ribbed, smooth. Fruits: 

Oblong–obovate achenes, 8.5–9 mm long, pappus awn solitary on outer angle of 

achene, linear–subulate, 5–6 mm long. Ecology: Found in rich soil along banks 

of streams, ditches, and margins of water bodies from 3,000–4,500 ft (914–1372 

m); flowers August–September. Notes: This plant is distinguishable by its orange 

rays and sunflower–like leaves and habit. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Thurberi is named for Dr. George Thurber (1821–1890). Synonyms: None 


©2011 Liz Makings 

©2010 Anthony Mendoza


Trixis californica 

American threefold 

General: Profusely branched subshrub to 1 m 

or less, slender, brittle branches, appressed– 

puberulent branchlets, new growth glandular 

and often densely pubescent with brown hairs. 

Leaves: Leaves and flowers appear at various 

seasons, leaves mostly 3–8 cm, upright, blades 

relatively thin, lanceolate, with minute hairs to 

sometimes glabrate, densely glandular below 

and sometimes above but not as densely so, 

the margins toothed to nearly entire; sessile or 

petioles mostly 1–2 mm, usually winged, dead leaves semipersistent. Flowers: 

Heads in corymbose panicles, usually 12–14–flowered, inner phyllaries green, 

10–15 mm, oblong, with thickened yellow–brown bases extending into midrib; 

flowers yellow, corollas 1 cm long, sparsely puberulent at tips of lobes. Fruits: 

Achenes 8–10 mm long, slender, densely glandular with short stout hairs, 

pappus twice as long as achenes. Ecology: Found on rocky slopes and ridges 

below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February–June, rarely flowering again in 

autumn. Notes: The leaves are densely glandular–dotted beneath, with corky 

thickened bracts at base of leaves. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Trixis 

is from Greek trixos, three–fold, referring to three–cleft outer corolla lip, while 

californica refers to California. Synonyms: Trixis californica var. californica 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Uropappus lindleyi 

Lindley’s silverpuffs 

General: Spring ephemeral with milky sap, glabrous 

or slightly puberulent herbage, scapes 10–60 cm tall. 

Leaves: Linear to linear–lanceolate or pinnate with 

few slender segments, in basal rosette, 10–15 cm long, 

stems above leafless with small glands near flower 

head. Flowers: Each stem bearing single, erect head; 

outer involucral bracts 1 cm long, acute, ligules barely 

surpassing involucre, ephemeral, pale yellow but 

drying reddish or purplish. Fruits: Achenes 8.5–10 

mm long, blackish, linear–cylindric and slightly 

tapered at each end, apex slightly flared; pappus with 

5 papery, silvery, linear–lanceolate scales 9–10 mm, 

these deeply notched at the apex with long, slender awn from notch. Ecology: 

Found on mesas, plains, outwash slopes and arroyos below 5,000 ft (1524 

m); flowers March–June. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Uropappus 

refers to the pappus having a long tail–like dip, while lindleyi is named for 

John Lindley (1799–1865) a British botanist. Synonyms: Microseris linearifolia, 

Uropappus lindleyi, U. linearifolius 

Verbesina encelioides 

golden crownbeard 

General: Native (double check) taprooted 

annual; 20–100 cm tall; simple when small 

and branched above or throughout when 

well developed; stem strigose to villous– 

puberulent. Leaves: Leaves all cauline; 

well distributed along stem; lower leaves 

opposite; others alternate, evident petioles; 

coarsely toothed to subentire; narrowly 

to broadly triangular to merely lance– 

ovate; strigose beneath; thinly strigose on upper surface. Flowers: Heads 

terminating the branches; erect on peduncles up to 10 cm long; phyllaries 

green; ligules yellow and evidently 3–toothed at the tip. Fruits: Achenes 5–7 

mm long, thinly hairy. Ecology: Open, sandy or rocky places, sometimes on 

dunes or along roadsides from 3,000–8,500 ft (914–2591 m); flowers April– 

September. Notes: 2 subspecies in Arizona: exauriculata and encelioides. 

Most of the Arizona plants are of ssp. exauriculata which is the dryland, more 

western phase and distinguished by petioles that are not auriculate–dilated at 

the base. ssp. encelioides is native to the Gulf Coast. It has more prominently 

auriculate leaves and mostly longer involucral bracts (how long?) Host plant 

for Bordered patch butterfly. Ethnobotany: Hopi make plant tea into wash 

for fever or spider bites. Navajo make lotion for similar uses. Navajo also use 

liquid of strained leaves for stomach trouble. It is also a good luck token. 

Etymology: Verbesina is derived from Verbena. Synonyms: None 


©2005 Robert Sivinski 




Xanthisma gracile 

slender goldenweed 

General: Herb; annual; native. Stems 

10–30 cm tall, freely branching. 

Leaves: Leaves are erect on the stem 

and branches; sessile and reduced 

on the upper part of the stem; few 

scattered teeth on leaves, each with a 

stiff bristle 1–2 mm long (also each leaf 

tip); leaves sometimes lobed. Flowers: 

Terminal composite flower heads with 

small disks (6–10 mm wide). Fruits: 

Achene Ecology: Open, dry sites from 3,000–7,500 ft (914–2286 m); flowers 

April–October. Notes: Stem leaves of this annual are erect, with teeth a sharp 

bristle scattered along the margin; flowers are small and yellow. Ethnobotany: 

Navajo make cold tea as wash for pimples, sores, boils and sore eyes. Steeped 

tea is used to treat internal injuries and to clear nasal passages. Etymology: 

From Greek anthemon for flower. Gracilis means graceful or slender. 

Synonyms: Machaeranthera gracilis, Dieteria gracilis, Haplopappus gracilis, H. 

ravenii, Sideranthus gracilis 

Xanthisma spinulosum 

lacy tansyaster, spiny haplopappus 

General: Perennial or subshrub 10–100 

cm, branched caudices, woody, tap 

roots 2–18 cm; stems 1–30+ branched 

throughout, moderately stout, not 

wiry, hairy or glabrous, often stipitate– 

glandular. Leaves: Oblong to lanceolate 

0.2–8 cm by 0.1–3 cm, not reduced 

markedly distally, margins deeply lobed 

to coarsely dentate or entire, teeth 4–18 

per side, tipped with white bristles 0.2– 

1.8 mm, hairy or glabrous; basal leaves sometimes wither by flowering, pinnatifid 

to twice pinnatifid. Flowers: Glabrous to hairy peduncles, often stipitate– 

glandular, bracts 0–3 leaflike, hemispheric to cupulate involucres, 6–10 mm 

by 8–25 mm; phyllaries in 5–6 series, linear to linear–lanceolate, 0.1–0.9 mm, 

apices acute to acuminate, tipped with white bristle, faces glabrous or hairy; 

ray florets 14–60, corollas yellow; disc florets 30–150; corollas 4–5 mm. Fruits: 

Cypselae narrowly obovoid, 1.8–2.5 mm, nerves 16–24, sparsely to moderately 

tawny hairy; pappus tawny, 4–6 mm. Ecology: Found on arid plains, mesas, 

hillsides from 1,000–5,500 ft (305–1676 m); flowers March–June. Notes: This is 

an excessively difficult taxon and there are a number of varieties that make this 

difficult to tease out which is which. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, 

other species in this genus have limited use. Etymology: Xanthisma is a Greek 

name meaning that which is dyed yellow, while pinnatifida means pinnately 

cut. Synonyms: Machaeranthera pinnatifida 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Asteraceae 

Forbs 

Xanthium strumarium 

rough cocklebur 

General: Erect annual herb; 2–20 dm tall, 

appressed–hairy or sub–glabrous. Leaves: 

Long–petiolate, blade broad, ovate to sub– 

orbicular or reniform, generally cordate or 

deltoid at the base, toothed and sometimes 

shallowly 3–5 lobed, often 15 cm long. 

Flowers: Heads in several or many short, 

axillary and terminal inflorescences; burs 

brownish or yellowish–brownish, broadly 

cylindric to ovoid, ellipsoid, or subglobose, mostly 2–3.5 cm long, terminated by 

two stout, incurved beaks, and covered with stout, hooked prickles. Ecology: 

Fields, waste places, floodplains and lake beaches; cosmopolitan weed; 

originally native to the New World and possibly to Europe. From 3,500–7,500 ft 

(1067–2286 m); flowers April–October. Notes: Easily distinguished by its large 

fruits that are burs with long hooked bristles. The leaves sand–papery to the 

touch. Ambrosia–like flowers. Ours are of the var. canadense. Burrs become 

entangled in hides and wool decreasing value. Seeds and cotyledon leaves 

poisonous to all livestock, while morning doves eat seeds. Ethnobotany: The 

leaves made into a tea make a useful diuretic. In large quantities it can have 

toxic effects. Etymology: From the ancient Greek name of a plant producing a 

yellow dye. Synonyms: var. canadense, many others. 

Xanthocephalum gymnospermoides 

San Pedro matchweed 

General: Stout herbaceous annual to 1.5 

m tall, glutinous and sometimes sparingly 

tomentose in youth, very leafy to apex. 

Leaves: Lanceolate to oblong–lanceolate, 

5–20 mm wide, 5–10 cm long, tapering 

toward each end, entire or sometimes 

sparingly denticulate, obscurely pinnately 

veined. Flowers: Heads numerous in 

corymbose cymes, radiate, pedicels 

stipitate–glandular, involucres hemispherical, 6–8 mm high, bracts linear to 

narrowly oblong, subequal, greenish and loose to slightly spreading at tips; 

ray flowers 12–19, ligules yellow, 4–5 mm long, about equaling tubes; disk 

flowers 40–60, golden yellow. Fruits: Achenes oblong, compressed, those 

of rays glabrous, devoid of pappus; disk achenes sparingly strigillose, with a 

very short, toothed, coroniform pappus on outer ones, inner usually with 4–8 

longer, stiff paleae. Ecology: Found along arroyos, alluvial, and saline soils from 

1,000–5,500 ft (305–1676 m); flowers August–October. Notes: Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Xanthocephalum is from a Greek name meaning 

that which is dyed yellow and the word for head, while gymnospermoides 

means naked seed. Synonyms: Grindelia gymnospermoides, Gutierrezia 

gymnospermoides 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2008 SEINET–ASU, Liz Makings



Zinnia acerosa 

desert zinnia 

General: Much branched low rounded or 

flat–topped subshrub 10–25 cm tall, with 

slender cinereous–puberulent branches, 

irregularly scaly grayish bark. Leaves: 

Linear to oblanceolate–linear, acerose 

leaves 0.3–2.5 mm wide, numerous, often 

longer than internodes, 5–20 mm long, 

cinereous–puberulent, golden punctate 

glands interspersed among hairs. Flowers: 

Peduncles 5–35 mm long, campanulate involucres 5–7 mm long, 3–5 mm wide; 

phyllaries suborbicular to oblong, greenish and tomentulose at first, later glabrate 

and stramineous but dull; ray flowers mostly 5–7, ligules suborbicular to broadly 

oblong, 7–10 mm long, white or faintly yellow, strongly green veined beneath, 

persist, strongly reflexed in fruit; disk corollas 5–6 mm, tinged with purple. Fruits: 

Disk achenes 2.5–3.5 mm long, striate, strigose or only upwardly ciliate, pappus 

usually of 2–3 unequal awns or much reduced; ray achenes oblanceolate, 3–angled 

in cross–section, receptacular chaffy bracts uniformly yellow, erose at apex. 

Ecology: Found on arid rocky slopes and mesas from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 m); 

flowers March–November. Notes: The color of the ray flowers is usually sufficient 

to tell it apart from Z. grandiflora. Ethnobotany: Plant was crushed and used as 

a paste on swellings or aches. Also given to children to help them learn to talk. 

Etymology: Acerosa means sharp, or with stiff needles. Synonyms: Zinnia pumila 

Zinnia peruviana 

Peruvian zinnia 

General: Annuals 30–50 cm tall, with greenish 

unbranched or sparingly branched stems, becoming 

purplish or yellowish, strigose. Leaves: Opposite, ovate 

to elliptic or broadly lanceolate blades, 3–5 nerved, 

25–70 cm long by 8–35 mm wide, scabrellous. Flowers: 

On peduncles 10–50 mm long, with narrowly to broadly 

campanulate involucres, phyllaries obovate to oblong, 

becoming scarious, glabrous with rounded apices, 

usually entire to erose, sometimes ciliate; paleae red to 

purple or yellow with obtuse tips, erose or subentire; 

ray florets 6–15, usually scarlet red or maroon, linear to 

spatulate in shape 8–35 mm; disc florets 12–50, corollas 

yellow 5–6 mm, with 1 mm lobes. Fruits: Cypselae 7–10 

mm long, 3–angled in ray flowers or compressed in the 

disc flowers, ribbed and ciliate with pappi of 1 stout awn 4–6 mm long. Ecology: 

Found on rocky soils, often calcareous, from 4,000–5,500 ft (1219–1676 m); flowers 

in summer to fall. Notes: In flower the distinctive red flower is a dead give away. 

The stems can be decumbent and are deceiving, but the ribbed leaves help when 

flowers are not present. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Zinnia is named for 

Johan G. Zinn (1729–1759) a German botanist, while peruviana means of or from 

Peru. Synonyms: Crassina multiflora, Zinnia multiflora, Z. pauciflora 


Asteraceae 

Forbs

Forbs 




Amoreuxia palmatifida 

Mexican yellowshow 

General: Herbaceous perennial from 

fusiform tuberous rootstock, stems 1 

to several, erect 25–35 cm tall, stipules 

linear–subulate, 4–7 mm long. Leaves: 

Alternate, narrow to broadly cuneate, 

7–9 lobed, lobes to 2 cm wide, coarsely 

serrate, rounded or obtuse at apex. 

Flowers: Sepals narrowly lanceolate, 

acute or somewhat attenuate, 15–20 

mm long; petals orange–yellow with 1–2 maroon spots at base of each, 2.5–3 

long; anthers all dark maroon or only lower set dark maroon, ovary densely 

puberulent papillose. Fruits: Ovoid capsule, 3–4 cm long, pendant, weakly 

striate longitudinally, 2–2.5 cm wide, finely and sparsely puberulent and with 

scattered, sessile, reddish glands intermingled with fine crisped hairs. Ecology: 

Found on dry rocky slopes and mesas from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1676 m); 

flowers July–September. Notes: Alternate species A. gonzalezii is separated 

from A. palmatifida by its ellipsoid capsule, silky ovary, and lower set of cream– 

colored anthers as opposed to dark maroon. Howard Gentry reported that this 

plant yields lots of seed, but it is difficult to grow. Ethnobotany: All parts of 

the plants were used as food, including roots, young leaves, flowers, fruits and 

seeds. Etymology: Palmatifida means palmately divided. Synonyms: None 

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia 

Menzies’ common fiddleneck 

General: Erect and slender annual form with 

rough–hispid stems and foliage, 30–150 cm tall, 

or under favorable conditions frequently and 

widely branched. Leaves: Basal leaves narrowly 

oblanceolate or oblong, entire, to 20 cm long, 

gradually narrowed to a slender petioled 1–6 m 

long, upper leaves gradually reduced to linear– 

lanceolate bracts 1 cm long or less, intermediate 

ones usually lanceolate, sessile or subsessile. 

Flowers: Spike leafy–bracted at base, 5–30 cm 

long or more, tip continues to produce flowers after basal nutlets have matured, 

calyx lobes linear–lanceolate, reddish–hispid, 3–5 mm long in flower, elongating 

to 6–10 mm in fruit, corolla dark yellow to orange, 7–12 mm long, rotate limb 

3–6 mm wide, glabrous without, short throat narrow, 10 nerved below stamens. 

Fruits: Ovoid nutlets, incurved, dorsally keeled, scabrous–rugose, grayish, 1.5–3 

mm long. Ecology: Found on grassy hillsides, valleys, along washes, abundant 

on sandy or gravelly soil below 4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers March–May. Notes: 

Varieties of this species and this genus more broadly are determined by the 

size of the nutlets, when collecting it is critical to obtain flowers, fruit, AND 

seed. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species in genus used for 

food, both seeds and young leaves eaten fresh. Etymology: Amsinckia named 

for Wilhelm Amsinck (1752–1831), while menziesii is named for Archibald 

Menzies (1754–1842) a Scottish botanist. Synonyms: Amsinckia intermedia, A. 

intermedia var. echinata, several others: see Tropicos 


Bixaceaee–Boraginaceae 

Forbs

Boraginaceae 

Forbs 

Cryptantha angustifolia 

Panamint cryptantha 

General: Much branched herb 8–25 cm tall, 

usually with many slender, ascending or 

spreading–ascending, brownish stems sparsely 

hispidulous with slender white hairs, epidermis 

eventually exfoliating in irregular strips and 

shreds. Leaves: Linear, usually 1 mm wide or 

less, 5–30 cm long, hispidulous with white hairs 

from pustulate bases. Flowers: Inflorescence 

of numerous short scorpioid spikes, elongating 

in fruit; calyx lobes lance–linear, 1–1.5 mm long 

at anthesis, hispid with stiff spreading hairs, 

white corolla about 1.5 mm long, limb 1.5–2 mm 

broad. Fruits: Nutlets, 4, heteromorphous, all 

ovoid, acute, brownish or pale gray; lateral angles rounded or rather sharp, 

ventral groove narrow above. Ecology: Found in gravelly or rocky soil on 

hillsides, along washes, and on disturbed soil below 4,000 ft (1219 m); flowers 

February–June. Ethnobotany: Other species in the genus used the plant for 

fatigue, coughs, against throat cancer, as sheep feed, for intestinal problems, 

and the plant was chewed for colds. Etymology: Cryptantha is from the Greek 

krypsis, meaning hiding, suppression, concealment, thus a hidden flower, 

while angustifolia means narrow foliage. Synonyms: Eremocarya angustifolia 

Cryptantha micrantha 

redroot cryptantha, dwarf cryptantha 

General: Plant 3–10 cm, branched mostly 

above, stems very slender, bark peeling on the 

lower stems of larger, older plants; hairs small, 

mostly appressed; roots and stems stain bright 

purple when pressed. Leaves: Relatively few 

and scattered, 3–8 mm, those of the first 1 or 

2 nodes opposite and not in a basal rosette. 

Flowers: Infloresence branches not strongly 

helidoic, reaching 5 mm; flowers minute, 

subtended by leafy bract, corollas white with a 

yellow center, lobes broadly obovate–spatulate, 

notched at apex. Fruits: Nutlets 4, 0.9 mm, 

slender, margins rounded; either all smooth or all rough. Ecology: Found 

on sandy soil, often among Larrea from sea level to 7,000 ft (2134 m); flowers 

March–June. Notes: This is the smallest of the Cryptantha. Ethnobotany: 

Other species in the genus used the plant for fatigue, coughs, against throat 

cancer, as sheep feed, for intestinal problems, and the plant was chewed for 

colds. Etymology: Cryptantha is from the Greek krypsis, meaning hiding, 

suppression, concealment, thus a hidden flower, micrantha means small– 

flowered. Synonyms: None 


©2004 James M. Andre ©2003 Michael Charters



Cryptantha nevadensis 

Nevada cryptantha 

General: Annual 10–60 cm, simple to branched 

throughout, strigose, some hairs ascending. 

Leaves: 1–4 cm, linear to oblong, generally 

bristly, bristles more or less ascending. Flowers: 

Inflorescence generally dense in fruit, lowest 

flowers sometimes not touching; sepals 3–3.5 

mm, 6–10 mm and linear in fruit, densely 

rough–hairy and bristly, hairs ascending, 

bristles spreading; corolla limb 1–2 mm wide. 

Fruits: Nutlets 4, 2–2.5 mm, lanceolate, back 

densely tubercled, groove more or less closed, 

forked or flared open at base. Ecology: Found 

on sandy, gravelly soils below 4,000 ft (1219 m); 

flowers March–May. Notes: Frequently found 

under shrubs and bushes. Ethnobotany: Other species in the genus used the 

plant for fatigue, coughs, against throat cancer, as sheep feed, for intestinal 

problems, and the plant was chewed for colds. Etymology: Cryptantha is from 

the Greek krypsis, meaning hiding, suppression, concealment, thus a hidden 

flower, nevadensis is for Nevada. Synonyms: None 

Cryptantha pterocarya 

wingnut cryptantha 

General: Annual 10–40 cm, stem erect or with 

mostly few, ascending branches, few strigose and 

rough–hairs, hairs generally ascending. Leaves: 

Simple, entire, linear to oblong, 0.5–5 cm, bristly; 

bristles ascending; basal whorled; cauline 

generally opposite below, alternate above. 

Flowers: Inflorescences not heliocoid or only 

slightly so on larger plants, more cymose; calyx 

appears angled due to thickened sepal midribs, 

sepals broadly ovate, obtuse, corolla generally white, tube 1–13 mm, appendages 

5, white to yellow. enlarging as the fruit matures to 4.5–6 mm. Fruits: Nutlets 

4, 2.5–3 mm, intricately sculptured, studded with blunt tubercles and edged by 

broad light–colored wing edged with blunt, finger–like projections. Ecology: 

Found on rocky and gravelly soils below 8,000 ft (2438 m); flowers March–June. 

Notes: More common in wet years. Wing nut clearly distinguishes it from other 

Cryptantha. Ethnobotany: Other species in the genus used the plant for fatigue, 

coughs, against throat cancer, as sheep feed, for intestinal problems, and the 

plant was chewed for colds. Etymology: Cryptantha is from the Greek krypsis, 

meaning hiding, suppression, concealment, thus a hidden flower, pterocarya 

means wing nut from Greek pteron and karyon. Synonyms: None 


Boraginaceae 

Forbs

Boraginaceae 

Forbs 

Cryptantha pusilla 

low cryptantha 

General: Annual with many prostrate–ascending, slender branches 10–20 cm 

long, pubescence rather densely strigose and more sparsely spreading–hirsute. 

Leaves: Crowded below, less abundant above, narrowly oblanceolate, 1.5–2.5 

cm long, little reduced above, densely hirsute, hairs from pustulate bases with 

some finer hairs intermixed. Flowers: Corolla small 1.5–3 mm long, calyx 

sessile or nearly so, early deciduous, calyx lobes equal, hirsute, lance–ovate 

to oblong–lanceolate, midrib but thickened, 2–2.5 mm long. Fruits: Nutlets 4, 

strongly bent above base, about 1 mm long, closed, areola shallow, triangular, 

style much surpassing nutlets. Ecology: Found on sandy and rocky soils from 

4,000–5,500 ft (1219–1676 m); flowers March–June. Notes: Diagnostic for this 

species is the bent nutlet. Ethnobotany: Other species in the genus used the 

plant for fatigue, coughs, against throat cancer, as sheep feed, for intestinal 

problems, and the plant was chewed for colds. Etymology: Cryptantha is from 

the Greek krypsis, meaning hiding, suppression, concealment, thus a hidden 

flower, pusillus means small, weak or insignificant. Synonyms: Eritrichium 

pusillum 

Eucrypta micrantha 

dainty desert hideseed 

General: Small, dainty annual, glandular–viscid, 

with stalked glandular hairs intermixed with non– 

glandular hairs. Stems often 5–23 cm, slender, 

erect to ascending, sometimes spreading on 

large plants or when shaded. Leaves: Pinnatifid, 

1.5–5 cm by 0.5–2.6 cm. Flowers: Calyx usually 

divided about halfway up or more to base, with 

stalked glandular and non–glandular hairs; not 

spreading open at maturing, revealing only 

the tip of the capsule; corolla lobes white, pale 

violet, or lavender, throat yellow with yellow nectarines and often nectar filled 

in the morning. Fruits: Capsule, splitting, but the 2 carpels not falling free, the 

halves obovoid, obtusely pointed at tip. Ecology: Widespread, often in shade 

of shrubs, dies out as soil dries out from 4,000 ft (1219 m) and lower; flowers 

February–May. Notes: Grows particularly well in years of abundant moisture, 

can form small mats, often in shade where ground has slightly more moisture. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Eucrypta is from Greek eu, well or true 

and crypta, secret, alluding to hidden inner seeds, while micrantha means 

small–flowered. Synonyms: None 





Lappula redowskii var. occidentalis 

flatspine stickseed 

General: Native annual; puberulent or 

shortly hirsute throughout herbage; 10–80 

cm tall; often with many branches above the 

middle. Leaves: Numerous leaves; blades 

linear to oblong; upper blades sessile, 

1–2 mm long; lower blades petioled and 

longer, up to 6 cm; petioles 1–2 mm long; 

basal leaves often deciduous. Flowers: 

Inconspicuous corolla; white to light blue or 

ochroleucous. Fruits: Marginal prickles of the nutlets in a single row; prickles 

often swollen and confluent toward the base, forming a cupulate border to 

the nutlet. Ecology: Dry to moderately moist, sunny, usually disturbed sites, 

roadsides, overgrazed areas; widely distributed to 8,500 ft (2590 m); flowers 

March–September. Notes: This may not be a showy plant but it makes itself 

known by attaching its many distinctive seeds to the socks of passers by. Two 

varieties of L. occidentalis are found in Arizona: var. cupulata is mainly found 

in the southwestern US and var. redowskii is found throughout the range. L. 

squarrosa has nutlets with marginal prickles in at least 2 rows and prickles are 

slender, not confluent at the base as in L. occidentalis. Ethnobotany: Navajo 

make poultice for insect bites and other skin irritations. Etymology: Lappula 

is from ancient root lappa meaning a bur, while occidentalis means of the west. 

Synonyms: L. redowskii, L. texana 

Nama demissa 

bristly nama 

General: First flowering as rosettes, 

often developing stems 5–30 cm, erect to 

ascending or spreading with age. Larger 

stem hairs 1–1.2 mm, dense, bristly, straight. 

Leaves: Narrowly spatulate 1.5–4.6 cm, 

gradually narrowed to a winged petioled, 

the upper leaves smaller, sessile. Flowers: 

Corollas lavender, 13–15 mm, 2 styles, 

distinct to base, calyx divided nearly to 

base. Fruits: Superior ovary, nutlets, ellipsoid–ovoid, 0.5–0.6 mm, about twice 

as long as wide, yellowish. Ecology: Widespread on gravelly, rocky and sandy 

soils from 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers from February–June. Notes: N. hispidum 

is identifiable by larger more robust habit, usually thicker stems, stouter and 

stiffer hairs, especially on stems. Ethnobotany: Used by the Navajo as a lotion 

for spider or tarantula bites. Etymology: Nama comes from the Greek nama for 

spring or stream, while hispidum means rough with bristly hairs. Synonyms: 

Nama hispidum var. mentzelii, N. hispidum var. revolutum, N. hispidum var. 

spathulatum 


Boraginaceae 

Forbs

Boraginaceae 

Forbs 

Pectocarya heterocarpa 

chuckwalla combseed 

General: Stems prostrate to procumbent, several 

from vase, 5–25 cm long, stigulose with finer hairs 

than most species. Leaves: Linear to narrowly 

oblanceolate, 0.5–1.2 mm wide, 5–25 mm long, 

strigulose. Flowers: Small, about 2 mm long, sepals 

elliptic–lanceolate or linear lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm 

long at anthesis, corolla white. Fruits: Two broadly 

margined nutlets, margins lacerate–toothed and 

deltoid teeth tipped with uncinate hairs, other 2 

nutlets unmargined and somewhat reflexed, tuft 

of uncinate hairs distally. Ecology: Found on arid, 

gravelly, sandy slopes, in valleys and washes and 

in disturbed areas below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers 

February–May. Notes: Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Pectocarya 

from the Greek pectos, combed and karua, nut, while heterocarpa is from 

Greek heteros, different and karphos, a chip of wood, splinter, nail. Synonyms: 

Pectocarya penicillata var. heterocarpa 

Pectocarya recurvata 

curvenut combseed 

General: Plants slender, prostrate to ascending, 

5–20 cm long, minutely cinereous–strigulose. 

Leaves: Filiform–linear to narrowly linear– 

oblanceolate, 0.6–2 mm broad, 1–3 cm long, 

rather harshly strigose. Flowers: Axillary to 

leaves from the very base to apex of individual 

branches, minute; sepals lance–linear, 1.5–2 mm 

long, slightly longer in fruit, strigose; corolla 

short–salverform, about 2 mm long, lobes 

ascending. Fruits: Nutlets linear about 0.8 mm 

broad, 2.5–3.2 mm long, distinctly and often strongly reflexed, often forming 

a semicircle, margins deeply dissected to form series of distinct, short teeth, 

gradually tapering into and terminated by slender, elongated, uncinate 

hair equaling or surpassing tooth. Ecology: Found on arid slopes, plains, 

mesas, washes below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February–April. Notes: The 

recurved nutlet margin is conspicuous. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Pectocarya from the Greek pectos, combed and karua, nut, recurvata means 

curving backwards. Synonyms: None 


©2006 Steve Matson 

©2004 Michelle Cloud–Hughes



Phacelia affinis 

limestone phacelia 

General: Annual forb mostly several– 

branched from near base, 4–20 cm; herbage, 

inflorescences and calyx with dense stiff white 

hairs and sessile glands. Leaves: Mostly basal 

and on lower stem 3–6 cm, pinnately lobed 

to pinnatifid, mostly narrowly oblong; upper 

leaves reduced. Flowers: Cymes moderately 

helicoids, especially on larger plants, flowers 

few to numerous; calyx lobes oblanceolate to 

spoon–shaped, glandular; corollas white (rarely 

pale purple) with a pale yellow–green throat; 

filaments whitish, the anthers included and 

cream colored. Fruits: Many seeds nearly 1 mm, brown, reticulate transversely 

corrugated. Ecology: Found along streams, washes, arroyos from 2,000–4,000 

ft (610–1219 m); flowers March–May. Notes: These plants are known to cause 

light dermatitis. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Phacelia is based on 

Greek phakelos, meaning cluster alluding to crowded spikes, while affinis 

means bordering on or related or similar to. Synonyms: None 

Phacelia arizonica 

Arizona phacelia 

General: Annual with several procumbent 

to ascending stems 5–30 cm long, villous and 

hirsutulous, inflorescence somewhat glandular. 

Leaves: Ovate, oblong, to oblong–oblanceolate in 

outline, 8–20 mm wide, 3–8 cm long, pinnatifid, 

lobes entire, dentate or again pinnatifid, mostly 

obtuse. Flowers: Slender petioles 5–18 mm long, 

compact cyme, usually branched 1–3 cm long in 

flower, erect and to 10 cm in fruit; slender pedicel, 

1 mm long at anthesis to 4 mm long and ascending 

in fruit, calyx lobes lance–elliptic 2 mm long at 

anthesis, 4 mm in fruit; campanulate corolla 4–5 

mm, white to pale lavender. Fruits: Globose capsule 3 mm in diameter sparsely 

hirsutulous. Ecology: Found on rocky hillsides, plains, and mesas from 1,500– 

5,000 ft (457–1524 m); flowers February–May. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Phacelia from Greek phacelo– for bundle; arizonica for Arizona. 

Synonyms: Phacelia popei var. arizonica 


Boraginaceae 

Forbs

Boraginaceae 

Forbs 

Phacelia crenulata 

cleftleaf wildheliotrope 

General: Annual, pungent, allergenic, 

stems 10–40 (up to 80) cm tall, erect, openly 

branched, stems and leaves with copious 

stalked glands as well as non–glandular 

hispid hairs, glands are yellow to orange 

and odiferous. Leaves: Oblong in outline, 

2–12 cm, reduced upwards, mildly to deeply 

lobed, with crenate lobes. Lower sinuses 

quite deep, upper sinuses becoming shallow. 

Lower leaves petiolate, cauline leaves becoming sessile. Leaves bearing 

numerous stalked glands as well as hispid hairs. Flowers: Inflorescence of 

dense terminal and lateral scorpioid cymes. Cymes several to many flowered. 

Corolla showy, blue to purple to lavender to occasionally white basally. Stamens 

conspicuously exserted and with yellow anthers. Fruits: Globose capsule with 

4 seeds. Ecology: Dry, gravelly hillsides and flats, sandy and clay soils from 

3,500–7,000 ft (1067–2134 m); flowers April–September. Notes: Positive field 

identification of Phacelia is quite difficult as specific delimitations usually rely 

on seed morphology. Ethnobotany: Keres make root tea for sore throat and 

into rub for swellings. Etymology: Phacelia from Greek phacelo– for bundle; 

crenulata from crenata for toothed margins. Synonyms: P. corrugata 

Phacelia distans 

distant phacelia, caterpillar phacelia 

General: Annual forb 15–45 cm, erect and 

simple to much branched and spreading to 

procumbent; herbage moderately sticky and 

often scabrous with conspicuous white hairs, 

sometimes with swollen white bases and also 

sessile glands, golden when fresh; stems leafy, 

semisucculent and relatively stout. Leaves: 

Usually relatively thin and fernlike, 6–17 cm, 

1 or 2 times pinnatifid, segments pinnately 

lobed or toothed to pinnatifid. Flowers: 

Cymes helicoids, calyx lobes enlarging moderately in fruit, reaching 6 mm; 

corollas 8–9.5 mm, pale violet to blue, the lobes spreading; stamens usually 

no or scarcely exserted. Fruits: Seeds 4 or fewer around 2 mm, red–brown, 

narrowly ovoid, pitted, the back convex, the ventral side angled and convex. 

Ecology: Found under bushes along washes and along sandy–gravelly washes 

and bajadas and less often rocky slopes from 1,000–4,000 ft (305–1219 m); 

flowers from February–May. Notes: Delicate foliage and bright–blue flowers 

are indicative of this species, plants often disappearing quickly along with 

soil moisture. Ethnobotany: Leaves were steamed and eaten as greens by 

Kawaiisu. Etymology: Phacelia from Greek phacelo– for bundle, distans 

means separated, apart, widely–spaced in reference to the long, exserted 

stamens. Synonyms: Phacelia cinerea, P. distans var. australis 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2008 T. Beth Kinsey


Plagiobothrys arizonicus 

lipstick weed, Arizona popcornflower 

General: Annual herb with 1 to several stems 

from base, these usually simple, erect, ascending 

or slightly decumbent, 10–30 cm long, hispid 

herbage with slender spreading hairs 1–2.5 

mm long; sparsely puberulent with tangled, 

mostly appressed, delicate hairs among bases 

of spreading hairs, stems, roots, and leaves, 

particularly midribs, which are distinctively 

purplish–red. Leaves: Lanceolate to linear– 

oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm broad, 1–6 cm long, basal 

ones gradually narrowed to slender base, acute to obtuse at apex, strigose and 

with some spreading hairs, not noticeable pustulate. Flowers: Spikes compact 

at anthesis, elongated and lax in fruit, to 15 cm long, naked or few–bracteate 

toward base; calyx lobes ovate, distinct about one–half way to base, densely 

tawny–hirsute; calyx 3–4 mm long in fruit, at length circumscissile, lobes 

equal; corolla 2 mm long, 1.5–2 mm broad, white. Fruits: Nutlets usually 2, 

sometimes fewer, ovoid, short–acute, 1.5–2 mm long, transversely rugulose, 

reticulate dorsal and lateral keels. Ecology: Found on arid sandy hillsides and 

plains below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February–May. Notes: Lipstick red leaf 

midribs and margins are tell–tale for this species. Ethnobotany: Red coating 

on outside leaves and lower stems used as a red pigment to paint the body 

and face. Etymology: Plagiobothrys is derived from Greek plagios, oblique or 

placed sideways, and bothros, a pit or scar, arizonicus is named for Arizona. 


Plagiobothrys pringlei 

Pringle’s popcornflower 

General: Prostrate or decumbent annual with several rather coarse stems 10– 

25 cm long, from slender taproot, herbage hispid throughout. Leaves: Leaves 

not developing a distinct rosette, lowermost commonly opposite, upper ones 

alternate, blades linear to linear–oblong, 2–3 cm long, acute or obtuse at apex. 

Flowers: Borne throughout length of stems, even in axils of basal leaves; 

calyx lobes narrowly linear–lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, somewhat spreading 

in fruit; corolla white, minute. Fruits: Nutlets 4, ovoid, finely wrinkled and 

finely roughed, keeled both dorsally and ventrally. Ecology: Found on arid 

plains, sandy mesas, and hillsides from 1,000–4,500 ft (305–1372 m); flowers 

February–April. Notes: Long striped nutlets is unique among the borages. 

Of conservation concern in Arizona. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Plagiobothrys is derived from Greek plagios, oblique or placed sideways, and 

bothros, a pit or scar, pringlei is named for Cyrus Guernsey Pringle (1838– 

1911). Synonyms: None 


Boraginaceae 

Forbs

Brassicaceae 

Forbs 


Capsella bursa–pastoris 

H M L 

shepherd’s purse 

General: Annual introduced herb; stem 20–50 cm, simple or occasionally 

branched above; pubescent below with stellate hairs, usually glabrous above. 

Leaves: Basal leaves 3–16 cm long, 1–3 cm wide, toothed to (more often) pinnately 

divided or lobed into angular, forward–pointing lobes or segments; stem leaves 

greatly reduced upwards and auriculate–clasping. Flowers: Inflorescence many– 

flowered; pedicels spreading or ascending, 10–15 mm long; petals 2–4 mm long, 

white to pinkish. Fruits: Silicles 5–8 mm long, 3–5 mm wide, shaped like an inverted 

triangle with the top side dented. Ecology: Disturbed areas up to 9,000 ft (2740 

m); flowers March–September. Notes: Oddly shaped silicles are distinctive and 

the source of the common name “shepherd’s purse.” Host plant for Checkered 

White, Cabbage White, and Sara Orangetip butterflies. Ethnobotany: Cheyenne 

use leaves and stems for head pain. Chippewa, Costanoan, and Mahuna all use 

plant for painful diarrhea. Menominee use plant wash to alleviate poison ivy 

discomfort. Mohegan eat seed pods to kill internal worms. Apache, Chiricahua, 

and Mescalero use seed flour for bread. Mendocino eat seed as staple grain. 

Cherokee use leaf spice in cooking. Seeds 

are known to stimulate digestive juices, 

which aids in the digestive process. The 

seeds are also useful in stopping internal or 

external bleeding. Etymology: Capsella is 

ancient word for small box, depicting the 

fruit. Bursa–pastoris translates to sheperd’s 

purse. Synonyms: Bursa bursa–pastoris, 

Bursa gracilis, Capsella rubella, Thlaspi 

bursa–pastoris 



©2003 Michael Charters 

Descurainia pinnata 

western tansymustard 

General: Native annual herb; stems 10–70 cm tall, 

usually branched, sparsely to densely pubescent. 

Leaves: Lower leaves mostly bipinnate and upper 

leaves pinnate; leaflets usually pinnatifid, pubescent 

like the stem. Flowers: Racemes terminal; flowers 

with pedicels 3–20 mm long, spreading; petals 2–3 

mm long, white to yellow. Fruits: Siliques 4–20 mm 

long, more or less club–shaped; seeds numerous, 

in two rows. Ecology: Found on a variety of soils 

and conditions from 3,000–7,000 ft (914–2134 m); 

flowers April–August. Notes: Distinguished from 

other Descurainia by some of the siliques (at least) having seeds in two rows 

(vs. in one row in D. sophia) and the lower leaves bipinnate (vs. once pinnate 

in D. obtusa). Toxic to livestock, although lightly consumed by mule deer in 

winter and spring. Rodents and lagomorphs graze on it, while it is larval food 

for several butterflies. Host plant for Spring White, Checkered White, Pearly 

Marble, and Sara Orangetip butterflies. Ethnobotany: Edible greens and seeds. 

Tansy mustard appears in clan names and migration tales as an important plant. 

Etymology: Named for French physician Franscois Descourain. Pinnat means 

feathered or winged. Synonyms: None 

H M L 


Descurainia sophia 

herb sophia 

General: Exotic annual herb, naturalized from Europe; stems 25–75 cm tall, 

branched, stellate pubescent. Leaves: Leaves 2 or 3 times pinnate, 2–9 cm long, 

the ultimate divisions linear. Flowers: Racemes terminal; flowers with pedicels 

8–15 mm long; sepals 2 mm long; petals greenish–yellow, about as long as the 

sepals. Fruits: Siliques linear, 1–3 cm long, often curved, loosely ascending; 

seeds numerous, 10–20 in each locule, in one row. Ecology: Found on open 

and disturbed ground from 3,000–7,500 ft (914–2286 m); flowers April–June. 

Notes: Distinguished from other Descurainia by some of the siliques (at least) 

having seeds in one row (vs. in two rows in D. pinnata); leaves bipinnate to 

tripinnate; siliques larger (10–30 mm long). Species is often found in dry and 

disturbed areas. Species may be dominant on sites due to large seed crops. 

This attribute may increase browse potential. Species is rapidly killed by fire 

but will re–establish quickly due to large 

seed crops. Toxic to livestock, and is larval 

food for several butterflies. Host plant 

for Checkered White and Beckers White 

butterflies. Ethnobotany: Edible greens and 

seeds. Tansy mustard appears in clan names 

and migration tales as an important plant. 

Etymology: Commemorating Francois 

Descourain, famous French physician. 

Sophia translates to wisdom. Synonyms: 

Sophia sophia, Sisysibrium sophia 

© 2011 Max Licher 


Brassicaceae 

Forbs

Brassicaceae 

Forbs 

Draba cuneifolia var. cuneifolia 

wedgeleaf draba 

General: Native annual herb; plants 1–25 cm 

tall, stems simple or branched at the base; 

pubescent at least near the base with simple 

and/or forked hairs. Leaves: Crowded at 

or near the base; basal leaves orbicular to 

ovate or obovate, 0.5–5 cm long, 2–27 mm 

wide, entire or often with a few teeth near 

the tips, pubescent with 2–4 forked hairs and 

sometimes simple ones as well; stem leaves 

few to several, similar to the basal leaves 

but usually much reduced. Flowers: Racemes 3–many flowered, crowded 

or elongating in fruit; pedicels spreading to ascending, 1–10 mm long, with 

branched hairs; sepals 1.5–2.5 mm long, pubescent; petals white, 3–5 mm long. 

Fruits: Silicles strongly laterally compressed, 4–15 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, 

pubescent; seeds 20 or more. Ecology: Sandy soil from 1,000–7,000 ft (305– 

2135 m); flowers February–May. Notes: Flowers white, leaves cluster at the 

base of the flower stalk. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Draba is from 

the Greek drabe for sharp or acrid, while cuneifolia means leaves tapered to 

the base. Synonyms: D. sonorae 


Erysimum repandum 

H M L 

spreading wallflower 

General: Introduced annual herb; stems usually much branched, 10–50 cm 

tall; pubescent throughout with short, appressed hairs. Leaves: Basal and 

cauline, mostly lanceolate, wavy margined and finely toothed, 1–11 cm long, 

1–8 mm wide; pubescent with short, appressed hairs. Flowers: Sepals 3–6 

mm long, yellowish or greenish; petals 5–8 mm long, yellow. Fruits: Pedicels 

2–5 mm long, nearly or as wide as the 

fruits; siliques 3–8 cm long, 1–2 mm wide, 

glabrous or nearly so, generally spreading to 

ascending. Ecology: Disturbed areas from 

4000–7000 ft (1219–2134 m); flowers March– 

July. Notes: Annual, with small flowers 

and generally a highly branching habit. 

Etymology: Erysimum is Greek meaning 

to help, given for its medicinal uses, name 

given by Theophratus. Repandum is ancient 

word referring to wavy margin. Synonyms: 

Cheirinia repanda 





Lepidium lasiocarpum 

shaggyfruit pepperweed 

General: Annual from 5–20 cm, larger 

plants much–branched, herbage with 

simple, spreading, white, rather thick hairs 

less than 0.4 mm. Leaves: Alternate, basal 

rosette 2.5–6 cm, oblanceolate leaves, 

quickly withering as stems develop; stem 

leaves smaller, oblanceolate, variable, 

withering as plant matures. Flowers: 

Racemes 2–10 cm, numerous and often crowded on larger plants, pedicels 

conspicuously flattened, glabrous or pubescent; flowers bisexual, sepals 4, 

less than 1 mm, wide margins, petals white, 6 stamens, superior ovary, quickly 

deciduous. Fruits: Orbicular and flattened, 2–celled pod, 2–3 mm across, 

with tiny notch at apex, gelatinous when wetted. Ecology: Found on playas, 

washes, arroyos, beaches, saline soils, roadsides and other disturbed areas 

below 6,500 ft (1981 m); flowers February–May. Ethnobotany: Plant used as 

a disinfectant, seeds were gathered and ground, parched, eaten in a variety 

of ways. Etymology: Lepidium is from Greek lepidion, meaning little scale, a 

reference to the shape of the fruits, lasiocarpum means having woolly seeds or 

fruits. Synonyms: None 

Lepidium thurberi 

Thurber’s pepperweed 

General: Annual or biennial 

under ideal conditions with erect, 

ascending, freely branched stems 10– 

60 cm tall, stems hirsute–canescent 

to pilose throughout, longer hairs 

obviously flattened, shorter ones 

usually papilliferous or clavate. 

Leaves: Lower leaves oblanceolate in 

©2005 Carlos M. Gonzalez Leon 

outline, 3–7.5 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide, 

pinnatifid into 3–8 pairs of more or less lobed or dissected segments, ultimate 

divisions linear to obovate, acute, or apiculate; cauline leaves reduced but 

similar to lower leaves. Flowers: Many flowered raceme, elongating at 1.5–2 

cm in fruit; slender pedicels, spreading 6–9 mm long in fruit, slightly flattened, 

pilosulous along margins; sepals broadly ovate, white, 1–1.5 mm long, petals 

white 2–3 mm long, glabrous filaments. Fruits: Silicles ovate to suborbicular 

2–2.5 mm wide, 2–3 mm long, very shallowly and narrowly notched, glabrous. 

Ecology: Found in waste places, roadsides, along washes, and disturbed 

areas below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February–September. Notes: Flattened 

hirsute to pilose hairs is one diagnostic for this plant. Ethnobotany: Papago 

gathered seeds, winnowed them, parched, dried, cooked, and used for food. 

Etymology: Lepidium is from Greek lepidion, meaning little scale, a reference 

to the shape of the fruits, thurberi is named for Dr. George Thurber (1821–1890) 

a member of the Mexican Boundary Survey. Synonyms: None 


Brassicaceae 

Forbs

Brassicaceae 

Forbs 

Nasturtium officinale 

Physaria gordonii 


H M L 

watercress 

General: Perennial aquatic or semi–aquatic herb; succulent stems floating, 

creeping or ascending, rooting at the nodes, 10–80 cm or more long; glabrous. 

Leaves: Pinnately divided into ovate to orbicular segments, the terminal one 

the largest, 1–10 cm long, narrowly clasping at the base. Flowers: Racemes 

without bracts; pedicels spreading to ascending, 5–13 mm long; sepals 2–3 

mm long, green or with white tips; petals white, 3–5 mm long, oblanceolate. 

Fruits: Siliques spreading or curved upward, 1–3 cm long, 2–3 mm wide; style 

about 1 mm long. Ecology: Found in water or very wet soil from 1,500–7,500 

ft (460–2285 m); flowers April–August. Notes: Usually found in streams. 

White petals and leaves with a long terminal lobe that is larger than the lateral 

ones. Ethnobotany: Havasupai used for food. Other tribes eat as greens. 

Etymology: Rorippa is an Anglo– 

Saxon work rorippen with an uncertain 

meaning, while nasturtium–aquaticum 

is from the Latin nasus tortus, a twisted 

nose. Synonyms: Rorippa nasturtium– 

aquaticum, Sisymbrium nasturtium– 

aquaticum, Nasturtium nasturtium– 

aquaticum 

Gordon’s bladderpod 

General: Densely stellate–canescent 

annual with several to many decumbent 

stems 10–30 cm long. Leaves: Basal leaves 

narrowly oblanceolate to spatulate, entire 

to slightly repand (rarely lyrate), 1.5–3.5 

cm long, acute at apex, gradually narrows 

to slender petiole nearly equal to blade; 

numerous cauline leaves, 1–3 cm long, linear 

to narrowly oblanceolate, entire or faintly 

wavy. Flowers: Racemes compact in flower, elongating later; stout pedicels, 

slightly recurved, 7–10 mm long; petals yellow, narrowly obovate, claw slightly 

dialated basally. Fruits: Pod globose and glabrous, 3.5–4 mm diameter on a tip 

0.5–0.8 mm long. Ecology: Found on sandy plains, mountain slopes and mesas 

below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February–June. Notes: This is widespread 

in the desert and some years has truly remarkable blooms. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown for this species, however, other species have wide medicinal and 

ceremonial uses. Etymology: Lesquerella is named for Leo Lesquereaux 

(1805–1889) an American botanist, and gordonii is named for Alexander 

Gordon (c. 1795?) an English horticulturalist and nurseryman. Synonyms: 

Lesquerella gordonii 




H M L 


Sisymbrium irio 

London rocket 

General: Erect annual, strict or branching from above base, glabrous or sparsely 

pubescent on part of herbage and pedicels. Leaves: Petioled, pinnatifid, larger 

ones 7–20 cm, blades thin. Flowers: Flowering stems usually branched, sepals 

green, petals, filaments, and anthers yellow; petals 3–4 mm, slender, spreading 

pedicels 5–14 mm. Fruits: Siliques linear, slender, 0.5–0.6 or rarely 1 mm in 

diameter, 2–5 cm long, curving upward. Ecology: Fairly widespread weed 

of all disturbed areas below 4,500 ft (1372 m); flowers February–May. Notes: 

Introduced from Europe, this is an 

abundant weed. Ethnobotany: Used by 

the Pima as food, as seeds were parched 

and made into pinole, while leaves 

were eaten raw and boiled or fried. 

Etymology: Sisymbrium is from a Greek 

name for some plants of the mustard 

family, irio is a reference to an old kind 

of cress. Synonyms: Norta irio 



Brassicaceae 

Forbs

Campanulaceae 

Forbs 

Nemacladus glanduliferus 

glandular threadplant 

General: Winter spring ephemeral, 3.5–18 

cm, glabrous or sparsely to moderately 

pubescent with short white hairs at base; 

stems threadlike, much branched and 

upright or spreading. Herbage usually dark 

olive–green to purple brown. Leaves: Basal 

leaves 3–10 mm long, oblanceolate with 

toothed margins, soon drying, stem leaves 

are bractlike. Flowers: Racemes zigzag, 

pedicels ascending to spreading, calyx segments green, 0.8–1.5 mm, corollas 

twice as long as calyx, lobes pointed, white with maroon–purple tips. Fruits: 

Capsule, 2–celled, loculicidally dehiscent. Ecology: Found on rocky slopes, 

sandy–gravelly soils, along washes, arroyos below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers 

April–June. Notes: Notable for its diffuse much branched habit and stiffer 

branches. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Nemacladus is from Greek 

nema, a thread and clados, branch, meaning thread–like branches, while 

glanduliferus means bearing or producing glands. Synonyms: None 

Triodanis perfoliata 

clasping Venus’ looking–glass 

General: Native annual herb; stem erect, 

simple or somewhat branched, 10–50 

cm tall, spreading hairy, at least near the 

base. Leaves: Alternate, 0.5–3 cm long 

(sometimes wider than long), sessile and 

clasping the stem, round to cordate, with 

rounded teeth, hairy on the veins and 

margins. Flowers: Borne singly or in 

clusters of two or three in leaf axils; calyx 

3–8 mm long; corolla 6–12 mm long, purple to bluish lavender. Fruits: Capsule 

5–10 mm long. Ecology: Found on hillsides, under shrubs and in the shade of 

rocks from 5,000–8,500 ft (1524–2591 m); flowers June and July. Notes: Leaves 

of this slender annual are hairy, alternate, clasping, and relatively small and 

rounded; flowers are sessile, purple to blue, and borne in spikes. Etymology: 

Triodanus is from Greek treis, “three,” and odons, “tooth,” hence “three– 

toothed.” Perfoliata refers to the stem which perforates the stem. Synonyms: 

None 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2006 Vince Scheidt

©Al Schneider, www.swcoloradowidlflowers.com 


Cleome lutea var. jonesii 

yellow spiderflower (Jones’ spiderflower) 

General: Tall glabrous annual herb with branching 

stems 30–60 cm tall; leaves with 5 (sometimes 7) 

palmately compound leaflets; flowers yellow. Leaves: 

Leaves with 5 (sometimes 7) palmately compound 

leaflets, glabrous; lower leaf petioles longer than 

upper leaf petioles which can be sessile; leaflets 

oblong to oblanceolate, 2–5 cm long, entire. Flowers: 

Racemes elongate in fruit, rather persistent sepals 

united below; petals pale yellow, 4–7 mm long; 

filaments 10–15 mm long. Fruits: Capsules 1–4 cm 

long on stipes 10–20 mm long; seeds nearly round 

and yellowish, 2 mm long. Ecology: Mostly along 

streams from 2,000–7,000 ft (600–2130 m); flowers 

May-August Notes: Characterized by 5–7 palmately 

compound, entire leaflets and a raceme of yellow flowers. High drought 

tolerance, no fire tolerance. Ethnobotany: Navajo used with tobacco in some 

chants. Plant also used for insect bites. Capers can also be gathered to eat. 

Etymology: Cleome is early European name for mustard–like plant. Lutea 

means yellow, from a source of yellow dye called lutum. Synonyms: None 

Polanisia dodecandra 

redwhisker clammyweed 

General: Annual herb, strong–scented, 

20–80 cm tall, glandular–pubescent. 

Leaves: Leaves palmately trifoliate, leaflets 

oblanceolate to oval, 1–4 cm long; petioles 

1–4 cm long. Flowers: Flowers in terminal 

racemes; sepals 4, purple–tinged, 4–5 mm 

long; petals 4, clawed, whitish, 8–12 mm 

long; stamens 8–32, with purple filaments, 

long–exserted; style 4–6 mm long. Fruits: 

Capsule almost sessile, 2–3 cm long, 

elongate and somewhat compressed. 

Seeds numerous, brown, almost round, about 2 mm long. Ecology: Found in 

outwash slopes, in disturbed areas from 1,000–6,500 ft (305–1981 m); flowers 

May–October. Notes: Distinguished from Cleome lutea by having 3 leaflets and 

whitish petals that are 8–12 mm long; there is one subspecies in our region, ssp. 

tracysperma. Ethnobotany: Pueblo use for food, as greens, boiled and stored 

for winter food. Zuni use ceremonially. Etymology: Polanisia is from Greek 

polys “many” and anisos “unequal”, referring to the numbers of stamens. 



Cleomaceae 

Forbs

Caryophyllaceae –Commelinaceae 

Forbs 


Loeflingia squarrosa 

Commelina erecta 

H M L 

spreading pygmyleaf 

General: Glandular pubescent, somewhat fleshy, stiff stems, dichotomously 

branched at or near the base, variously branched, prostrate or decumbent 

5–15 m long. Leaves: Usually connate proximally into short, scarious sheath, 

stipules filamentous to spinose, .4–1.5 mm; blade erect to recurved, 0.4–5.5 mm 

apex blunt to spine–tipped. Flowers: Secund inflorescence, flowers. Sepals 

similar to leaves 4–5 mm long, recurved, rigid, bristle–tipped; calyx squarrose 

owing to spreading–recurved tips of sepals; petals minute or wanting; stamens 

3–5, 0.4–0.7 mm long, equaling ovary at anthesis. Fruits: Oblong capsule 3– 

angled, 1.5–3.7 mm, 2–5 times as long as sepals. Ecology: Found in sandy and 

gravelly soils from sea level to 7,000 ft (2134 

m); flowers March–April. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Loeflingia is named 

for Pehr Lofling (1729–1756) a Swedish 

botanist, while squarrosa means scaly or 

rough. Synonyms: None 

whitemouth dayflower 

General: Erect to ascending perennial, 

freely branching, fleshy roots, tufted. 

Leaves: Sessile or petiolate, linear, 

lanceolate to lanceolate–ovate, 2.5–17 cm 

long, 0.3–3 cm wide, apex acuminate, rarely 

acute. Flowers: Solitary or clustered spathe 

1–2.5 cm long, 0.7–1.5 cm wide, peduncle 

0.5–1 cm, margins fused at base, glabrous 

except for fused edge, surface green, usually 

variously pubescent, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers perfect and staminate, 

1.5–4 cm wide, upper petals blue (rare: lavender or white), lower petal minute, 

white; staminodes and medial stamen anther yellow. Fruits: Loculicidal 

capsule, 1 locule warty indehiscent, 2 locules smooth dehiscent. Ecology: 

Found in grasslands to meadows in mesquite woodlands to pine forests on 

granitic and limestone soils from 4,000–7,500 ft (1219–2286 m); flowers July– 

November. Notes: Told from C. dianthifolia by the spathe margins, fused in 

C. erecta, free in C. dianthifolia. Ethnobotany: One variety was used by the 

Seminole to soothe irritations. Etymology: Commelina comes from the Dutch 

botanists Jan (1629–1692) and nephew Caspar (1667–1731) Commelijn, while 

erecta refers to its upright habit. Synonyms: None 




H M L 


Convolvulus arvensis 

bindweed 

General: Introduced perennial herb; stems slender, prostrate or twining, 

20–120 cm long, glabrous or somewhat hairy; often forming large patches. 

Leaves: Alternate, variable, oblong to ovate, usually with hastate base; 3–4 cm 

long and almost as wide. Flowers: 1–3 per node on long (1–5 cm) peduncles in 

leaf axils, w/narrow bracts near middle of flower stalk; calyx of oblong lobes, 

3–5 mm long; funnel–shaped corolla of fused petals, 15–25 mm long, white to 

pink, often w/darker bands outside on folds. Fruits: Capsule 5–8 mm high; 

seeds black, 4 mm long. Ecology: Disturbed habitats, orchards, and gardens 

from 3,500–8,000 ft (1067–2438 m); flowers May–September. Notes: Looks 

vegetatively similar to Polygonum convolvulus, but lacks the lacerate stipules 

of that species. A related species C. equitans, is occasionally found near Tonto 

National Monument, and can be distinguished by leaves much longer than 

broad, calyx much longer (6–12 mm), and not forming large patches. Species 

is competitive in disturbed areas. Cattle may be a vector for species spread. 

When restoring an area where C. arvensis may be a problem it is recommended 

that extreme precautions to be taken in maintaining native species. Plant is top 

killed by fire but readily resurges from rhizomes. Hence, fire is not an adequate 

tactic to control invasive populations. One of most common “weeds” in all of 

North America. Highly palatable to pigs, but 

sheep and cattle will not eat it. Poor palatability 

to wild ungulates. Host plant for Painted 

Crescent butterfly. Ethnobotany: Navajo 

make cold plant tea for spider bites. Pomo make 

slow plant tea for painful menses. Okanagon– 

colville use stems for roping hunted animals. 

Etymology: Convolvulus means interwoven 

and arvensis means of cultivated alpine fields. 

Synonyms: Convolvulus ambigens; C.incanus; 

©1995 Br. Alfred Brousseau, 

Saint Mary’s College 

Strophocaulos arvensis 


Convolvulaceae 

Forbs


Forbs 

Cuscuta umbellata 

flatglobe dodder 

General: Parasitic perennial forb with 

slender but profuse stems, twining or 

trailing, yellow–orange Leaves: Reduced 

to scales or not present. Flowers: 

Glabrous or slightly puberulent, 4–6 

mm long, pentamerous, on pedicels 2–8 

mm long, forming dense compound 

cymes; calyx turbinate, lobes as long 

©Pedro Acevedo–Rodriguez @ USDA–NRCS Plants DB 

as or longer than campanulate corolla, 

acute to acuminate; corolla lobes equal corolla tube, oblong to lancolate, 

acute to acuminate, usually reflexed; campanulate corolla almost colorless, 

whitish. Fruits: Depressed–globose capsule, with ring of low, road, rounded 

tubercules about intrastylar aperture, circumscissile, whithering corolla in 

fruit. Ecology: Found on various hosts, mostly herbaceous. Notes: Parasitic 

on Polygonum, Atriplex, Suaeda, Alternanthera, Amaranthus, Boerhaavia, 

Trianthema, Kallstroemia, Tribulus, and Euphorbia. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, but other species in this genera have many uses. Etymology: 

Cuscuta is the name of an Arabic derivation meaning dodder, umbellata 

refers to the form of the flowers. Synonyms: Cuscuta umbellata var. reflexa, 

Grammica umbellata 

Evolvulus arizonicus 

wild dwarf morning–glory 

General: Suffrutescent herbs, densely 

appressed–pilose to almost woolly tomentose 

throughout; few to many stems from a woody 

base, erect to ascending or decumbent, 10–30 

cm tall. Leaves: Lanceolate to linear–lanceolate, 

10–25 mm long, 2.5–6 mm wide, gradually 

decreasing in size toward apex, the upper leaves 

linear, acute or obtuse apically, attenuate basally, 

petioles absent or short. Flowers: 1–3 flowered 

cymes on slender peduncles as long as or longer 

than leaves; flowers on pedicels 3–4 mm long, reflexed in fruit, bracteoles 

linear–subulate, 1.5–3 mm long; sepals equal, lanceolate, acuminate, 3–3.5 mm 

long, corollas blue or blue with white stripes, rotate to broadly campanulate, 

12–22 mm wide, filaments inserted near base, 1.5–2 times as long as the linear 

anthers; glabrous ovary. Fruits: Globose fruit, 3.5–4 mm long. Ecology: Found 

in disturbed, often rocky sites from 3,000–6,000 ft (914–1829 m); flowers April– 

October. Notes: Similar to E. alsinoides also found in SE Arizona, but with a 

larger corolla. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Arizonicus refers to 

being from Arizona. Synonyms: Evolvulus arizonicus var. laetus, E. laetus 





Ipomoea barbatisepala 

canyon morning–glory 

General: Low–climbing glabrous annual vine. 

Leaves: Orbicular–ovate in outline, 3–8 cm 

long, 1.5–8.5 cm wide, deeply 5–7 lobed, glabrous 

often with glandular dots at least below, the base 

cordate, lobes lanceolate and narrowed toward 

base, the apex acute to acuminate, the petioles 

1–5.5 cm long. Flowers: Axillary inflorescences, 

1–3 flowered cymes, peduncles 2–6 cm long, 

glabrous or remotely appressed–hairy; bracts 

foliaceous, elliptic to linear, 5–6 mm long; 

flowers on pedicels 4–5 mm long, glabrous, erect 

in fruit, sepals 10–12 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, hispid–pilose except at base, tips 

elongate, narrowly linear, bases slightly dilated; corollas funnelform, 1.6–2 

cm long, glabrous, blue to light rosy–purple or white, the limb 1.8–2 cm wide, 

stamens 10–11 mm long. Fruits: Glabrous capsule 8–9 mm long, rounded, 

apiculate, 2–3 locular. Ecology: Found in chaparral and desertscrub from 

2,500–8,000 ft (762–2438 m); flowers July–December. Notes: Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Ipomoea comes from Greek ips, a worm and homoios, 

like, referring to plant’s habit. Synonyms: None 

Ipomoea costellata 

crestrib morning–glory 

General: Native annual herb; stems slender, 

erect when young, later trailing, not or only 

weakly twining, 10–120 cm or more long, more– 

or–less glabrous but with 8–10 low longtudinal 

ridges. Leaves: Alternate, sessile or on petioles 

1–3 cm long, deeply incised into 5–9 linear to 

oblanceolate segments (the outer of which may 

be further divided), 7–35 mm long, 1–3 mm wide. 

Flowers: Mostly solitary in leaf axils, on 2–5 cm 

long flower stalks with tiny bracts up to 1 mm; 

sepals somewhat unequal, oblong to lanceolate, with membranous margins, 

3–6 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, more–or–less rough–textured on the veins; corolla 

funnel–shaped, 8–12 mm long, pink to lavender to white. Fruits: Stalk erect in 

fruit; globose tan capsules 4–6 mm wide. Ecology: Rocky areas in chaparral, 

oak woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests from 3,000–7,000 ft (914–2134 m); 

flowers July–October. Notes: This species has pink to lavender flowers with 

a long peduncle, and a small corolla tube that is 8–12 mm long. Etymology: 

Ipomoea comes from Greek ips, a worm and homoios, like, referring to plant’s 

habit, costellata comes from costa, Latin for ribbed. Synonyms: None 



Forbs


Forbs 

Ipomoea cristulata 

redstar 

General: Freely climbing, slender, 

glabrous annual with showy, bright red 

flower; stems several meters long. Leaves: 

Slender petioles, 2.5–10 cm long, blades 

ovate to deltoid–cordate, 3–8 cm wide, 

to 10 cm long, entire or sagittately lobed 

basally, acute to acuminate, truncate to 

broadly and shallowly cordate at base. 

Flowers: Peduncles slender, to 25 cm long, 

surpassing leaves, 1 to several flowered; pedicels 3–15 mm long, sepals oblong, 

obtuse, about 2 mm wide, 4–5 mm long; horn–like appendage 4–8 mm long, 

borne by each sepal, tips curved inward against corolla tube; corolla scarlet, 

sometimes orange–tipped, tube 2–4 cm long, limb cup–shaped, 1–2 cm broad, 

very shallowly angulate. Fruits: Capsule subglobose 7–8 mm in diameter, 

mucronate at apex, glabrous. Ecology: Found climbing on shrubs, rocks, and 

trees along arroyos, plains, hillsides, and mesa from 2,500–6,000 ft (762–1829 

m); flowers August–December. Notes: Easily distinguished from all other 

species in Arizona by the scarlet, narrowly trumpet–shaped corolla. There is 

a long history of mis-naming this species as Ipomoea coccinea. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Ipomoea comes from Greek ips, a worm and homoios, 

like, referring to plant’s habit, coccinea means scarlet or bright, deep pink. 

Synonyms: Quamoclit coccinea 


Ipomoea hederacea 

H M L 

ivyleaf morning–glory 

General: Twining introduced annual, stems densely to sparsely pubescent. 

Leaves: Ovate to orbicular, 5–12 cm wide and long, entire to 3–5–lobed, basally 

cordate, lobes apically acute to acuminate, pubescent, petioles to 12 cm long, 

rarely longer. Flowers: 1–3 flowered cymes, peduncles 5–10 cm long; bracts 

foliaceous, elliptic to lanceoate, 5–8 mm long; pedicels 3–7 mm long, erect in 

fruit; sepals 12–24 mm long, 4–5 mm wide, herbaceous, lanceolate, narrowed 

form rounded base to narrow acuminate apex, curved in fruit, apex sometimes 

strongly curved, densely long–hirsute; funnelform corolla 2–3.7 cm long, light 

blue, tube white or pale yellow inside, limb 1.7–3.5 cm wide. Fruits: Globose 

capsule, 8–12 mm wide, enclosed within sepals. Ecology: Found on disturbed 

sites, roadsides from 3,000–6,000 ft 

(914–1829 m); flowers August–November. 

Notes: Weedy species, widespread, leaves 

help to tell it apart from Convolvulus 

arvensis. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Ipomoea comes from Greek 

ips, a worm and homoios, like, referring 

to plant’s habit, hederacea means of or 

pertaining to ivy. Synonyms: Many, see 

Tropicos 




©2006 Louis M. Landry 

H M L 


Ipomoea purpurea 

tall morning–glory 

General: Annual, loosely pubescent to tomentose with short, appressed 

retrorse trichomes, often with large spreading trichomes which may reach 4 

mm long, stems twining, branched to simple. Leaves: Blades ovate, entire to 5– 

lobed, 1–11 cm long, 1–12 cm wide, the base cordate, the apex acute to acuminate, 

rarely obtuse, mucronate, petioles 1–14 cm long. Flowers: 2–5 flowered cymes, 

linear to lanceolate bracts, 1.3–9 mm long; pedicels 5–16 mm long, erect in 

flower, reflexed and enlarged in fruit, to 25 mm long; bracteoles 4.5 mm long; 

sepals 8–15 mm long, outer sepals narrowly ovate–lanceolate to elliptic, 2.5–4.5 

mm wide, acute to abruptly acuminate apically, more pubescent near base, 

inner sepals ovate–lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm wide, acute to abruptly acuminate; 

funnelform corollas 2.5–4.3 cm long, blue, white within tube, glabrous, limb 

2.4–4.8 cm wide. Fruits: Globose to ovoid capsule 7–8 mm wide. Ecology: 

Found in disturbed sites and in cultivated areas from 1,000–7,500 ft (305–2286 

m); flowers from July–November. Notes: Introduced weed, highly variable 

species, largely due to cultivated selection. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Ipomoea comes from Greek ips, a worm 

and homoios, like, referring to plant’s 

habit, purpurea means purple. Synonyms: 

Convolvulus purpureus, Ipomoea hirsutula, 

I. purpurea var. diversifolia, Pharbitis 

purpurea 



Forbs

Cucurbitaceae 

Forbs 

Cucurbita digitata 

fingerleaf gourd 

General: Perennial prostrate vine with deep 

root, slender branches distantly run, but rarely 

climb; slender stems, glabrous, ribbed, whitish– 

pustulate with flat oval trichomes on anges, 

tendrils shot–petiolate, 3–5 parted, branches 

gland tipped. Leaves: Leaves 5–cleft nearly 

to base of blade, lobes 4–10 cm long, linear– 

lanceolate to linear–oblanceolate, variably 

sublobed, green, bearing conic trichomes above and below, sometimes 

paler below; stout petioles, ribbed, shorter than lobes, muricate and hispid. 

Flowers: Calyx cylindric to narrowly campanulate, 4–6 cm long, sparsely 

hispid, tube 2.5–3 cm long, lobes subulate, 3–5 mm long, corolla sparsely 

hispid, bright yellow. Fruits: Globose, vivid dark green with 10 narrow stripes 

and variably speckled. Ecology: Found mostly in sandy alluvial soil of washes 

and valleys or on dry plains and mesas below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers June– 

October. Notes: Smell it. You’ll know if it is not C. foetitissima. Ethnobotany: 

The Gila Pima roasted the seeds and ate them. Etymology: Cucurbita is the 

Latin name for gourd, digitata means lobed like fingers. Synonyms: None 

Cucurbita foetidissima 

coyote gourd, Missouri gourd 

General: Coarse, large–leaved prostrate 

vine with large, deeply penetrating root, 

long–lived. Stems radiate, forming dense 

cover 30–40 cm high over several square 

meters, scabrous with curved, dimorphic, 

hair like trichomes. Leaves: Triangular– 

lanceolate to quadrangular–lanceolate, 

commonly 10–20 cm long, evenly and 

progressively smaller toward the tips 

of stems, densely and coarsely white– 

pubescent above, scabrous beneath with 

conical trichomes along veins. Thick 

petioles, scabrous, one–half as long as 

blade; tendrils thick, long–petiolate, branches short and capitately coiled. 

Flowers: Short peduncle, staminate calyx lobes subulate, equaling tube, 

corollas with several kinds of hair. Fruits: Globose, 6–8 cm across, green 

with conspicuous, whitish stripes, white–mottled. Ecology: Found on sandy 

soils, along fields, in disturbed areas from 1,000–7,000 ft (305–2134 m); flowers 

May–August. Notes: Conspicuous because of its utterly foul smell, crush it in 

your fingers and they’ll stink for days. You can use the crushed plant leaves 

soaked in water as a spray to ward off squash bugs. Ethnobotany: Poultice of 

roots applied to boils and sores, to soothe horses’ backs, ground fruit shell as 

shampoo, as an emetic and as a rattle, or dried for other purposes. Etymology: 

Cucurbita is the Latin name for gourd, while foetitissima means very evil 

smelling. Synonyms: Pepo foetidissima 





©2010 Anthony Mendoza 

Echinopepon wrightii 

wild balsam apple 

General: Native, coarse annual vine with 

lobate leaves and large, long–spined fruits; 

stems coarsely ribbed, tendrils strongly ribbed, 

pubescent. Leaves: Orbicular, deeply and 

broadly notched at base, dentate, undulate, 3–5 

lobed, acute lobes, mucronate, blade 5–8 cm 

wide, finely hispid on both surfaces. Flowers: 

Staminate flowers in simple or compound 

racemes; pubescent calyx, corolla 6–8 mm wide, 

rotate. Fruits: Obovate, tapering to base, 2–2.5 cm long, stipitate–glandular, 

4–8 seeded, prickles 1–2 cm long. Ecology: Found on alluvial plains and on 

gentle slopes, along streams and climbing on shrubs from 3,000–4,000 ft 

(914–1219 m); flowers July–October. Notes: The fruits are quite distinctive with 

the large prickles. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Echinopepon comes 

from the Greek echinos for hedgehog or spine and pepon derives form pepo, 

while wrightii is named for Charles Wright (1811–1885), an American botanical 

collector. Synonyms: Elaterium wrightii 

Sicyosperma gracile 

climbing arrowheads 

General: Native, annual vine with slender, 

twinging, narrowly grooved or striate stems, 

glabrous or sparsely pubescent; slender 

tendrils. Leaves: Blades broadly triangular to 

shallowly 3–lobed, thin, conic–hispid on both 

surfaces, margins entire to denticulate; petioles 

shorter than blades. Flowers: In short racemes 

or panicles, very slender pedicels; corolla white, 

2–3 mm wide, petals bifid at apex, with fine clavate marginal glands. Fruits: 

Smooth, indehiscent, enclosed in enveloping bracts, whitish, 5 mm long, 

enclosing solitary seed. Ecology: Found in canyons and along streams, often 

in partial shade from 3,500–5,500 ft (1067–1676 m); flowers August –September. 

Notes: The leaves could be confused with Marah spp. but the flowers are 

distinctive. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Unsure about the origin of 

Sicyosperma, but gracile means slender, graceful. Synonyms: None 


Cucurbitaceae 

Forbs

Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs 

Acalypha neomexicana 

New Mexico copperleaf 

General: Erect or ascendingly branched 

annual 10–40 cm tall with thin, bright green 

leaves, slender petioles and stems, finely 

puberulent to subglabrate foliage. Sap not 

milky. Leaves: Alternate, on petioles 1–3 

cm long, puberulent with fine, spreading, 

slightly curved hairs; blades ovate, 8–30 

mm wide, 1–4.5 cm long, rounded at base, 

acute to fairly acuminate at apex, thin, 

serrate, tinged with red when growing in 

full sun, becoming subglabrate and slightly 

papillose on lower surface, veins puberulent beneath. Flowers: Slender 

staminate spikes 5–12 mm long, axillary but inserted at base of pistillate 

spikes, latter both terminal and axillary, 1–5 cm long, rhomboid–ovate bracts 

5–11 mm long, 7–9–dentate, central tooth prolonged and five times as long 

as lateral teeth, veined but glabrous or essentially so on back, short–ciliolate 

along margins. Fruits: Capsule depressed–globose, 3–4 mm wide, 2–2.5 

mm high, distinctly 3–lobed, sparsely hirsute and faintly muricate dorsally. 

Ecology: Found in moist areas and rocky soils from 2,500–7,500 ft (762–2286 

m); flowers August–November. Notes: Distinguished by the conspicuously 

veined pistillate bracts. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Acalypha is 

from Greek akalephes for nettle, while neomexicana refers to New Mexico. 


Acalypha ostryifolia 

pineleaf threeseed mercury 

General: Erect, simple to ascending branched 

annual 10–80 cm tall with dark green minutely 

puberulent to glabrate stems and foliage. 

Leaves: Slender petioles 1–7 cm long, blades 

ovate 2–6 cm wide, 2.5–12 cm long, obtuse, 

rounded, sometimes subcordate at base, 

acute to short–acuminate at apex, serrate, 

thin, becoming sparsely puberulent to nearly 

glabrous and puncticulate in age. Flowers: 

Slender axillary staminate spikes 1–3 cm long, 

flowers separate below, densely crowded above middle; pistillate spikes 

terminal on branches 2–7 cm long, bracts 5–9 mm in diameter, lobed one–half 

to two–thirds of way to base into 11–15 narrowly subulate–linear lobes, these 

closely beset with short–stiped, nearly granular glands. Fruits: Depressed– 

globose capsule 3.5–4.5 mm wide, 2–3 mm high, strongly 3–lobed, papillose and 

muricate on upper surface. Ecology: Found along washes, in shade of shrubs 

and in wet cienegas from 3,000–5,500 ft (914–1676 m); flowers June–October. 

Notes: Comb–like teeth on pistillate bracts help to tell this species apart. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Acalypha is from Greek akalephes for 

nettle. Synonyms: Acalypha caroliniana 



© SEINET



Cnidoscolus angustidens 

mala mujer 

General: Robust herb or slightly 

suffrutescent plant 1.5–12 dm tall from 

fleshy rhizome with stems, leaves, and 

inflorescences sparsely to densely armed 

with stiff stinging hairs 4–8 mm long, each 

hair surmounting a conspicuous, rounded, 

whitish pustule. Papery stipules, whitish, 

5–6 mm long. Leaves: Petioles 2–10 cm long, 

blades orbicular to subreniform in outline, 

8–15 cm wide, 3–5 lobed nearly to middle, broadly or shallowly subcordate 

at base, lobes coarsely incised–dentate, teeth 1–2.5 cm long, blade glabrous 

between bases of coarse stinging hairs. Flowers: Stout peduncles 1–5 cm long, 

monoecious flowers, staminate in broad cymes to 8 cm wide, staminate calyx 

white, papery, 9–14 mm long, funnelform, armed with spreading stinging hairs 

2–5 mm long; pistillate calyx of 5 distinct, ligulate to oblanceolate segments 

10–12 mm long, sparsely hispid with stinging hairs without, early deciduous. 

Fruits: Capsule 10–12 mm long, hispid. Ecology: Found on plains and 

hillsides from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 m); flowers May–July. Notes: Notable 

for its transparent, stinging hairs from conspicuous, white, pustulate bases. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Unknown Synonyms: None 

Croton pottsii var. pottsii 

leatherweed 

General: Erect suffrutescent plant 10– 

50 cm tall with few to many stems from 

woody base and rootstock, stems, 

leaves and outer floral parts covered 

with fine, stellate, slightly lepidote, 

grayish to silvery pubescence. Leaves: 

Slender petioles 0.5–2 cm long, 

tomentulose, blades ovate to loblong, 

5–18 mm wide, 1–4.5 cm long, acute 

to mucronulate at apex, rounded 

at base, entire, greenish and lepidote–pubescent above, gray to silvery and 

densely stellate–tomentulose beneath, pinnately 5–9–veined. Flowers: 

Monoecious, rarely dioecious; on pedicels to 6 mm long, staminate, calyx 

densely tomentulose without, lobes narrowly deltoid, 1.5–2 mm long, petals 

spatulate, nearly twice as long as sepals, bearded with slender crisped hairs; 

6–18 stamens, filaments villous near base. Fruits: Capsule globose to ovoid 4–7 

mm long. Ecology: Found on arid rocky slopes from 2,500–6,000 ft (762–1829 

m); flowers March–October. Notes: Ethnobotany: Infusion taken for kidney 

infections. Etymology: Croton comes from Greek word kroton, meaning a 

tick, because of the appearance of the seeds. Synonyms: Croton corymbulosus 


Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs

Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs 

Croton texensis 

Texas croton 

General: Erect or ascendingly branched 

annual 0.5–1.5 m tall with slender–rayed, stellate 

pubescence scattered over stems and leaves, 

stems slender, yellowish green, plants mainly 

dioecious, stipules lacking. Leaves: Slender 

petioles 5–20 mm long, densely stellate– 

pubescent, blades linear, lanceolate, or ovate– 

lanceolate, 0.5–5 cm wide, 2–12 cm long, obtuse 

to acuminate at apex, obtuse to rounded at base, entire, upper surface green, 

with scattered stellate trichomes that rarely overlap, lower surface more 

closely stellate–puberulent and more or less cinereous, especially on young 

growth. Flowers: Staminate flowers in short racemes, subtended by minute 

bracts; sepals about 1 mm long, thin, densely pubescent without, glabrous 

within, petals none; sepals narrowly deltoid about 2 mm long, tomentulose 

without; pistillate flowers 1–5 per inflorescence. Fruits: Capsule, 3–celled, 

ovoid–globose, 4–6 mm tall, stellate–scurfy. Ecology: Found on roadsides, 

fields, ditch banks, washes, and along arroyos from 500–7,000 ft (152–2134 

m); flowers May–November. Notes: Plant sometimes called dove–weed, 

because it is a favorite food for the bird. Ethnobotany: Used as a cathartic, 

on open sores, for hemorrhoids, as a purgative, for stomach troubles, as an 

eye wash, for gonorrhea or syphilis, and for headaches. The leaves are burned 

and clothes smoked to remove skunk smell. Etymology: Croton comes from 

Greek word kroton, meaning a tick, because of the appearance of the seeds. 


Ditaxis neomexicana 

New Mexico silverbush 

General: Annual or short–lived perennial, 

much branched and densely pubescent 

with stiff, coarse hairs; to 35 cm tall. 

Leaves: Broadly elliptic to oblanceolate, 

13–34 mm, apex acute to obtuse, margins 

entire or with a few small teeth; leaves 

longer broader, greener, not as thick and 

less hairy during warm, wet conditions. 

Flowers: Racemes glomerate–congested 

in axils, staminate flowers 2–2.5 mm long with lanceolate–acuminate, pilose 

sepals and glabrous petals parley exceeded by sepals; sepals green 3.2–4 mm, 

petals obovate white with red–purple veins 1.5–3 mm; gland ovate–lanceolate .5 

mm transparent–membranous, becoming yellow–brown and thickened with 

age. Fruits: Depressed–globose capsule 3–4 mm wide, densely long–pilose. 

Ecology: Found on sandy and rocky slopes and along washes from 1,000–4,000 

ft (305–1219 m); flowers throughout the year. Notes: Notably distinguishable by 

its lanceolate, acute, and serrulate to entire leaves. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Argythamnia is from Greek argyro, silvery and the word for 

shrub, while neomexicana refers to New Mexico. Synonyms: Argythamnia 

neomexicana 


©2007 WNMU, 

Zimmerman Herbarium 

©2008 SEINET–ASU, Liz Makings

©2007 Lara Hartley 

Euphorbia abramsiana 

Abrams’ sandmat 

General: Prostrate annual forming open to moderately dense mat 5–45 cm in 

diameter herbage and stems finely pubescent to glabrate red–brown; or, tips of 

stems spreading–ascending and green among dense vegetation and in shade. 

Leaves: Ovate–elliptic to oblong, 2.5–12 mm, entire to minutely toothed mostly 

toward leaf apex, with reddish blotch near the center. Flowers: Cyathia on 

congested lateral branches but also solitary at nodes, inconspicuous, 0.4–0.5 

mm wide, involucral glands dotlike, rounded or nearly so, 0.1 mm wide, 

appendages absent to 0.2 mm wide, white to pink. Fruits: Glabrous capsules, 

bright green with red margins and furrows, margins rather sharp, 1.3–1.7 mm 

long. Ecology: Found on desert slopes, washes, playas, and flats from 200– 

3,500 ft (61–1067 m); flowers July–October. Notes: Plant told apart by the 

combination of glabrous capsule and entire leaves. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, other species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: 

Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, which derives from eu, good, and phorbe, 

meaning well–fed, while abramsiana is named for LeRoy Adams (1874–1956) a 

professor of botany at Stanford. Synonyms: Chamaesyce abramsiana 

Euphorbia albomarginata 

whitemargin sandmat 

General: Perennial herb with glabrous and often 

glaucous herbage; stems prostrate and freely 

branched, sometimes creeping belowground and 

rooting at the nodes, 5–40 cm long; mat–forming. 

Leaves: Leaf blades orbicular to oblong, entire, 

3–8 mm long; stipules united into a membranous, 

white scale with entire or lacerate margins. 

Flowers: Cyathia solitary at the nodes, with 1 

female and 15–30 male flowers; glands oblong, 

dark brown, 0.5–1 mm long, petaloid appendages 

consipicuous, white, entire or subcrenate. Fruits: 

Capsule ovoid, 2 mm long, acutely angled and 

glabrous; seeds 4–sided, oblong, whitish, 1–2 

mm long. Ecology: Open, sandy or gravelly dry places up through the pinon– 

juniper zone from 1,000–7,000 ft (305–2135 m); flowers April–September. 

Notes: Distinctively marked from other species in our range by the prominent 

interpetiolar stipules. Ethnobotany: Diegueno brew plant into tea to treat 

sores. Shoshoni and Kawaitsu use leaves and flowers for snakebite. Keres treat 

eye problems by rub from plant. Navajo use slow tea from whole plant for colds 

or stomachaches. Etymology: Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, which 

derives from eu, good, and phorbe, meaning well–fed, while albomarginata 

refers to white margins. Synonyms: Chamaesyce albomarginata 


Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs

Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs 

Euphorbia florida 

Chiricahua mountain sandmat 

General: Erect annual 10–65 cm tall, glabrous, 

stem branched from near base, slender branches 

green or faintly tinged red, internodes 1.5–5 cm or 

occasionally to 7 cm. Leaves: Linear, 0.5–3 mm 

wide, 0.5–6 cm long, remotely serrulate, revolute 

in age, on petioles 1.5–2.5 mm long. Flowers: 

Cyathia 1 to several at nodes, on peduncles 

1–3 mm long, campanulate involucre 1.5–2 

mm diameter, 2 mm high at anthesis, glabrous 

without, densely pubescent with straight white 

hairs around inner rim; lobes of cyathia triangular–acuminate, entire or 

toothed, about 0.3 mm high; discoid glands, 4 of them .5 mm, fifth filiform, 

nearly equaling lobes; appendages white or pink, obovate to elliptic 1–2.8 mm 

long. Fruits: Capsule rounded–triangular in cross–section, oblate–globose 

2.5 mm diameter, glabrous. Ecology: On arid flats, washes, and hillsides from 

2,000–5,000 ft (610–1524 m); flowers August–November. Notes: The linear 

leaves, very delicate appearance of the plant, and the distinctively beautiful 

flowers help to identify this plant. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, 

other species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: Euphorbia is named 

for Euphorbus, which derives from eu, good, and phorbe, meaning well–fed, 

florida means free–flowering or bright. Synonyms: Chamaesyce florida 



©Larry Allain @ USDA–NRCS Plants DB 


Euphorbia heterophylla 

Mexican fireplant, painted spurge 

General: Erect annual 30–70 cm tall, beginning 

to branch ascendingly near base, stems light 

green, faintly striate, glabrous or essentially 

so. Leaves: Leaves opposite below, alternate 

from above first to third nodes to floral whorls, 

slender petioles 0.5–3 cm long, often gradually 

widening to cuneate base to leaf blade, latter 

ovate, obovate, elliptic, or lanceolate in outline 

1–6 cm wide to 10 cm long, bright green above, 

pale to slightly glaucous beneath, margin entire 

or shallowly dentate and often lyrately lobed, 

lobes acutely to obtusely deltoid. Flowers: 

Floral leaves similar to cauline ones, but some 

or all have white, pink, or scarlet near base; involucres clustered at tips of 

branches, 1.5–2 mm high, narrowly campanulate, green and glabrous, bearing a 

single unappendaged, discoid, sessile gland and deeply fimbriate–dentate lobes 

which slightly surpass gland. Fruits: Capsules depressed–globose, strongly 3– 

lobed, 3.5–4.5 mm high, 5–6 mm in diameter, glabrous. Ecology: Found on the 

margins of streams, washes, and hillsides from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 m); 

flowers August–October. Notes: The partially colored leaves are diagnostic 

of this species. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Euphorbia is named for 

Euphorbus, which derives from eu, good, and phorbe, meaning well–fed, while 

heterophylla means that the leaves are different on the same plant. Synonyms: 

Euphorbia geniculata, E. prunifolia, Poinsettia geniculata, P. heterophylla 

Euphorbia hirta 

pillpod sandmat 

General: Few–stemmed, erect to decumbent, 

sparingly branched annual 2–25 cm tall, stems strigose 

to pilose with yellowish hairs. Leaves: Stout petioles 

1–2 cm long, pilose, narrowly lanceolate, rhombic– 

lanceolate, or ovate leaves 3–12 mm wide, 8–30 mm 

long, acute at apex, asymmetrical at base, sharply to 

inconspicuously serrulate, sparsely hispid but glabrate 

above, appressed to spreadingly hirsute beneath, often 

reddish or with reddish splotches on lower surface. 

Flowers: Cyathia in dense pedunculate heads, 

peduncles sparsely strigose to glabrate, involucres 

obconic–campanulate 0.6–0.9 mm in diameter, strigose without, glabrous 

within; glands stipitate, orbicular to transversely oval, appendages white or 

sometimes absent; staminate flowers 2–8 per cyanthium. Fruits: Capsule 1–1.2 

mm long, truncate at base. Ecology: Found on sandy or light soil from 3,000– 

5,000 ft (914–1524 m); flowers March–September. Notes: The cyathia in dense 

pedunculate heads helps to separate out this species. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, other species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: 

Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, which derives from eu, good, and phorbe, 

meaning well–fed, while hirta means hairy. Synonyms: Chamaesyce hirta, E. 

pilulifera 


Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs

Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs 

Euphorbia hyssopifolia 

hyssopleaf sandmat 

General: Erect to strongly ascending annual 

5–60 cm tall with mostly glabrous but 

sometimes sparsely pilose herbage, stems 

simple to moderately branched at or near base. 

Leaves: Leaves lanceolate to oblong, 4–20 mm, 

sometimes with a red blotch at center, margins 

evenly serrated, paler beneath than above. 

Flowers: Cyathia 0.4–0.9 mm wide, solitary or 

in few–flowered cyme, peduncle .5–2 mm long, 

involucral glands 0.2–0.4 mm wide oval pink 

to maroon, appendages 0.3–0.6 mm wide, broader than long, white to pink, 

darkening with age; staminate flowers 4–15 per cyathium. Fruits: Strongly 

3–lobed capsule, 1.6–2.1 mm long, with obtuse to rounded angles, glabrous. 

Ecology: Found on valley flowers, grassy slopes, washes, and rocky hillsides 

from 1,000–6,000 ft (305–1829 m); flowers throughout year under favorable 

moisture. Notes: Mucilaginous when wetted; evenly serrate margins indicative 

of this plant. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species in genera 

have medicinal use. Etymology: Euphorbia is named for Euphorbus, which 

derives from eu, good, and phorbe, meaning well–fed, hyssopifolia means 

having leaves like Hyssop. Synonyms: Chamaesyce hyssopifolia, Chamaesyce 

brasiliensis, Euphorbia brasiliensis 

Euphorbia micromera 

Sonoran sandmat 

General: Prostrate, glabrous to 

puberulent annual with stems 2–25 

cm long and internodes extremely 

variable in length. Leaves: Petioles 

.5 mm slender, leaf blades 1.5–7 mm 

long, ovate to oblong, base oblique in 

larger leaves, rounded in smaller ones, 

glabrous to sparsely puberulent, margins 

entire. Flowers: Pubescent to glabrate peduncles 1.2 mm long; campanulate 

involucres, slightly constricted above, about 1 mm long, 0.9 diamteter, crispate– 

hirsutulous without, or less commonly glabrous, lobes minute, deltoid, about 

equaling glands; glands 0.12–0.25 mm wide, dotlike, rounded or sometimes 

oval, maroon, without appendages; rarely appendages represented by minute 

white margin. Fruits: Globular capsule, 3–angled, 1.2–1.4 mm long, puberulent 

to glabrous. Ecology: Found on flats, washes, bajadas, and hillsides from 

500–5,000 ft (152–1524 m); flowers throughout the year. Notes: Very similar 

to E. polycarpa, consult more detailed flora if uncertain. E. polycarpa is 

found in more specifically desert habitats. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this 

species, other species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: Euphorbia 

is named for Euphorbus, which derives from eu, good, and phorbe, meaning 

well–fed, while micromera means having a small number of parts. Synonyms: 

Chamaesyce micromera 





Euphorbia pediculifera 

Carrizo mountain sandmat 

General: Prostrate to slightly procumbent annual with spreading dichotomous 

branches 3–30 cm long, herbage puberulent with sparse, simple, spreading 

hairs. Herbage often red–brown to gray–brown. Leaves: Leaves at least twice 

as long as wide, petioled, blades 5.5–15.5 mm, ovate to obovate or oblong, 

margins entire or sometimes with a few small, irregular teeth. Flowers: 

Cyathia 1.2–1.5 mm wide, glands maroon, oval, 0.6–0.9 m wide, appendages 

rather showy, white, fading pink, usually considerably wider and longer than 

the glands; staminate flowers 20–25 in a cyathium. Fruits: Capsules sharply 

3–angled, 1.2–1.4 mm long and wide, hirsutulous, exserted and reflexed at 

maturity. Ecology: Found on sandy flats and on gentle slopes from 500–4,000 

ft (152–1219 m); flowers throughout the year. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this 

species, other species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: Euphorbia 

is named for Euphorbus, which derives from eu, good, and phorbe, meaning 

well–fed, pediculifera means bearing lice. Synonyms: Chamaesyce pediculifera 

Tragia nepetifolia 

catnip noseburn 

General: Perennial forb, stems slender, often 

twining, herbage with stinging hairs. Leaves: 

Alternate, serrate, elliptic less than 3 cm. 

Flowers: Monoecious flowers borne in terminal 

or lateral bracteate racemes staminate flowers 

above, 2 to many, pistillate flowers below, 1–2, 

sepals 6. Fruits: 3–seeded capsule. Ecology: 

Found on canyons, hillsides, and valley floors 

from 2,500–7,000 ft (762–2134 m); flowers 

March–November. Notes: One recognized 

variety in Arizona, var. dissecta. Ethnobotany: Plant used as a lotion to keep 

snakes away by the Navajo, while the Ramah Navajo used the plant as a life 

medicine. The Kayenta Navajo sprinkle the plant on the Hogan during rain 

storms for protection from lightning. Etymology: Tragia is the Latin name of 

Hieronymus Bock (1498–1554) a German herbalist, while nepetifolia means 

leaves like catnip. Synonyms: None 


Euphorbiaceae 

Forbs

Forbs 


©2008 SEINET–ASU, Liz Makings 

Astragalus allochrous 

halfmoon milkvetch 

General: Perennial from a short 

woody caudex, stems erect or 

ascending, 30–50 cm tall, sparsely 

strigose, usually more or less purplish; 

stipules broadly deltoid acute to 

acuminate 2–5 mm long, scarious, 

sparsely pubescent to subglabrate. 

Leaves: 10–12 cm long, ascending, 


rachis strongly grooved above, leaflets 

11–19, obovate to oblong, 2–4 mm wide, 8–25 mm long, rounded to retuse 

at apex, acute at base, sparsely strigose but green on both surfaces. Flowers: 

Peduncles 3–8 cm long, racemes 3–10 cm long, 8–15 flowered, purplish, strigose 

with white and black hairs; teeth narrowly subulate, 1.5–2 mm long, corollas 

6–8 mm long, purplish; banner obovate, slightly exceeding wings, glade of wings 

slightly longer than claw; keel often ochroleucous, strongly curved, obliquely 

obovate, rounded at apex. Fruits: Pods sessile, ovoid, 2.5–4 cm long, 1.5–2 cm 

wide, strigulose, often slightly tinged with purple. Ecology: Common on plains 

and mesas from 1,500–7,000 ft (457–2134 m); flowers March–May. Notes: 

One of the most conspicuous species of Astragalus because of its large size and 

bladdery pods. Ethnobotany: Used ceremonially by the Navajo. Etymology: 

Astragalus is from Greek astragalos meaning ankle bone and is an early name 

applied to the genus because of the shape of the seeds, allochrous means of a 

different color. Synonyms: None 

Astragalus arizonicus 

Arizona milkvetch 

General: Prostrate to decumbent perennial 

from a tough taproot. Many stems, more or 

less flexuous, 10–50 cm long, finely white– 

strigose, stipules broadly deltoid, 1.5–3 mm 

long, usually as wide. Leaves: 5–10 cm long, 

ascending, leaflets 9–17, linear, oblong, 

or lance–oblong; 2–3 mm wide, 8–15 mm 

long, canescent. Flowers: Racemes 3–8 cm 

long, lax, several to many flowered, bracts 

lanceolate, 2.5–3 mm long, villous without; calyx tube cylindro–campanulate, 

3–4 mm long, white–strigose; teeth deltoid, subulate–acuminate, about 2 mm 

long, corolla white, more or less suffused with greenish yellow, purplish, or 

maroon, 9–11 mm long; banner obovate, arched but not reflexed; wings slightly 

shorter than banner and keel, falcate, obtuse at apex; keel broadly lunate, apex 

blunt, strongly arcuate. Fruits: Pods linear, ascending, 1.5–3 cm long, about 3 

mm wide, slightly arcuate, flat to slightly sulcate along lower suture, finely white– 

strigose. Ecology: Found on grassy hillsides and in flats, on plains and mesas 

from 4,500 ft (1372 m) and lower; flowers March–May. Notes: The radiating, 

nearly prostrate stems, narrow, silvery–sericeous leaflets, and dingly–purple 

flowers are characteristic. Ethnobotany: Astragalus spp. used medicinally for 

chest cough, colds. Etymology: Astragalus is from Greek astragalos meaning 

ankle bone and is an early name applied to the genus because of the shape of 

the seeds, arizonicus is named for Arizona. Synonyms: None 


Fabaceae 

Forbs

Fabaceae 

Forbs 

Astragalus nuttallianus 

smallflowered milkvetch 

General: Slender, diminutive annual 

with stems 10–50 cm long, strigose, 

white and firm. Leaves: Leaves often 

2–5.5 cm, leaflets 7–11, mostly all alike, 

elliptic to linear, very slender, 2.5–5 cm; 

strigose on both surfaces or sometimes 

glabrous above, acute to obtuse at apex. 


Flowers: Peduncles 3–10 cm long, slender, mostly surpassing leaves, racemes 

subcapitate, compact, 3–8 flowered. Corolla white or tips tinged with purple, 

4–7 mm long; banner obovate, retuse, slightly exceeding wings. Fruits: Pods 

horizontally spreading to ascending, moderately arcuate, 1.5–2 cm long, 

2–2.5 mm wide, about 3 mm deep, strigose to glabrous. Ecology: Found on 

arid plains and on hillsides, mesas, and slopes from 100–4,000 ft (33–1219 m); 

flowers February–May. Notes: This species has ten known varieties (Barneby 

1964) in the region. Ethnobotany: None Etymology: Astragalus is from 

Greek astragalos meaning ankle bone and is an early name applied to the genus 

because of the shape of the seeds, nuttallianus is named for Thomas Nuttall 

(1786–1859) an English botanist. Synonyms: None 

Chamaecrista nictitans 

partridge pea 

General: Slender stemmed annual to 

50 cm tall, stems covered in dense hairs. 

Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound 

leaves, each leaf divided into 10–25 narrow 

oblong leaflets with small spines on the 

tips; stalked gland on petiole, just below last 

pair of leaflets; leaves fold when disturbed. 

Flowers: Short axillary pedicels bearing 

irregular yellow flowers up to 1.4 cm 

wide, 5 petals, lower petal larger and more 

spreading. Fruits: Legume Ecology: Found in open woods, prairies, thickets, 

and on wet shores from 3,500–5,000 ft (1067–1524 m); flowers July–August. 

Notes: At Tumacacori both C. nictitans and C. nictitans var. leptandenia have 

been documented. Ethnobotany: Used medicinally for endurance and given 

against fainting spells. Etymology: Chamaecrista come from Greek chamae, 

dwarf and crista for cross. Synonyms: Chamaecrista nictitans var. nictitans, 

Cassia nictitans 


2008 NPS/Beth Fallon



Crotalaria pumila 

low rattlebox 

General: Erect, ascending annual 20–60 cm 

tall with puberulent to glabrate stems and 

glabrous or glabrate leaflets, stipules linear 

or filiform, 4–6 mm long, caducous. Leaves: 

Petioles 2.5 cm long or less, leaflets 3, narrowly 

elliptic to linear–oblanceolate, 3–15 mm wide 

to 6 cm long, bright green and glabrous above, 

slightly glaucous and appressed–puberulent 

beneath. Flowers: Racemes to 30 cm long, many 

flowered; calyx 3–4 mm long, lobes triangular, 

equaling tube, petals 10 mm long, bright yellow, keel and sometimes banner 

faintly washed with red and drying reddish to purple; acumen of keel slender, 

7–8 m long, conspicuously exserted beyond wings. Fruits: Pods oboid or 

broadly rounded–oblong, 6–9 mm in diameter, 10–15 mm long, appressed– 

strigose; persistent style that forms slender beak 1.5–2.5 mm long. Seeds yellow 

to red–brown, reniform, about 3 mm long, smooth. Ecology: Weedy species 

on sandy, gravelly, or clayey soils on flats and along margins of washes from 

4,000–6,000 ft (1219–1829 m); flowers June–October. Notes: Varies greatly in 

size of the plant and of the flowers and in the number of flowers in the raceme, 

from 1 to many. Petals often tinged or streaked with red. Ethnobotany: Seeds 

boiled, or ground and eaten as a pinole. Etymology: Crotalaria is from Greek 

drotalon, a rattle or clapper, while pumila means dwarf. Synonyms: None 

Desmodium neomexicanum 

New Mexico ticktrefoil 

General: Erect or ascending, moderately 

to much branched, annual forb 10–45 cm 

tall, stems and branches slender but deeply 

grooved, terete or subangulate, sparsely 

to densely uncinate–puberulent. Stipules 

slenderly linear–lanceolate, attenuate, 1.5– 

6 mm. long, minutely striate, glabrous above 

and below but ciliate–hispid along margins. 

Leaves: Petioles slender, grooved, 0.5–5 

cm long, uncinate–puberulent; leaflets 3, 

linear–lanceolate to ovate or rhombic–lanceolate, obtuse and mucronaulate 

at apex, 2–21 mm wide, 1.5–6 cm long, terminal ones similar in shape but 

somewhat larger than lateral, light green and sparsely strigose to glabrate 

above, slightly paler and sparsely strigose beneath. Flowers: Inflorescence 

10 cm long, pedicels filiform, 7–12 mm long, calyx small, purplish–pink to 

white, about 2–2.5 mm long, corolla about 2.5–3 mm long. Fruits: Loment 2–5 

jointed, sessile or faintly stipitate, joints rhomboidal, reticulate and uncinate– 

hispidulous, 2.5–3 mm wide, 3–4 mm long, margins slightly folded or revolute, 

terminal joint slightly larger than others. Ecology: Found on mountainsides, 

mesas, canyons and grassy slopes from 3,500–6,000 ft (1067–1829 m); flowers 

July–September. Ethnobotany: Many non–regional medicinal uses for other 

species. Etymology: Neomexicanum means New Mexico where the type was 

found in the late 1800s. Synonyms: Meibomia neomexicana 


Fabaceae 

Forbs

Fabaceae 

Forbs 

Hoffmannseggia glauca 

hog potato, Indian rushpea 

General: Herbaceous perennial from deeply 

buried rhizomes, with stalked reddish glands 

and sparse, short white hairs. Stems renewed 

annually or seasonally, usually several, 

around 15–20 cm including the erect terminal 

inflorescence. Leaves: Several near base 5–13 

cm long with 5–11 pinnae 1–2.5 cm long, 

leaflets 4–12 pairs, oblong, glabrous or minutely 

puberulent and eventually glabrate, obtuse, 3–8 

mm long. Flowers: Terminal inflorescence in 

raceme, petals predominantly bright yellow, turning red or red–flecked with 

age; stamens often red 10–12 mm long, claws equaling blades and densely 

glandular. Fruits: Falcate pod, 5–8 mm wide, 2–4 cm long, reticulate–veined, 

compressed, readily deciduous, indehiscent. Ecology: Found on sandy and 

alkaline soils, disturbed sides, forming large colonies from 5,000 ft (1524 m) 

and below; flowers April–September. Notes: Plant is considered a good soil 

binder. Ethnobotany: Small tuber are collected and eaten raw, boiled, or 

preferably roasted. Etymology: Hoffmanseggia is named for Johan Centurius, 

Count Von Hoffmansegg (1766–1849) a German botanist, and glauca is from 

Greek meaning bluish gray, referring to leaves. Synonyms: None 

Lotus humistratus 

foothill deervetch 

General: Annual forb with erect, ascending, 

or decumbent stems .5–20 cm long, whole 

plant is densely villous with white to slightly 

tawny, soft hairs. Leaves: Petioles short, 

rarely over 5 mm long, rachises of leaves 

flattened, 5–8 mm long, leaflets 3–5, broadly 

elliptic to obovate, 2–6 mm wide, 4–15 mm 

long, cuneate at base, acute to rounded 

at apex. Flowers: Subsessile, solitary or 

in paris in axils of leaves, calyx tube 2–2.5 mm long, yellow tinged with red 

or rose. Fruits: Pods 2–3 mm wide, 5–10 mm long densely villous. Ecology: 

Found on dry gravelly slopes and sandy flats from 5,000 ft (1524 m) and below; 

flowers March–June. Notes: Notable for its low ground loving habit and its tiny 

flowers. Ethnobotany: Infusion of plant taken and used as a wash by women in 

labor by Karok (CA). Etymology: Lotus from the Green and originally applied 

to a fruit said to make those who tasted it forget their homes, while humistratus 

means low layer. Synonyms: Hosackia brachycarpa 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2008 T. Beth Kinsey



Lupinus concinnus 

bajada lupine, scarlet lupine 

General: Erect annual 5–30 cm tall with 

few to many branches from base and at 

higher levels; herbage is densely villous with 

spreading hairs. Leaves: Petioles exceed 

leaflets, slender, lower ones 4–8 cm long, 

stipules lance–linear, 5–9 mm long; leaflets 

5–8 oblanceolate, obtuse to rounded at 

apex, 3–6 mm wide, 1–2 cm long, deep green 

through pubescence. Flowers: Racemes 

erect, 3–10 cm long or sometimes of only 2–3 flowers and surpassed by leaves. 

Papilionoid flower with a densely villous calyx, shallow cup 1–2 mm deep, 

upper calyx lip cleft nearly or fully halfway to base, 4–5 mm long, lower one 

tridentate, petals 7–9 mm long, lilac or bluish, edged with deep purple, banner 

obovate, rounded or emarginated at apex, keel nonciliate, nearly straight. 

Fruits: Pods 10–18 mm long, straight, densely villous, 2–4 seeded. Ecology: 

Found on dry sandy soils below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers March–May. 

Notes: Several varieties in and around the Sonoran Desert, worth collecting 

if uncertain. Ethnobotany: No known uses. Etymology: Lupinus comes from 

Latin for wolf, while concinnus means neat or elegant. Synonyms: None 

Marina calycosa 

San Pedro false prairie–clover 

General: Decumbent to ascending 

perennial herb with slender, strigose stems 

10–30 cm long; stipules lance–acuminate, 

2–4 mm long, sparsely strigose on outer 

surface. Leaves: 1–3 cm long, petioles 4–7 

mm long, leaflets 15–29, oblong to obovate, 

2–5 mm long, rounded, obtuse or retuse at 

apex, glabrous on upper surface, strigose 

and sparsely and minutely glandular– 

punctate beneath. Flowers: Peduncles 1–4 

cm long, racemes dense, 1.5–4 cm long, 

bracts lanceolate–attenuate, 3.5–4.5 mm long, sparsely pubescent, caudcous; 

flowers 7–10 mm long, calyx tube turbinate, 2–2.5 mm long, strongly 10 ribbed, 

pilose, glandular between ribs; calyx lobes linear–lanceolate, 4–5 mm long, 

densely pilose without, glabrous within; corollas purple and white, reniform 

banner. Fruits: Obovate pod 3–3.5 mm long and wide, sparsely pilosulous. 

Ecology: Found on dry slopes and washes from 4,000–5,000 ft (1219–1524 

m); flowers April–September. Notes: Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Marina refers to marine, or of the sea, while calycosa means having a full calyx. 

Synonyms: Dalea calycosa 


Fabaceae 

Forbs

Fabaceae 

Forbs 


Medicago polymorpha 

H M L 

burclover 

General: Decumbent annual with numerous spreading branches to 80 cm 

long, glabrous stems and foliage, whitish stipules, asymmetrically ovate– 

lanceolate to 1 cm long, bearing several slender teeth 2–3 mm long. Leaves: 

Petioles 1–2 cm long, leaflets obovate to obcordate or suborbicular, 5–13 mm 

wide, 10–15 mm long, broadly cuneate to obtuse at base, dentate almost to 

base. Flowers: Peduncles 2–5 flowered, 2 cm long or less, calyx about 5 mm 

long, petals yellow, only slightly exceeding calyx. Fruits: Pods to 1 cm in 

diameter, tightly coiled into 2–3 spirals, reticulate 

on sides, margins keeled and keel armed on each 

side by a row of curved or hooked prickles 2–3 mm 

long. Ecology: Widely established, occasional in 

waste areas, old fields; flowers March–June. Notes: 

Introduced from Europe, widely naturalized at 

present. Ethnobotany: Seeds parched, ground to 

make mush; leaves eaten for forage. Etymology: 

Medicago derived from medike, or medick, the 

Greek name for alfalfa, while polymorpha means 

many forms, or variable. Synonyms: Numerous, 

see Tropicos 


Melilotus indicus 

H M L 

annual yellow sweetclover 

General: Erect annual to 1 m tall with glabrous herbage or leaves and inflorescences 

sparsely appressed–pubescent when young, stipules subulate or narrowly 

lanceolate, 3–8 mm long. Leaves: Slender petioles to 5 cm long, leaflets cuneate– 

oblong to obovate, 3–12 mm wide, 1–2.5 cm long, obtuse, rounded or truncate, 

denticulate. Flowers: Peduncles surpass subtending leaves, racemes numerous, 

2–10 cm long, about 5 mm in diameter; flowers 2.5 mm long, calyx half as long, 

its teeth triangular, sparsely ciliolate, pealike, petals yellow. Fruits: Ovoid pods 

2–2.5 mm long, reticulate, glabrous, usually 1– 

seeded. Ecology: Occasional along roadsides, 

ditches, in fields, and in disturbed areas; 

flowers April–September. Notes: Widespread 

introduced ruderal. Ethnobotany: Used as a 

bed bug repellant, as a strong laxative, and for 

games. Etymology: Melilotus is from Greek 

meli, honey and lotos, a leguminous plant, 

while indicus refers to India. Synonyms: 

Melilotus indica 


©2004 Carol W. Witham 



H M L 


Melilotus officinalis 

yellow sweetclover 

General: Tall, erect introduced biennial. Stems to 1.5 m (approximately 60 

inches). Up to 10 stems per plant; originating from short rhizomes and a 

deep taproot. Leaves: In three’s. Leaflets oval, slightly toothed. Flowers: 

Inflorescence a raceme; small yellow pea flowers, 4–7 mm long. Fruits: Pods 

3 mm long or less, oval and smooth. Ecology: Native of Europe; found on 

roadsides, in waste places, agricultural and pristine areas; from foothills and 

deserts to mountains; flowers May–frost. Notes: Tall, erect biennial with many– 

flowered racemes containing tiny yellow flowers. M. alba has white flowers, 

but is otherwise very similar in habit, and is often found growing with M. 

officinalis. M. indicus is a smaller yellow–flowering annual. Good forage species 

for domestic livestock and wild ungulates. If cut as hay and not cured properly, 

can cause hemorrhaging in cattle. Nitrogen fixer. Good source of nectar for 

honeybees. Considered noxious weed in some states. Fire scarifies the seeds, 

as does freezing/thawing and passage through animal digestive tracts, thus 

stimulating germination. Seeds can remain viable in soil seed bank for up to 

40 years. It persists on sites that have periodic disturbance. Fire may be used 

to control it if used correctly. Eaten by livestock and wild ungulates, Dabbling 

ducks use it as nesting habitat (mallards, gadwalls, and teals), while many birds 

use it for both habitat and food. Host plant 

for Spring Azure and Eastern–Tailed Blue 

butterflies. Ethnobotany: Used medicinally to 

reduce postsurgical blood clots. Used in tea for 

soft tissue inflammations. Young leaves have a 

vanilla flavor and are used in cooking and tea. 

Herb is also used to flavor Gruyere cheese. 

Etymology: Melilotus is from Greek meli, 

honey and lotos, a leguminous plant, officinalis 

means it is sold as an herb. Synonyms: 

Melilotus albus, M. albus var. annuus 


Fabaceae 

Forbs

Fabaceae 

Forbs 

Phaseolus ritensis 

Santa Rita mountain bean 

General: Prostrate, scandent or twining 

perennial with slender, striate, sparsely 

puberulent stems 2–10 dm long, onder ones 

often strongly zigzag; root woody, to 1.5 cm 

in diameter, stipules oblong–lanceolate to 

narrowly lanceolate 0.8–1.5 mm wide, 3–5 

mm long, strongly striate, finely and sparsely 

puberulent to subglabrate. Leaves: Petioles 1–3 

cm long, sparsely puberulent, leaflets ovate to 

bradly rhombic–ovate, symmetrical or nearly 

so, entire, 1.5–3.5 cm wide, 2–5.5 cm long, rather 

leathery, light green, subglabrate and finely 

reticulate–veined above, slightly paler, sparsely 

puberulent and conspicuously veined beneath, 

acute to obtuse and slightly emarginated at 

apex, rounded to broadly cuneate at base. 

Flowers: Peduncles usually surpassing leaves, 

to 30 cm long, flowering racemes equaling or 

exceeding basal portion; pedicels slender, 3–5 

mm long, and ascending at anthesis, to 1.5 cm long and reflexed in fruit; calyx 

broadly campanulate, 2–3 mm high, fully as wide, subglabrate, teeth broader 

than long, shorter than tube, corolla pale lavender, 6–9 mm long. Fruits: Pods 

4–7 mm wide, 3–4 cm long, more or less falcate, very abruptly turned upward at 

base, abruptly prostrate at apex, strongly flattened, glabrous. Ecology: Found 

on valley floors and rocky hillsides, common to oak woodlands to down to 

upper margins of Sonoran Desert from 4,500–7,000 ft (1372–2134 m); flowers 

August–September. Notes: Often found crawling up into canopy of mesquite 

and oak, this makes it easily identifiable. Ethnobotany: The seeds which are 

quick to fall from ripened pods are large and can be prepared like teparies. 

Etymology: Phaseolus is from Greek phaselos, a little boat or light vessel, 

referring to its pod, while ritensis is a reference to the Santa Rita Mountains. 





Rhynchosia senna var. texana 

Texas snoutbean 

General: A slender, twining or scrambling 

vine with stems 1–20 dm long from a woody 

root, minutely puberulent throughout, 

stipules lance–setaceous, 2–2.5 mm long. 

Leaves: Petioles slender, 5–12 mm long, 

petiolule of terminal leaflet from half as 

long as to equaling petiole; leaflets narrowly 

ovate–lanceolate to lanceolate, 3–10 mm 


wide, 1–5 cm long, rounded at base, acute 

and muctonulate at apex. Flowers: Solitary to few flowered clusters in axils, 

pedicels 4–5 mm long, calyx tube 1.5 mm long, finely villous with short 

spreading hairs, teeth linear–subulate, 1.5–2.5 mm long, corolla yellow, 5–6 

mm long. Fruits: Pods lunate, 5–7 mm wide, about 2 cm long, finely and 

closely puberulent, minute beak turned abruptly downward. Ecology: Found 

on the margins of grassy plains, among shrubs, and on mesas from 3,500–5,500 

ft (1067–1676 m); flowers May–September. Notes: Specimens in southern 

Arizona have hairs on the stem that are appressed or subppressed and retrorse, 

while those further north have spreading or ascending hair. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Rhynchosia is from Greek rhynchos, horn, beak or 

snout, while senna from the Arabic name sana. Synonyms: Rhynchosia senna 

var. angustifolia, R. texana 

Senna bauhinioides 

twinleaf senna 

General: Herbaceous perennial from 

slender woody rootstock, with several 

ascending–spreading branches 10–30 cm 

tall and soft pubescent foliage; stipules 

lance–linear, 3–6 mm long, persistent. 

Leaves: Petioles slender, 1–3 cm long, 

cylindric gland just below apex; leaflets 

1 pair, oblong, 5–12 mm broad, 1–2.8 cm 

long, obtuse or rounded at both ends, 

silky–pubescent and slightly cinereous on both surfaces. Flowers: Peduncles 

2.5–4 cm long, usually 2–flowered, sepals 6–8 mm long, oblong, thinnish, green 

with yellowish margins, pubescent outside, glabrous within; petals 12–18 mm 

long, distinctly brown–veined; anthers essentially alike; ovary densely appressed– 

hirsute. Fruits: Pods oblong, 5–6 mm in diameter, 2–3.5 cm long, scarcely 

compressed, dark brown, spreadingly pubescent. Ecology: Found on gravelly 

flats and plains, along washes, and rocky slopes from 2,000–5,500 ft (610–1676 

m); flowers April–August. Notes: Another species Senna hirsuta var. glaberrima 

is thought to be in the area, but the taxonomy remains elusive. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Senna is from Arabic Sena, while bauhinioides is named 

from Swiss herbalist and botanist brothers Caspar and Jean Bahuin (1541–1613). 

Synonyms: Cassia bauhinioides, C. bauhinioides var. arizonica 


Fabaceae 

Forbs

Fabaceae 

Forbs 

Senna hirsuta var. glaberrima 

woolly senna 

General: Perennial herb to subshrub, 

simple stemmed or branched above, often 

to 1 m more tall, herbage glabrate to sparsely 

pubescent, stems ridged with linear to lance– 

subulate stipules, 5–10 mm long. Leaves: 

Leaves to 40 cm long, petiole bearing a large 

gland near base, 8–16 leaflets, lanceolate, 7–25 

mm wide by 4–10 cm long, glabrous except on 

puberulent margins, bright green. Flowers: 

Terminal inflorescence, but can be axillary, 

few flowered, on pedicels 5–25 mm long; 

sepals thin, oblong to obovate, rounded, 7–10 

mm long, petals to 1.5 cm long, exceeding the 

sepals, yellow. Fruits: Linear pods, 4.5–6 mm wide to 25 cm long, indehiscent to 

tardily dehiscent, dull grayish brown at maturity. Ecology: Found along washes 

and streams from 2,500–5,500 ft (762–1676 m); flowers July–September. Notes: 

Foliage is ill–smelling, easily identified by the bright yellow flowers and size of 

the plant. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Senna is from Arabic Sena, 

while hirsuta comes from hirsute, for hairy, and glaberrima means completely 

glabrous. Synonyms: Cassia leptocarpa var. glaberrima 

Sphinctospermum constrictum 

hourglass peaseed 

General: Stems simple or sparingly 

ascendingly branched, 20–60 cm tall, 

slender, sparingly strigose to glabrate. 

Leaves: Simple, sessile, linear, 1–3 mm 

broad, 2–8 cm long, glabrous or with a 

few scattered hairs, pale green. Flowers: 

Pedicels 1–5 mm long, lobes lance– 

subulate, slightly spreading, equaling or 

slightly exceeding tube, corolla pink about 

© 2008 SEINET–ASU, Liz Makings 

5 mm long. Fruits: Pod linear, 2.5–3 mm wide, 3–4 cm long, straight, glabrous, 

pendent at an angle of about 40 degrees. Ecology: Uncommon, found on 

grassy hillsides and plains, mostly in sandy soil. likes the open from 2,500–4,000 

ft (762–1219 m); flowers July–September. Notes: Hour glass shaped seeds are 

very distinctive. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Sphinctospermum 

means pinched seed, while constrictum means constricted also. Synonyms: 

Tephrosia constricta 



©2008 Lara Hartley 


H M L 


Erodium cicutarium 

redstem stork’s bill 

General: Annual herb; thought to be introduced from Europe, naturalized 

throughout U.S.; herbage glandular–villous; stems are erect initially becoming 

prostrate, few to several, often reddish with swollen nodes; slender taproot. 

Leaves: Pinnately and finely dissected; blade bipinnatifid (twice pinnately 

cleft), lance–shaped stipules. Flowers: 2–5 (usually)–flowered umbel, 

glandular–pubescent; rose–lavender, pink, or lilac petals; often spotted; mature 

stylar column. Fruits: With beak of fruit 2.7–3.8 cm. Ecology: In disturbed, 

often dry places from 2,500–8,000 ft (762–2438 m); naturalized throughout the 

West and much of the US; flowers February–July. Notes: Glandular–pubescent 

annuals of disturbed areas, 20–50 mm long stylar column, pink or lavender 

petals, finely dissected leaves. Told apart from E. texanum by its leaves which 

are simple and 3–lobed, plants are also without glands. Seasonal forage for 

rodents, desert tortoise, big game animals, and livestock. Seeds eaten by upland 

gamebirds, songbirds, and rodents. Plant is sensitive to pollution. Low intensity 

burns may allow plant survival. Moderate to severe intensity fires kill plant. 

Initially, post–fire germination is low but overall biomass increases. Prescribed 

burns are favorable to species. Ethnobotany: 

Costanoan make cold leaf tea to treat typhoid 

fever. Navajo use plant to disinfect and 

treat bobcat and mountain lion bites. Zuni 

make chewed leaf poultice for sores and 

rashes. Navajo also use it to treat excessive 

menstruation. Etymology: Erodium is Greek 

for heron, which comes from the bill–like 

fruit. Cicut means pertaining to hemlock. 


Erodium texanum 

Texas stork’s bill 

General: Winter spring ephemeral, stems 

reaching 25 cm, but usually shorter and stemless. 

Herbage with small, coarse white hairs, not 

glandular. Leaves: Blades 9–21 mm, ovate to 

heart–shaped or rounded in outline, usually 3– 

lobed or parted, margins toothed, petioles 10–42 

mm. Flowers: Umbels 2–3 flowered, petals pink 

to purple, readily falling, longer than the sepals; 

fruiting sepals 5.5–9 mm. Fruits: Beak of fruit 

3.2–5 cm long. Ecology: Widespread, mostly at 

lower elevations on sandy or fine–textured soils, sometimes among rocks from 

1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 m); flowers February–April. Notes: Common as E. 

cicutarium, but easily distinguishable by the flowers. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Erodium is Greek for heron, which comes from the bill–like fruit, 

texanum refers to Texas. Synonyms: None 


Geraniaceae 

Forbs

Lamiaceae 

Forbs 


Lamium amplexicaule 

H M L 

henbit deadnettle 

General: Annual or biennial with sparsely pubescent herbage and decumbent 

to ascending stems 5–35 cm long, branching at base and from some axils. 

Leaves: Broadly ovate to suborbicular, truncate to cordate at base, obtuse to 

rounded at apex, coarsely crenate, dark green above, slightly paler beneath, 

lower leaves 5–10 mm wide, slenderly petiolate, upper sessile and often 

clasping, 20–25 mm wide, nearly as long. Flowers: Cymules few–flowered; 

calyx hispidulous 4–5 mm long, teeth equaling or slightly longer than broad 

tube, corolla purple to lavender, 10–16 mm long, tube slender, sparsely hirsute 

below, becoming densely pubescent upward, upper lip bearded with lavender 

to purplish hairs, lower lip with very small lateral lobes, middle lobe spotted 

with white and deep purple. Fruits: Nutlets obovoid–oblong, round back, 

trigonous in cross section, narrowly grooved down ventral midline, pale brown 

with paler numerous tubercles. Ecology: Found in waste places, disturbed 

areas, cultivated fields and lawns, very 

widespread. Flowers March–October. 

Notes: Widespread weed, naturalized 

extensively in United States, from Eurasia. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Lamium is the ancient Latin name for the 

mints, while amplexicaule refers to the 

leaf base clasping the stem. Synonyms: 

Lamium amplexicaule var. album 


Marrubium vulgare 

H M L 

horehound 

General: Perennial exotic herb from a taproot; stems several, prostrate to 

ascending–erect, 20–100 cm long/tall, densely white wooly. Leaves: Opposite, 

blades 1–6 cm long, conspicuously wrinkled, ovate to round, with crenate 

margins; generally green and pubescent above, white wooly below. Flowers: 

Whorled in globular clusters in leaf axils, with spiny calyces; corolla 5–10 mm 

long, whitish. Fruits: 4 nutlets Ecology: On disturbed ground from 2,000–7,500 

ft (610–2286 m); flowers April–October. Notes: Distinguished by noticeably 

wrinkly leaves and white–wooly pubescence on stems and undersides of 

leaves. Ethnobotany: Herb is useful in 

tincture form to alleviate lung congestion. 

Species is sometimes substituted in brewing in 

place of hops. Navajo use it to treat indigestion, 

stomachache, influenza, colds, coughs, sore 

throats, and general aches and pains. It is 

also used in childbirth. Etymology: Possibly 

from the Hebrew for “bitter juice”. Vulgare is 

ancient word for common. Synonyms: None 






Salvia subincisa 

sawtooth sage 

General: Erect annual herb with several to many 

slender branches 30–50 cm tall, internodes 

3–10 cm, quadrangular in cross section, closely 

glandular–hirtellous with capitate hairs. Leaves: 

Slender petioles, glandular–hirtellous, 1–1.5 cm 

long, broadening gradually above to cuneate 

base of leaf blades, the oblong–elliptic to linear– 

lanceolate, 3–15mm wide, 1.5–6 cm long, acute 

to attenuate at apex, irregularly incised–serrate, 

sparsely hirtellous and minutely glandular, slightly 

paler beneath that above. Flowers: Solitary 

flowers, but sometimes 2–3 flowered verticals 

1–3 cm apart in a raceme 3–15 cm long; bracts ovate, 2–3.5 mm long, ciliate– 

glandular, caducous; calyx 4.5–5.5 mm long in flower, corolla 4–4.5 mm long, 

upper lip 2–2.5 mm long, bluish, sparsely hirtellous without; lower lip 7–8 mm, 

slightly hirtellous beneath. Fruits: Nutlets ellipsoidal, 2.5–3 mm long, 1.8–2 

mm wide, smooth but dull, buff to pale brown. Ecology: Found along canyons 

and rocky shaded slopes and on margins of meadows below 5,500 ft (1676 m); 

flowers August–September. Notes: Irregularly incised–serrate leaves are one 

key diagnostic. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, but other species in 

this genus have medicinal, culinary, or food value. Etymology: Salvia comes 

from Latin salveo, I am well, and subincisa means below incised, deeply or 

irregularly cut. Synonyms: None 

Calochortus kennedyi 

desert mariposa lily 

General: Simple stems, stoutish, 10-25 cm 

tall, glaucous. Leaves: Basal leaves linear, 

deeply channeled, 2-5 mm wide, about 

equaling stems, glaucous; upper leaves 

1-2 or wanting, 3-6 mm wide at base, 3-5 

cm long, recurved and thick, attenuate, 

scarious along margins. Flowers: Umbels 

2-4 flowered, sepals broadly ovate to lanceovate, 

2-3 cm long, 6-10 mm wide, acute, 

orange-red within, usually brownish spot near base; petals broadly cuneateobovate, 

2.5-3.5 cm long, orange-red with brownish purple claws; large hairy 

gland at base. Fruits: Capsule broadly linear-lanceolate, 4-5 cm long, obtusely 

triquetrous, slightly attenuate above. Ecology: Found on gravelly hills, mesas 

and outwash slopes below 5000 ft (1524 m); flowers April-June. Notes: Several 

species of this genus are in the region, petal color usually is the diagnostic. 

Ethnobotany: Large bulbs were eaten. Etymology: Calochortus is Greek, 

meaning beautiful herb, while kennedyi is named after William Kennedy 

(c1827?). Synonyms: None 


Lamiaceae–Liliaceae 

Forbs

Loasaceae 

Forbs 

Mentzelia albicaulis 

whitestem blazingstar 

General: Annuals with sticky leaves, stems to 45 

cm tall. Leaves: Sticky surface due to barbed hairs; 

sessile, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate; margins lobed 

often with teeth in the sinuses; up to 15 cm long. 

Flowers: Sessile; petals yellow, 2–5 mm long; 15–30 

stamens; style 2–3 mm long. Fruits: Capsules club– 

shaped (widens toward tip and often long–tapering to 

base); 8–28 mm long; Seeds hang down, not winged, 

grain–like seeds in upper half of capsule. Ecology: 

Found in dry places from 1000–7500 ft (305–2286m); 

flowers February–June. Notes: M. albicaulis has 

more consistently deeply pinnately lobed leaves, at times with shallowly lobed 

leaves above. Ethnobotany: Gosiute rub seeds on burned skin. Hopi use 

plant for toothaches. Navajo use leaf concoction for snakebites. Numerous 

tribes use seed flour as staple for gravy, bread porridge, etc. Etymology: 

Mentzelia named for Christian Mentzel (1622–1701), a 17th century German 

botanist, botanical author and physician. Albicaulis translates to whitish–stem. 

Synonyms: Acrolasia albicaulis, M. gracilis, M. mojavensis 

Mentzelia aspera 

tropical blazingstar 

General: Annual herb with spreading, ascending, longitudinally striate stems 

10–40 cm long, puberulent with straight or slightly curved, spinelike hairs, 

retrorsely barbed. Leaves: Lanceolate to ovate–lanceolate, to broadly ovate 

10–15 cm long to 8 cm broad, acute to acuminate at apex, more or less cuneate 

to subcordate at base, serrateor deeply incised or sometimes hallowly 3–lobed, 

dark green on upper surface, paler and more densely scabrous beneath. 

Flowers: Calyx tube 6–11 mm long, attenuate at base, lobes lanceolate 3–4 mm 

long, 1–1.5 mm wide, acuminate; 5 petals, obovate to obovate–orbicular, 4–8 

mm long. Fruits: Subcylindrical capsule, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 3–5 mm in diameter, 

terete, obtuse at base, papery, sessile. Ecology: Found on sandy or rocky soil 

below 4000 ft (1219 m); flowers July–October. Notes: Diagnostic for this plant 

is the striate stems. Ethnobotany: Unknown, but others of this genera had 

wide use as food, medicine, and for ceremony. Etymology: Mentzelia named 

for Christian Mentzel (1622–1701), a 17th century German botanist, botanical 

author and physician, while aspera means rough. Synonyms: None 


©2004 James M. Andre

©2008 SEINET–ASU, Liz Makings 


Abutilon mollicomum 

Sonoran Indian mallow 

General: Shrubs 1–2 m tall, stems and petioles 

with spreading simple hairs 2–4 mm long. Leaves: 

Broadly ovate or weakly lobulate, 10–20 cm long, 

irregularly dentate, softly pubescent, markedly 

discolorous. Flowers: In ample terminal panicle 

rising above leaves, calyx 4–6 mm long, petals 

5–8 mm long, staminal column glabrous, around 

10 styles. Fruits: Exceeding calyx, 8–10 mm 

diameter, stellate–pubescent, mericarps 10, 

short–apiculate. Ecology: Found in grasslands 

and along waterways from 3,000–4,500 ft (914– 

1372 m); flowers September–December. Notes: Easy to identify because of 

its huge leaves. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Abutilon is from the 

Arabic word for a mallow–like plant. Synonyms: Abutilon sonorae 

Abutilon parvulum 

dwarf Indian mallow 

General: Herbs or subshrubs with trailing branches, 

stems minutely stellate–pubescent, sometimes 

also with simple hairs 1 mm long. Leaves: Broadly 

ovate, up to 5 cm long, often smaller, coarsely 

dentate, sparsely stellate–pubescent, concolorous. 

Flowers: Solitary in leaf axils, calyx 3–5 mm long, 

lobes reflexed in fruit, petals orange or pink, 4–7 

mm diameter, minutely stellate–pubescent. Fruits: 

Mericarps 5, apically acute or apiculate. Ecology: 

Found on dry plains and arid slopes from 2,500– 

5,500 ft (762–1676 m); flowers throughout the year. 

Notes: The green of the leaf tissue showing through the sparser, longer–rayed 

pubescence on the lower sides of the leaf blade readily sets it apart in the field. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Abutilon is from the Arabic word for a 

mallow–like plant, while parvulum means somewhat small. Synonyms: None 


Malvaceae 

Forbs

Malvaceae 

Forbs 

Anoda cristata 

crested anoda 

General: Suberect or decumbent herb, stems 

hispid. Leaves: Usually ovate to hastate, dentate to 

subentire, sparsely pubescent, often with purple 

blotch along midvein. Flowers: Solitary in leaf axils 

on long pedicels, calyx 5–10 mm long (12–20 mm in 

fruit); petals 8–16 mm long, lavender (rarely white); 

pubescent staminal column, shorter than petals, 

styles 10–19. Fruits: Disk–shaped, 8–11 mm diameter 

(excluding spines), hispid; mericarps 10–19 with 

horizontal spines 1.5–4 mm long dorsally. Ecology: 

Found along streams, in meadows, roadsides, fields 

and gentle slopes or flats from 3,500–6,000 ft (1067–1981 m); flowers throughout 

the year. Notes: Considered a weed by many sources, common throughout the 

region, noxious in some states, including Colorado. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Anoda comes from Greek, a, without and Latin nodus, joint 

or node, a nod to the stems lacking nodes, while cristata means comb–like. 

Synonyms: Anoda acerifolia, A. cristata var. brachyantha, A. cristata var. 

digitata, A. lavaterioides, Sida cristata 


Malva parviflora 

H M L 

cheeseweed mallow 

General: Introduced, trailing or ascending herb, slightly pubescent to glabrate. 

Leaves: Orbicular or reniform, 2–7 cm long, crenate, undulate, or 5–7 lobed. 

Flowers: 1–4 in leaf axils, short–pedicellate, calyx 3–4 mm long, accrescent 

to 7–8 mm in fruit, petals lavender or white, 4–5 mm long. Fruits: Nearly 

glabrous, mericarps around 10, rugose or wrinkled dorsally and winged at the 

angle between the dorsal and lateral walls. Ecology: Found on roadsides and 

in fields, disturbed ground and urban habitats from 1,000–7,000 ft (305–2134 

m); flowers most of the year. Notes: Similar to the other weed species Malva 

neglecta, which is generally found at higher elevations, but can also be told 

apart by the pedicels being shorter than the calyx in M. parviflora, along 

with shorter petals, and fewer mericarps. 

Ethnobotany: Decoction of leaves used as a 

rinse for dandruff and to soften hair, used for 

enema and bath for babies with fevers, and for 

swelling, sores, or boils. Etymology: Malva is 

the Latin name for mallow taken from Greek 

malache, referring to the leaves; parviflora is 

from Greek parvus, small and flora, flower, 

hence small–flowered. Synonyms: None 




©2007 Lynn Watson 


Malvella leprosa 

scaly alkali mallow 

General: Trailing stems with a mixture of 

stellate hairs and lepidote scales. Leaves: 

Triangular, acute, irregularly dentate, 1–2 

cm long. Flowers: Pedicel subequal to 

the corresponding leaf, involucel usually 

absent, calyx 6–8 mm long, lepidote, petals 

12–15 mm long. Fruits: Oblate, 5–6 mm 

in diameter, mericarps about 7, dorsally 

rounded. Ecology: Found in heavy, saline 

soils on roadsides or mud flats from 4,500–5,500 ft (1372–1676 m); flowers 

throughout year. Notes: The stellate puberulence on the backs of the petals 

is a striking character. Ethnobotany: Used for dysentery, diarrhea, and 

inflammation of the bowels. Etymology: Malvella is a diminutive of Malva 

meaning little malva, while leprosa means scurfy or spotted like a leper. 

Synonyms: Sida hederacea, S. leprosa, S. leprosa var. hederacea 

Rhynchosida physocalyx 

buffpetal, bladder calyx 

General: Herbs with large taproot, stems 

trailing to ascending, with scattered coarse 

stellate hairs. Leaves: Oblong–ovate, 2–5 

cm long, coarsely pubescent, with ciliate 

margins. Flowers: Solitary in leaf axils, 

calyx lobes broadly cordate, overlapping 

and strongly 5–angled basally, petals 5–8 

mm long, subequal to calyx. Fruits: 8–9 mm 

in diameter, surrounded by inflated calyx; 

mericarps 8–10. Ecology: Found in canyons and along waterways from 2,500– 

5,000 ft (762–1524 m); flowers throughout year. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Rhynchosida comes from Greek rhynchos, horn, beak, snout, and 

sida which Theophrastus called the water lily, while physocalyx comes from 

Greek physa meaning bladder, or pair of bellows and calyx meaning flower. 

Synonyms: Sida physocalyx 


Malvaceae 

Forbs

Malvaceae 

Forbs 

Sida abutifolia 

Sida neomexicana 


H M L 

spreading fanpetals 

General: Introduced procumbent perennial herbs, stellate–pubescent and 

usually with simple hairs 1–2 mm long. Leaves: Ovate to oblong, crenate, up to 

1.5 cm long or occasionally larger. Flowers: Solitary in the leaf axils on slender 

pedicels, calyx 4–5 mm long, petals white, 5–6 mm long, 5 styles. Fruits: Oblate– 

conical, pubescent, 5 mm diameter, mericarps 5, with apical spines to 0.5 mm 

long. Ecology: Found on arid, sandy plains and on roadsides, from 2,500– 

6,000 ft (762–1981 m); flowers throughout 

year. Notes: Diagnostic for this plant is the 5 

mericarps which are the smallest, procumbent 

habit, and setose hairs. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Sida is the name 

Theophrastus gave to the lily, abutifolia comes 

from abutilon and folia for leaves, meaning 

mallow–like leaves. Synonyms: Sida filicaulis, 

S. filiformis, S. procumbens, S. supina 

New Mexico fanpetals 

General: Multi–stemmed erect perennial 

herbs up to 0.5 m tall, minutely stellate– 

puberulent. Leaves: Narrowly oblong– 

lanceolate, dentate, 3–9 mm wide, pubescent 

beneath. Flowers: Axillary but apically 

congested through shortened internodes, 

calyx 6–7 mm long, petals yellow–orange 

to reddish, 10–12 mm long, styles 10–12, 


obscurely reticulate laterally, muticous. 

Fruits: Apically pubescent, 5–7 mm diameter, 7–14 per schizocarp. Ecology: 

Found on rocky slopes, in canyons, and generally in open vegetation from 

4,000–6,000 ft (1219–1829 m); flowers June–October. Notes: Diagnostic of this 

plant is the congestion of the flowers and fruits at the end of the stem, the 1 

cm pedicel, and narrowly oblong–lanceolate leaves. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Sida is the name Theophrastus gave to the lily, neomexicanum 

means New Mexico for location of type specimen. Synonyms: None 





Sida spinosa 

prickly fanpetals 

General: Herbs or subshrubs, rarely annuals to 

1 m tall, minutely stellate–puberulent. Leaves: 

Broadly ovate to narrowly oblong–lanceolate, 

dentate, 2–4 cm long, discolorous. Flowers: 

Solitary (rarely grouped) in leaf axils, sometimes 

crowded apically, calyx 5–7 mm long, petals 

yellow (rarely white); 5 styles. Fruits: Broadly 

conical, 4–5 mm diameter, 5 mericarps, apical 

spines about 1 mm long, antrorsely pubescent. 

Ecology: Found on open arid slopes and sandy plains, sometimes in fields from 

3,500–4,000 ft (1067–1219 m); flowers throughout the year. Notes: Diagnostic 

is its erect habit, 5 mericarps about 1 mm long, and stellate–puberulence. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Sida is the name Theophrastus gave to 

the lily, spinosa means spiny. Synonyms: Sida alba, S. angustifolia, S. spinosa 

var. angustifolia 

Sphaeralcea angustifolia 

copperleaf globemallow 

General: Perennial, stems several, canescent to 

1 m or taller; stems erect to floppy and curving. 

Leaves: Leaves broadly ovate to ovate–oblong, 

somewhat cordate at base, angulate to 3–parted 

or 3–cleft, crenate or dentate on margins, 2–9 

cm long. Flowers: Three or more per node, in 

many–flowered interrupted raceme, pedicels 

shorter than sepals; calyx 5–10 mm , densely 

stellate–tomentose;, lobes acute to acuminate; 

petals grenadine–pink to pale red–orange, 10–20 

mm long. Fruits: Mericarps 2–or–3 seeded, 

2.7–4.3 mm, longer than wide, dehiscent section 

about as large as the body. Ecology: Found in sandy or loamy soil, sandy 

plains or waste places below 3,000 ft (914 m); flowers April–June. Notes: Big 

ovate leaves, 3–cleft, helps to identify this species. Ethnobotany: Taken as a 

decoction of root for diarrhea by Pima. Etymology: Sphaeralcea is from Greek 

sphaira, a globe, and alcea, a related genus. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 


Malvaceae 

Forbs

Malvaceae 

Forbs 

Sphaeralcea fendleri 

Fendler’s globemallow 

General: Perennial herbs to 120 cm tall, with 

woody crowns, the leaves and stems more or 

less canescent with stellate hairs, hairs gray 

or white. Leaves: Leaves narrowly to broadly 

ovate, deeply cleft, the lateral lobes triangular 

and acute. Flowers: Flowers bright red to pink, 

the petals 8–15 mm long, the calyx 4–6 mm long, 

with lobes about as long as the tube. Fruits: 

Rounded capsules often remaining attached to the axis after maturity by a 

thread–like extension of the dorsal nerve, seeds 1–3. Ecology: Found in pine 

forests and down to the oak and mixed oak woodlands from 3,000–8,000 ft 

(914–2438 m); flowering July–September. Notes: Similar to S. incana but with 

generally glabrescent leaves, ssp. albescens has been reported as collected from 

Tumacácori NHP, but Fryxell in his Malvaceae of Mexico does not recognize 

infraspecific taxa. La Duke 1986 indicates that this subspecies is only to be 

found in southern Arizona and northern Mexico, but even this remains a little 

finicky. Ethnobotany: The plant was used to treat sand cricket bites, an infusion 

of the plant was taken for mouth sores and for internal injury and hemorrhage, 

and as a lotion to treat external injury. The juice of the plant was made into a 

paste and mixed with clay before forming it into a pot. Etymology: Sphaeralcea 

comes from the Greek sphaira, “a globe,” and alcea, a related genus, referring 

to the spherical fruits, the common name of this genus being “globe–mallow”, 

while fendleri is named for August(us) Fendler (1813–1883), a German plant 

collector in North and Central America. Synonyms: Sphaeralcea leiocarpa 





Proboscidea altheifolia 

desert unicorn–plant 

General: Perennial from deeply set tuberous 

root, shoots emerging with summer rains, 

stems and petioles semi–succulent and 

viscid–sticky. Leaves: Often with petioles 

4–11 cm long, blades 2–6 cm, broadly ovate to 

orbicular or kidney–shaped and shallowly 

lobed. Flowers: Flowers 4 cm, showy, 

corollas bright yellow inside tube and on 

lobes with brown–purple speckles and 

dark yellow–orange nectar guides, tube often bronze colored outside. Fruits: 

Capsule body 4–6.6 cm, claws 9–14 cm. Seeds 6–9 mm, obovoid, blackish and 

warty. Ecology: Found on sandy–gravelly soils of arroyos, washes, below 4,500 

ft (1372 m); flowers May–August. Notes: Notably, black seeds are only found in 

the native, undomesticated species. Ethnobotany: Widely eaten, both seeds 

and fruit. When young, fruit is similar to okra. Seri peeled the fleshy root and 

ate the cortex. Used for basketry. Etymology: Proboscidea is from Greek 

proboskis, elephant’s trunk, and althaeifolia means with leaves like the genus 

Althaea. Synonyms: Martynia althaeifolia, M. arenaria, Proboscidea arenaria 

Proboscidea parviflora 

doubleclaw, devil’s claw 

General: Densely viscid–pubescent annual with 

spreading branches to 1 m long, roots small and 

poorly developed, stems and petioles thick and 

semisucculent. Leaves: Larger leaves 12–30 cm, 

petioles as long as broadly ovate blades that 

are shallowly lobed. Flowers: Few–flowered, 

pedicels 1–2 cm long at anthesis, corolla 3 cm, 

pale lavender with purple blotches and white– 

and–yellow nectar guides. Fruits: Body of 

capsule 2 cm in diameter, 5–7 cm long, claws 10– 

15 cm, seeds obovoid, blackish warty. Ecology: 

Found on sandy and gravelly soils, fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas from 

1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 m); flowers from March–October. Notes: Diagnostic 

for this plant is the white–lavender color. Ethnobotany: Widely eaten, both 

seeds and fruit. When young, fruit is similar to okra. The more common 

cultivated varieties have much longer claws than the wild annual, but both have 

wide usage in basketry and as food. Etymology: Proboscidea is from Greek 

proboskis, elephant’s trunk, while parviflora is from Greek parvus, small and 

flora, flower. Synonyms: None 


Martyniaceae 

Forbs

Menispermaceae 

Forbs 

Cocculus diversifolius 

snailseed 

General: Woody, climbing vine with slender 

stems. Leaves: Alternate, simple, thickish, 

linear to broadly ovate, .3–3 cm wide, 2–7 cm 

long, rounded and mucronulate to acute at 

apex, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, especially 

along margins and veins beneath. Flowers: 

Short axillary raceme 1–5 cm long, pubescent, 

three greenish ovate sepals, outer 1 mm long, 

inner 1.5 mm long, with three petals 2–2.5 mm long, rounded at apex. Fruits: 

Globose drupe, dark purplish black, fleshy, staining, 5–6 mm in diameter. 

Ecology: Found mostly in the shade of trees and larger shrubs from 3,500– 

5,000 ft (1067–1524 m); flowers May–August. Notes: Stems gray to brown with 

short, confluent ridges, younger stems green to gray to brown, finely grooved, 

with fine, appressed hairs. The alternate leaves and climbing habit are key, 

along with the three parted flowers. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Diversifolius refers to diverse foliage. Synonyms: None 


2012 NPS

©2007 Neal Kramer 

Mollugo verticillata 

green carpetweed 

General: Prostrate annual forming mats 1–35 

cm across. Leaves: Spatulate, 5–6 in a whorl, 

5–40 mm long, 2–8 mm wide, basal ones distinctly 

petiolate. Flowers: Several at node on 

slender pedicels, 5–15 mm long but not pedunculate, 

oblong sepals 2–2.5 mm long with 

green midrib and white margins; usually 3 

stamens, alternating with cells of ovary about 

1.5 mm long. Fruits: Ovoid capsule, slightly surpassing sepals. Ecology: Found 

in sandy soil and disturbed areas from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 m); flowers 

September–October. Notes: One other species of Mollugo in our region, M. 

cerviana, easy to tell apart as it is erect. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Mollugo is an old name for the genus Galium, transferred because of similarly 

whorled leaves, while verticillata means whorled also. Synonyms: Mollugo 

berteriana 


Molluginaceae 

Forbs

Montiaceae 

Forbs 

Cistanthe parryi 

Parry’s pussypaws, Arizona pussypaws 

General: Annual herb to 10 cm tall, stems spreading to ascending. Leaves: 

Found in ephemeral basal rosette, spatulate, to 7.5 cm long. Flowers: 

Inflorescence 1–sided raceme to 4.5 cm long, bracts ovate to elliptic, sessile 

flowers, sepals scarious or scarious–margined, ovate, 1.5–5 mm long, 3 petals, 

white to pinkish, 1.5–3 mm long, stamens 1–3, stiles absent, 2 sessile stigmas. 

Fruits: Capsule with 2 valves, ovoid to cylindric, 2–8 mm long, not more than 

twice as long as sepals. Ecology: Found in sand and gravel washes and open 

areas from 2,500–4,500 ft (762–1372 m); flowers February–May. Notes: This 

variety is somewhat up for questioning. The voucher from the inventory at 

Tumacacori indicates this as var. parryi, however that variety is only found 

in California, up to this point. This description essentially follows the species 

description for both, as the only difference is that the seeds in the var. arizonica 

are smooth and shiny. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species 

used for food. Etymology: Cistanthe parryi for Charles Parry (1823–1890) a 

naturalist on the Mexican Boundary Survey. Synonyms: Calyptridium parryi, 

C. parryi var. parryi 

Calandrinia ciliata 

fringed redmaids 

General: Annual from slender to thick 

taproot, to 30 cm tall, spreading, prostrate 

to ascending. Leaves: Alternate, linear to 

oblanceolate, to 10 cm long, glabrous or 

ciliate. Flowers: 2–15 on elongated raceme, 

leaf–like bracts, pedicels 4–13 mm long, 

sepals 2.5–8 mm long; petals 4–11 mm long, 

red to purple. Fruits: Capsule with 3 valves, 

5–20 seeds. Ecology: Found on sandy to 

loamy soil, sand and gravel washes, rocky slopes from 1,500–5,000 ft (457–1524 

m); flowers February–June. Ethnobotany: Seeds were eaten for food, as were 

the greens. Etymology: Calandrinia is named for J.L. Calandrini (1703–1758) 

a Swiss botanist, while ciliata is the name given to describe slight fringing of 

petals like an eyelash. Synonyms: Calandrinia ciliata var. menziesii 





Phemeranthus aurantiacus 

orange flameflower 

General: Perennial herb to 50 cm tall, woody 

tuberous roots, stems simple to branching, erect, 

sometimes suffrutescent. Leaves: Subsessile, 

linear to lanceolate, rarely oblanceolate, basally 

attenuate, to 6 cm long. Flowers: Inflorescence 

later with flowers inserted singly or occasionally 

in cymules, pedicels recurving in fruit; sepals 

ovate, sometimes cuspidate, 5–10 mm long, 

deciduous, petals obovate, 9–15 mm long, 

yellow to reddish–orange, stamens 20–30, 3 

linear stigmas. Fruits: Ovoid to globose capsule, 4–7 mm long. Ecology: 

Found in desert scrub and grasslands, savannahs and open woodlands, in 

rocky soil, often granitic, sometimes calcareous from 2500–6500 ft (762–1981 

m); flowers May–October. Notes: Variable in size, flower color, capsule shape 

over the range. There is a recognized form P. angustissimum that has yellow 

petals, very narrow leaves, short slender stems, and small globose capsule; 

found in southern AZ. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Phemeranthus 

comes from Greek ephemoros, living for one day and anthos, flowers; while 

aurantiacus means orange, orange–yellow, or orange–red. Synonyms: Talinum 

aurantiacum 

Allonia incarnata 

trailing windmills 

General: Ephemeral annual or short–lived 

perennial herb with stout taproot, dying 

back to roots during drought; Glandular 

hairy and sticky viscid throughout except 

the flowers, often with sand sticking to 

herbage. Stems sometimes reach more than 

1 m. Leaves: Petioles0.2–3.5 cm long, leaves 

2–6 cm long, broadly deltoid–orbicular 

to oval, usually rounded at base, unequal, 

green above, paler beneath. Flowers: Involucres on slender peduncles 3–5 cm 

long, lobes free, ovate–orbicular, 5–9 mm long, perianth 6–15 mm long, purplish 

red, rarely white. Fruits: Anthocarp 3–4.5 mm long, inner side 3–nerved, 

margins with 3–5 broad teeth or sometimes entire, strongly incurved. Ecology: 

Found in sandy or rocky soil below 6,000 ft (1829 m); flowers April–October. 

Notes: The fruits of this species are unique in being bilaterally rather than 

radially symmetrical. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Allonia is from 

Greek allos, meaning different or other and incarnata means flesh–colored. 



Montiaeae–Nyctaginaceae 

Forbs

Nyctaginaceae 

Forbs 

Boerhavia coccinea 

scarlet spiderling 

General: Decumbent or prostrate 

perennial, branching from base with 

many stout stems 30–140 cm long, viscid– 

pubescent and sometimes glandular– 

hirsute below, more or less glandular above, 

occasionally glabrate. Leaves: Opposite, 

2–6 cm long, ovate–orbicular to oblong, 

rounded to acute at apex, green above, 

pale below, with a brown–punctate margin, 

glabrous to hirsute, often viscid. Flowers: 

Cymose, much branched, branches slender, 

glandular–pubescent, flowers in heads on 

slender peduncles, bracts minute, lanceolate; perianth purplish red, 2 mm 

long; stamens 1–3, barely exserted. Fruits: Obovoid, 2.5–3.5 mm long, densely 

glandular–puberulent with dark, blunt, usually gland–tipped hairs. Ecology: 

Found in sandy soil along drainages, washes, roadsides, disturbed areas below 

7,000 ft (2134 m); flowers April–November. Notes: This plant tends to take over 

areas, so it is identifiable often by the large patches. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Boerhavia is for Hermann Boerhaave (1663–1738) a Dutch botanist, 

while coccinea means scarlet or bright, deep pink. Synonyms: None 

Boerhavia coulteri 

Coulter’s spiderling 

General: Slender annual, usually with many branches 

spreading from base, more or less pubescent and 

sometimes a little ciliate below, not conspicuously 

glandular, sometimes with viscid bands. Leaves: 

Opposite, ovate to ovate–deltoid, 1.5–5 cm long, 

obtuse, often rounded at apex, mostly truncate at 

base, margin entire or sinuate, upper leaves smaller, 

lanceolate to ovate–lanceolate. Flowers: Cymose– 

paniculate, much branched, flowers in loose, slender, 

interrupted spikes; minute bracts, lanceolate–ovate, 

usually brown–punctate; perianth 1–1.5 mm long, 

white or pale pink, stamens 1–3, included or short–exserted. Fruits: Anthocarp 

narrowly obovoid, 2.5–3 mm long, 5 angled, ridges broad, smooth, obtuse, 

groove closed or nearly closed, rugulose. Ecology: Found on sandy soil from 

500–5,000 ft (152–1524 m); flowers August–October. Notes: One of the most 

common Boerhavia species in Arizona. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Boerhavia is for Hermann Boerhaave (1663–1738) a Dutch botanist, coulteri 

is named for Dr. Thomas Coulter (1793–1843) an Irish botanist. Synonyms: 

Senkenbergia coulteri 



©2005 James M. Andre



Boerhavia erecta 

erect spiderling 

General: Usually coarse, glaucous annuals 30– 

100 cm, glabrous or hirsutulous below, branching 

from base and above, branches ascending, basal 

branches sometimes procumbent. Leaves: 

Opposite, ovate to oblong–ovate, usually 

acute, rarely rounded at apex, entire or 

subsinuate, glabrous, lower leaves 2.5–8 

cm long, upper ones short, narrowly 

ovate–lanceolate; sometimes with 

moderately to densely glandular patches. 

Flowers: Cymosely paniculate, much 

branched, branches and branchlets erect 

or strictly ascending; flowers umbellate, 

or subracemose in clusters of 3–6 flowers, 

occasinally in twos or solitary on older 

inflorescences, perianth greenish or white, sometimes tinged with pink, 1 mm or 

longer; stamens 2–3, subtending bracts minute, deciduous. Fruits: Anthocarp 

greenish or brownish green, 5 angled, 3–4.5 mm long, narrowly obpyramidal, 

strongly narrowed below, ridges smooth. Ecology: Found in open places and 

disturbed areas from 1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 m); flowers July–August. Notes: 

Widely distributed in the topics. Ethnobotany: The Hopi would take the stem 

and leaves and hang them upside down in the house as a fly–trap. Etymology: 

Boerhavia is for Hermann Boerhaave (1663–1738) a Dutch botanist, erecta 

means upright. Synonyms: None 

Boerhavia purpurascens 

purple spiderling 

General: Erect, slender annual 15–45 

cm high, 1–3 stems from base, more 

or less glandual–hirtellous, branches 

spreading above into paniculate–cymose 

inflorescence. Leaves: Brown–punctate 

and pale below, glabrous or nearly 

so, oblong, acute or rounded at apex, 

sinuate–margined, 2.5–3 cm long, upper 

leaves lanceolate, reduced and sessile; 

petioles shorter than blade, 6–11 mm long. 

Flowers: In headlike glomerules at ends of branches of cymose–paniculate 

inflorescence; perianth rotate–spreading, pink to rose–pink, about 2 mm 

long; 3 stamens, much exserted; ovate subtending bracts, scarious with short, 

spreading, villous hairs, as long as or longer than fruit. Fruits: Anthocarp 

obovoid 2–2.5 mm long, 5 angled. Ecology: Found on hill slopes, often in 

limestone and among chapparal from 3,500–5,500 ft (1067–1676 m); flowers 

August–September. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Boerhavia is for 

Hermann Boerhaave (1663–1738) a Dutch botanist, purpurascens means 

becoming purple. Synonyms: None 


Nyctaginaceae 

Forbs

Nyctaginaceae 

Forbs 

Boerhavia scandens 

climbing wartclub 

General: Suffrutescent or shrubby, much 

branched perennial with long, weak, 

slender, pale reclining branches. Leaves: 

Opposite, scattered, glabrous 1.5–6 cm long, 

ovate to ovate–deltoid, typically cordate 

to truncate at base, attenuate at apex or 

sometimes acute, often apiculate. Flowers: 

Terminal inflorescence or axillary, 

flowers arranged in umbels on leafy or 

bracteate cymose branches; umbels 5–10 

rayed, forked, rays lanceolate–attenuate, sparsely hairy, caducous; greenish 

perianth, rotate–spreading, 3–4 mm broad, stamens 2, much exserted. Fruits: 

Greenish anthocarp, narrowly clavate, finely ribbed, glabrous or occasionally 

finely hirsutulose, 10–12 mm long. Ecology: Found in canyons and thickets 

from 2,000–4,500 ft (610–1372 m); flowers September–April. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Boerhavia is for Hermann Boerhaave (1663–1738) a 

Dutch botanist, scandens means climbing. Synonyms: Commicarpus scandens 

Boerhavia spicata 

creeping spiderling 

General: Erect or procumbent annual to 65 cm 

high, stems densely coarse, glandular–villous 

except those of upper inflorescence, often 

reddish. Leaves: Ovate or lanceolate, 1.5–5 

cm, acute to narrowly acute at apex, the upper 

reduced and narrowly lanceolate, subsessile, 

margins entire or subsinuate, puberulent 

or short–villous, often glandular; petioles 

usually one–half to one–third as long as blade. 

Flowers: Cymose–paniculate, few branched, 

bracts beneath flowers deciduous, flowers 

white to pale pink, in short, dense slender spikes at the ends of branchlets. 

Fruits: Anthocarp 2.1–2.5 mm, narrowly obovoid, ridges smooth, broad. 

Ecology: Found on sandy soil, plains, washes, arroyos, disturbed habitats from 

1,500–4,500 ft (457–1372 m); flowers September–October. Notes: Widespread. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Boerhavia is for Hermann Boerhaave 

(1663–1738) a Dutch botanist, spicata refers to the spicate flowers. Synonyms: 

Boerhavia torreyana, B. watsonii 




2010 NPS/Jason Welborn 


Mirabilis jalapa 

marvel of Peru 

General: Much branched and bushy perennial 

60–150 cm tall with erect to ascending 

branches, the plant covered in viscid to short– 

villous and puberulent pubescence. Leaves: 

Opposite, ovate and rounded at base to acute 

at apex, 4–13 cm long, on a shot petiole but 

subsessile above. Flowers: Leafy bracted 

inflorescence, cymose at the ends of the 

branches, the involucre campanulate, with 

lobes longer than the tube, these 15 mm long, 

the perianth 3–5.5 cm long, reddish purple, but also whitish and yellowish with 

other variations in cultivation, 5 stamens, little exserted. Fruits: Anthocarp 

7–9 mm long, obovoid, rugose and 5 sided, glabrous to puberulent. Ecology: 

Found widespread in lowland desert or warmer climates, often as an escapee 

of cultivation. Notes: The beautiful flowers of this plant leave little room to 

wonder why it has been cultivated as widely as it has been. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Mirabilis is Latin for miraculous or wonderful, while 

jalapa is named for the city of Xalapa in Mexico. Synonyms: Mirabilis jalapa 

ssp. lindheimeri, Mirabilis lindheimeri 

Mirabilis longiflora 

sweet four o’clock 

General: Several stems 5–15 dm, herbage 

lightly puberulent basally, glandular– 

puberulent distally, erect or ascending. 

Leaves: Leaves at midstem with petiole 

2–6 cm; blade usually cordate, less often 

deltate, ovate or ovate–lanceolate, 5–14 

cm by 3–8 cm. Flowers: Dense clusters 

of flowers among conspicuous foliaceous 

bracts 5–20 mm, peduncle 0.5–2 mm, bracts 

40–60% connate, 7–11 mm in flower, 10–18 mm in fruit, apex triangular to 

narrowly triangular; perianth white, tube blushed with green or purple, 8–15 

cm, pubescent externally. Fruits: Black to dark brown anthocarp, bluntly 5– 

angled in cross section. Ecology: Found in rocky canyons and on slopes from 

2,500–9,000 ft (762–2743 m); flowers from August–September. Notes: Plant 

remarkable for the very long and slender perianth tube of the white or pinkish 

flowers. There is one recognized variety, var. wrightiana found north of the 

Mexican border. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, while other species 

in this genera have many uses. Etymology: Mirabilis is Latin for miraculous or 

wonderful, while longiflora means long flower. Synonyms: None 


Nyctaginaceae 

Forbs

Onagraceae 

Forbs 

Camissonia californica 

Californica suncup 

General: Annual or perennial, slender 

and often much taller than wide, 15–70 cm, 

with erect main axis; solitary or sparsely 

branched with ascending straight branches; 

young plant with sparsely pubescent hairs 

as well as small glandular hairs, becoming 

glabrous with age. Leaves: First in basal 

rosette, or no basal rosette at all; lower 

leaves 3–24 cm long by 0.4–0.7 cm wide, 

petioled, blades linear to narrowly elliptic, margins pinnately and coarsely 

lobed and toothed, steim leaves reduced above. Plants leafy when you, leafless 

or nearly so at flowering time. Flowers: Flowers vespertine (closed until 10pm, 

open at 5am) often 15–18 mm wide, petals 5–7 mm, bright yellow, flecked with 

red, fading orange, drying pink. Style, stigma, anthers, and filaments bright 

yellow. Fruits: Capsules 4–8 cm long by 1–1.5 mm wide, slender, straight to 

slightly curved, turning downward. Ecology: Found on rocky, gravelly, sandy 

and cinder soils of bajadas, plains, washes below 4,500 ft (1372 m); flowers 

February–June. Notes: This plant is identifiable by how strikingly it looks like 

a mustard. Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genera have 

medicinal and culinary uses. Etymology: Camissonia is named for Ludolf Karl 

Adelbert von Chamisso (1781–1838) a German botanist, which californica is 

named for California. Synonyms: Eulobus californicus, Oenothera californica, 

O. leptocarpa 

Eremothera chamaenerioides 

willow–herb primrose, longcapsule suncup 

General: Erect annual with slender stem, 10–50 

cm tall with glandular hairs and small coarse non– 

glandular hairs near inflorescence, reddish. Leaves: 

Basal and cauline, thin, 1.5–7 cm long by 1–15 mm wide, 

green to reddish with dark red spots, blades more or 

less elliptic, entire to sparsely and shallowly toothed 

or crenulate. Flowers: Racemose inflorescence to 20 

cm long in fruit, narrowly funnelform hypanthium, 

cream–white inside, pink outside 2–2.5 mm, whitish, 

often with broad pink midstripe or markings, turning 

pink with age; flowers open near sunset. Fruits: 

Linear capsule, terete in cross section 0.5–0.8 mm in diameter, 2.5–5 cm long, 

divariacate–spreading, glabrous and beakless at apex. Ecology: Found on 

arid hills and plains below 5,500 ft (1676 m); flowers February–June. Notes: 

Smallest flowered evening primrose in the Sonoran Desert region. Widespread. 

Pay attention to the small spots on the leaves, often quite variable in shape. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in the genera have medicinal and 

culinary uses. Etymology: Camissonia is named for Ludolf Karl Adelbert von 

Chamisso (1781–1838) a German botanist, chamaenerioides is from root chamai, 

low–growing, dwarf added to something that looks like the genus Nerium. 

Synonyms: Camissonia chamaenerioides, Oenothera chamaenerioides 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2004 James M. Andre


Ludwigia repens 

creeping primrose–willow 

General: Perennial, matted herb with stems 10–30 cm long, decumbent, 

rooting at nodes, subglabrous. Leaves: Opposite, less than 5 cm, narrowly 

elliptic to round, entire, subglabrous to densely and minutely strigose. 

Flowers: Axillary, sepals 4, 1.8–5 mm; petals 4, 1–3 mm, yellow, stamens 4 

anthers 0.4–0.9 mm. Fruits: Erect, pedicel 0–3 mm, fruit 4–10 mm, oblong to 

narrowly obconic, sometimes hairy. Ecology: Grows along waters edge, or 

along sandy streambanks, ponds, and ditches below 3,500 ft (1067 m); flowers 

July–September. Notes: Always along streams, this species is invasive in Puerto 

Rico, but native to lower–48. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other 

species in genera have medicinal use. Etymology: Ludwigia is named for 

Christian Gottlieb Ludwig (1709–1773) a German botanist, while repens means 

having creeping and rooting stems. Synonyms: Isnardia intermedia, I. repens, 

Ludwigia natans, L. natans var. stipitata, L. repens var. rotundata, L. repens var. 

stipitata 

Oenothera curtiflora 

velvetweed 

General: Coarse, erect, taprooted native annual 

or biennial; single–stemmed, branched above; 

up to 2 m. Herbage clothed with soft long hairs, 

sometimes glandular. Leaves: Lance–ovate to 

lanceolate or oblong, obtuse at the base, remotely 

denticulate, up to 10 cm long; larger leaves 

usually at least 4 cm. Flowers: Inflorescence of 

elongate many–flowered spikes, bracts slender 

1.5–5.5 mm long, deciduous; flowers quite small, 

self–pollinating; floral tube 1.5–5 mm long; 4 

sepals 2–3.5 mm long; separately reflexed at anthesis; 4 petals 1.5–3 mm long, 

red to pink. Fruits: Capsule glabrous or seldom short–hairy, 5–10 mm long, 

spindle–shaped to lanceolate, 4–angled, tapering to a slender base. Ecology: 

Native weed of fields, pastures, and streamsides, up to about 6,500 ft (2000 m); 

flowers June–October. Notes: Ethnobotany: Hopi used root to treat snake 

bites. Navajo used to treat burns, inflammation and snake bites. Etymology: 

From the Greek “gauros” superb or proud, presumably because of the erect, 

proud petals. Mollis means smooth, or with soft velvety hair. Synonyms: 

Gaura mollis, Gaura parviflora, Gaura parviflora var. lachnocarpa, Gaura 

parviflora var. typica 


Onagraceae 

Forbs

Onagraceae 

Forbs 

Oenothera primiveris 

desert evening–primrose 

General: Annual in basal rosette, nearly 

stemless or often developing stout leafy 

stems 10–20 cm; thick taproot; dense 

pubescence of spreading papillate–based 

white hairs. Leaves: Leaves 5–27 cm, larger 

ones 3.5–7 cm wide, mostly pinnatifid into 

toothed or rounded lobes, narrowed to 

long, winged petiole expanded at very base. 

Flowers: Yellow, petals 3.5–5.5 cm, notched 

at apex; opening at dusk closing the following morning. Fruits: Ovary and 

capsule densely hairy with spreading white hairs; capsules 2.8–4.5 cm long 

by 6.5–7.5 mm wide at base, thick and woody, upright, straight, 4–angled, 

tapering to conspicuously narrowed tip. Ecology: Found on sand flats, playas, 

gravelly–sandy washes, common but not very abundant below 4,500 ft (1372 

m); flowers March–May. Notes: Plants are easy to know by their caespitose 

habit, yellow flowers and pinnatifid leaves. Ethnobotany: Dried flowers used 

for ceremonies and poultice applied to swellings. Etymology: Oenothera is 

from Greek oinos, wine and thera, to imbibe. Synonyms: None 

Oenothera rosea 

rose evening–primrose 

General: Perennial with several slender, simple or 

branched stems 10–50 cm long, ascending or erect, 

finely strigillose, occasionally a few spreading hairs 

on lower stems. Leaves: Distant, oblanceolate to narrowly 

obovate, 25 cm long, entire to sinuate–dentate 

or pinnatifid, upper ones reduced. Flowers: Slender 

racemes, hypanthium 4–8 mm long, slender, strigillose–canescent 

outside, puerulent within, sepals 

ovate–acuminate, 5–8 mm long, petals rose to red–violet, 

5–10 mm long, broadly obovate. Fruits: Obovoid 

capsule, 8–10 mm long, 3–4 mm diameter, pedicel–like 

stipe 5–20 mm long, hollow, ribbed. Ecology: Found 

on plains, stream banks, hillsides, and in river bottoms from 1,000–5,500 ft 

(305–1676 m); flowers April–August. Notes: Occasionally flowers November; 

similar to O. speciosa, which differs by having larger more deeply pinnatifid 

leaves and nodding rather than erect buds. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this 

species, other Oenothera species have wide usage. Etymology: Oenothera is 

from Greek oinos, wine and thera, to imbibe, rosea refers to rose. Synonyms: 

None 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2006 Michael L. Charters

2009 NPS 


Castilleja exserta 

exserted Indian paintbrush 

General: Stems simple to diffusely branched 

from near base and closely ascending 10–40 

cm tall, villous–pubescent. Leaves: Sessile 

1–5 cm long, parted into few or many linear 

or filiform divisions 1–12 mm long or lower 

ones entire, linear, villous–pubescent with 

shining, white, spreading hairs. Flowers: 

Spikes 2–20 cm long, dense, bracts 10–20 

mm long, central portion lanceolate, 2–4 

pairs of linear or filiform divisions palmately 

or pectinate–ascendingly disposed, upper 

lobes crimson to purple, conspicuously pilose 

with shining white hairs at base; calyces 12–20 mm long, 4 lobed to middle 

or slightly below, lobes resemble bracts in shape and color; corolla 12–30 mm 

long crimson, lower lip purple, crimson, pink, yellow or white, usually purple 

tipped with yellow, 3–5 mm wide, 3–7 mm long; bilabiate. Fruits: Ovoid capsule 

8–15 mm long. Ecology: Found on grassy valley floors and hillsides from 1,500– 

4,500 ft (457–1372 m); flowers March–May. Notes: Sometimes this species can 

be found covering large areas. One subspecies found in our area, ssp. exserta. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, many other species have medicinal 

or food uses. Etymology: Castilleja is for the Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo 

(1744–1793), while exserta means exserted or protruding out or beyond 

surrounding structure. Synonyms: Orthocarpus purpurascens 

Orobanche cooperi 

desert broomrape 

General: Stout and fleshy, 10–45 cm tall, simple 

or branching sparingly at base, viscid–puberulent 

throughout; stems brownish to purplish. Leaves: 

Cauline bracts 5–10 mm long, obtuse to rounded. 

Flowers: Inflorescence 5–20 cm long, spicate 

and densely flowered, branching into 2–3 axillary 

spikes; lowest flowers on slender pedicels longer 

than scales, calyx densely puberulent 5–10 mm 

long, lobes lance–attenuate, three to five times 

as long as cup; corolla 1.5–3 cm long, purplish 

within, palatal folds yellow, puberulent and gray–purple without, lips 4–8 mm 

long, upper lip erect, cleft at apex, lobes broadly to narrowly acute. Fruits: 

Capsule Ecology: Found on sandy desert flats below 3,500 ft (1067 m); flowers 

February–May. Notes: Known to be parasitic on Hymenoclea and other shrubs. 

Ethnobotany: The stalk, below the ground, was eaten cooked or raw by the 

Gila Pima; as were the roots. Etymology: Orobanche is from Greek orobos, a 

kind of vetch, and anchone, choke or strangle because of the parasitic nature 

of the genus, cooperi is named for Dr. James Graham Cooper (1830–1902) a 

geologist. Synonyms: None 


Orobanchaceae 

Forbs

Oxalidaceae–Papaveraceae 

Forbs 

Oxalis corniculata 

creeping woodsorrel 

General: Delicate perennial, fleshy taproot, 

creeping stems that root at nodes, less than 30 

cm long, more or less hairy. Leaves: Cauline, 

petiole less than 7 cm, leaflets less than 2 cm, 

often maroon. Flowers: Cyme, 2–5 flowered, 

pedicel less than 1 cm; sepals less than 4.5 

mm, petals less than 8 mm, yellow. Fruits: 

Explosively dehiscent capsule, cylindric, 

6–25 mm. Ecology: Found widely; flowers 

throughout the year. Notes: Naturalized weed. Ethnobotany: Taken as an 

infusion for hookworms, to stop vomiting, as a blood medicine, for mouth aid, 

sore throat, and as a food. Etymology: Oxalis is from Greek oxys for sharp, 

sour, and corniculata means horned. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 

Argemone polyanthemos 

crested pricklypoppy 

General: Plants annual or biennial, stems 4–8 

dm, sparingly prickly. Leaves: Distal clasping, 

abaxial surface scattered–prickly on main 

veins, adaxial surface unarmed; proximal 

lobed 2/3 distance to midrib. Flowers: Buds 

ellipsoid–oblong, body 15–22 mm by 10–15 mm, 

sparingly prickly; sepal horns terete, 6–10 mm, 

usually unarmed; 7–10 cm broad, usually closely 

subtended by 1–2 foliaceous bracts; white petals, 

very rarely lavender, stamens 150 or more, 

filaments lemon yellow, pistil 3–4 carpellate. 

Fruits: Capsule narrowly to broadly ellipsoid 35–50 mm by 10–17 mm (including 

stigma and excluding prickles), prickly, surface clearly visible, prickles widely 

spaced, longest 4–10 mm, interspersed with a few shorter ones. Ecology: Found 

on prairies, foothills and mesas 1,000–7,500 ft (305–2286 m); flowers March– 

August. Notes: Huge questions about this species collection, as Flora of Arizona 

neither mentions A. polyanthemos or its predecessor A. intermedia as occurring 

here. Flora of North America does not list it as being in AZ, neither does Plants 

db, could simply be a subspecies of A. pleicantha, likely ssp. ambigua. Only 

collection in Santa Cruz Co. made at Tumacacori. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, but many other uses for species in this genus. Etymology: 

Argemone from Greek argemos, a white spot (cataract) on the eye, what it was 

supposed to cure, polyanthemos refers to having many anthers. Synonyms: 

Argemone intermedia, A. intermedia var. polyanthemos, A. platyceras 





Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana 

California poppy 

General: Annual with leaves forming rosette, 

stems mainly scapose. Leaves: Mainly 3–15 

cm long, segments oblong, mostly 1 mm 

wide, faintly glaucous, glabrous, flabelliform 

dissected blade usually one–third as long as 

petiole or less. Flowers: Calyptra broadly 

ovoid–undulate, mostly 1 mm wide or less, 

petals flabelliform–obovate 1.5–3.5 cm long, 

yellow to deep orange or rarely white tinged 

with pink. Fruits: Capsule 4–6 cm long, 

longitudinally ridged, the grooves glaucous. 

Ecology: Found on sandy or gravelly soil, widespread below 4,500 ft (1372 

m); flowers February–May. Notes: Closely related to E. californica but it is 

smaller, more scapose, probably always annual plant and in having a narrower, 

sometimes nearly obsolete, outer rim of the hypanthium. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown for this species, other species in the genera widely used medicinally. 

Etymology: Eschscholzia is named for Dr. Johan Friedrich Gustav von 

Eschscholtz (1793–1831) a Latvian or Estonian surgeon and botanist, while 

californica refers to California, and mexicana refers to Mexico. Synonyms: 

Eschscholzia californica 

H M L 


Papaver rhoeas 

corn poppy 

General: Introduced annual, 30–80 cm, hairy. Leaves: Basal and cauline leaves 

3–15 cm, deeply pinnately lobed. Flowers: Solitary, terminal, petals 20–40 mm, 

white (sometimes red–marked) red or purple; 2 

sepals, shed at flower; 4 petals, free, obovate or 

wedge–shaped. Fruits: Capsule, dehiscent by 

valves or pores, septicidal, 1–2 cm, widely obovate 

to round. Ecology: Found in disturbed areas 

and fallow fields below 3,500 ft (1067 m). Notes: 

Native to Eurasia, found in cultivated areas. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Papaver is 

the Latin name for poppy, rhoeas is the Latin name 

for the common red poppy. Synonyms: None 



Forbs

Passifloraceae 

Forbs 

Passiflora mexicana 

Mexican passion flower 

General: Vine 2–8 m long, glabrous 

throughout. Leaves: Bilobed, occasionally 

variegated, margins entire, laminar nectaries 

borne abaxially between main veins, petioles 

eglandular, setaceous stipules to linear 

triangular, subfalcate. Flowers: Bracts, 1.5–4 mm 

long, 0.2–0.8 mm wide, setaceous to narrowly 

lanceolate, 3–toothed; flowers 2–3 cm in 

diameter, light green or yellowish green, corona 

red or reddish purple, sepals longer than 

inconspicuous petals, coronal filaments in 

2 series, outer 8–12 mm long, inner 2 mm 

long, ovary glabrous or nearly so. Fruits: 

Subglobose to widely ellipsoid, purplish 

black, 0.8–1.6 cm long. Ecology: Found 

in thickets near riparian zones and washes 

from 2,500–4,000 ft (762–1219 m); flowers 

July–October. Notes: Bilobed leaves, red to 

reddish purple corona, and purplish black 

fruit are diagnostic of this species. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, 

other species in this genera have medicinal and food value. Etymology: 

Passiflora is from the Latin passio, passion, and flos, flower, while mexicana is 

for Mexico. Synonyms: None 





Mimulus guttatus 

seep monkeyflower 

General: Native annual or perennial herb, rarely 

stoloniferous but often rooting at the nodes; stems 

erect to lying down, simple or sparingly branched, 

5–55 cm tall; usually more–or–less glabrous 

below and glandular–hairy in the inflorescence. 

Leaves: Opposite, petiolate below and sessile 

above, broadly ovate to orbicular, 15–55 mm long, 

10–40 mm wide, with irregularly toothed margins; 

more–or–less glabrous. Flowers: Solitary from 

the leaf axils on stalks 1–6 cm long; calyx bell– 

shaped, ribbed, 6–16 mm long in flower (becoming inflated and to 20 mm long 

in fruit); corolla yellow, 9–23 mm long, two–lipped with the lower lip hairy and 

spotted with red, soon deciduous after anthesis. Fruits: Capsule oblong, 7–12 

mm long, included in the inflated, more–or–less closed up calyx. Ecology: 

Wet areas, especially near streams, from 1,000–9,500 ft (305–2896 m); flowers 

March–September. Notes: A large Mimulus, with big yellow flowers; can be 

distinguished vegetatively by its broader, generally glabrous leaves. Host plant for 

Mylitta Crescent butterfly. Ethnobotany: Leaves and stems were used as flavor 

enhancers. Juice of leaves make a soothing poultice for minor burns and skin 

irritations. Yavapai use decoction for stomachache. Etymology: Guttatus is from 

Latin meaning “a drop–like spot” which describes the red dots on both petals and 

sepals. Synonyms: Numerous, see Tropicos 

Mimulus rubellus 

little redstem monkeyflower 

General: Native annual herb; stems simple or 

loosely branched, with elongated internodes, 

1–22 cm tall; glandular–hairy throughout, and 

often reddish. Leaves: Opposite, sessile (and 

often connate at the base), lanceolate to linear, 

3–20 mm long, entire or nearly so. Flowers: 

Solitary from the leaf axils on stalks 7–20 mm 

long; calyx tubular, reddish–ribbed, 4–9 mm 

long, with ciliate teeth; corolla weakly two– 

lipped with the lips hardly spreading, 6–9 mm 

long, yellow with maroon dots, or often pinkish to violet. Fruits: Capsule 4–6.5 

mm long, included in the persistent calyx. Ecology: Dry sites in shadscale, 

rabbitbrush, Joshua tree, catclaw, blackbrush, sagebrush, live oak, ephedra, 

pinon–juniper, and ponderosa pine commununties from 2,500–9,000 ft 

(762–2743 m); flowers February–April. Notes: Generally a smaller species with 

sessile, usually entire leaves. Ethnobotany: Leaves and stems were used as 

flavor enhancers. Juice of leaves make a soothing poultice for minor burns and 

skin irritations. Etymology: Mimulus– ape–flower, or a diminutive of the Latin 

minimus, a comic or mimic actor, because of the grinning corolla. Rube– is in 

reference to the color red. Synonyms: M. gratioloides 


Phrymaceae 

Forbs

Phytolaccaceae 

Forbs 

Rivina humilis 

rougeplant 

General: Perennial or suffrutescent, 0.3–1 

m tall. Leaves: Ovate–acuminate, rounded 

to subcordate at base, 3–13 cm long, 1–5 cm 

wide, sparsely puberulent to glabrous, slender 

petioles 2–4 cm long, 2–4 cm long. Flowers: 

Inflorescence erect or somewhat curved, 3–8 cm 

long, rachis green, short–puberulent to sparsely 

pilose, bracteoles minute, sepals broadly elliptic, 

2–3 mm long, pink or purplish with a greenish 

midvein, spreading; stamens about equaling or 

slightly shorter than sepals. Fruits: Sleek black, turning to red, shining or short– 

puberulent, 2.5–3 mm long. Ecology: Found in the shade of shrubs and trees in 

moist places, along watercourses or on flats from 1,500–4,500 ft (457–1372 m); 

flowers throughout year. Notes: Often found where water stands during the 

rainy season. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Rivina has a root in the 

word for along streams, humilis means low–growing or humble. Synonyms: 

None 





Maurandella antirrhiniflora 

roving sailor 

General: Scandent perennial herb 

climbing to 2 m or more by tortuous 

petioles and pedicles; slender stems, 

vine–like, glabrous except for sparse 

tomentum at base of stems. Leaves: 

Thin, green trianglular to hastate or 

3–5 lobed, 5–25 mm long, often nearly 

as wide, cordate at base, central lobe 

acuminate, lateral lobes mucronate; petioles 5–25 mm long. Flowers: 

Solitary in axils, pedicels subfiliform 1–2 cm long, glabrous; calyx 

narrowly campanulate, 5–parted almost to base, sepals lance–linear or 

narrowly lanceolate 10–13 mm long at anthesis; corolla purple, carmine, 

or rarely white 2.5–3 cm long, glabrous without, throat broadly ampliate, 

whitish but tinged with blue, about 1 cm wide. Fruits: Capsule ovoid– 

globose, 7–8 mm long, dehiscence subterminal, irregular. Ecology: 

Found mainly in limestone soils, on stony slopes, usually among shrubs from 

1,500–6,000 ft (457–1981 m); flowers April–October. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

Etymology: Maurandella is a diminutive of Maurandya, while antirrhiniflora 

means having flowers like those of Antirrhinum. Synonyms: Antirrhinum 

maurandioides, Asarina antirrhiniflora, Maurandya antirrhiniflora 

Mecardonia procumbens 

baby jump–up 

General: Creeping or ascending glabrous herbs, 

branching at base, sometimes rooting at lower 

nodes, branches to 15 cm long, flexuous, stems 

strongly angled. Leaves: Opposite, ovate, mostly 

10–15 mm long, 8–10 mm wide with 7 even, 

ascending teeth on upper two–thirds of margin, 

apically obtuse, basally cuneate, glandular 

punctate with sessile glands, short or indistinct 

petiole. Flowers: At first terminal, soon axillary, 

a solitary flower in leaf axil, on slender pedicels, 

with bracts 2–4 mm long, linear entire, located at 

base of pedicel; flowers 8 mm long, 5 –lobed, lobes 

recurved, rounded, yellow, bearded in throat with darker veins; 4 stamens. Fruits: 

Capsule narrowly ovoid, about 4 mm long, dehiscent loculicidally and septicidally 

from apex. Ecology: Found in wet, sandy soil along streams from 3,000–4,500 ft 

(914–1372 m); flowers March–September. Notes: Its opposite leaves and slightly 

dentate margins will help steer identification toward Phrymaceae and Mimulus, 

but pay attention to the way the flower emerges from what appears to be a sheath. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Mecardonia is named for the Spaniard 

Antonia de Meca y Cardona, a patron of botany, while procumbens means having 

trailing or prostrate stems. Synonyms: Mecardonia dianthera, M. peduncularis, M. 

tenuis, M. vandellioides 


Plantaginaceae 

Forbs


Forbs 

Nuttallanthus texana 

Texas toadflax 

General: Slender, erect, annual or biennial with 

1 to several branches 10–80 cm long from base, 

stems and leaves glabrous, dark green. Leaves: 

Glabrous, dark green, rather densely leafy below, 

pedunculate–racemose above; leaves of sterile 

stems crowded, ovate, elliptic or linear, entire, 

obtuse to acute at both ends, 1–3 mm wide, 3–20 

mm long, petioles 1–2 mm long; leaves on fertile 

stems linear to linear–oblong, opposite or ternate 

at base of stem; alternate above, entire, acute or 

obtuse, sessile, 1–3 mm wide, 5–30 mm long. Flowers: Raceme spikelike, 5–30 

cm long, on peduncles 2–15 cm long, pedicels filiform, 2–10 mm long, glabrous 

or finely and sparsely glandular–puberulent, bracts subulate 0.5–2 mm long, 

calyx lobes lanceolate, 2–3 mm long, corolla pale blue with darker veins, 9–12 

mm long (exclusive of spur); upper lip 4–5 mm long, reflexed, oblong lobes 2–3 

mm long, lower lip deflexed–spreading; palate prominent, densely pubescent. 

Fruits: Capsule globose to subcylindrical 2.5–4 mm long, irregularly dehiscent. 

Ecology: Found along arroyos, stream banks, and on grassy hillsides or in 

open chaparral from 1,500–5,000 ft (457–1524 m); flowers March–June. Notes: 

Often found in cracks in rocks and in slightly wetter microsites. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Nuttallanthus is named for Thomas Nuttall (1786–1859) 

an English botanist. Synonyms: Linaria canadensis var texana, L. texana 

Penstemon parryi 

Parry’s beardtongue 

General: Herbaceous, stems 1 to several 

from a tough root, erect or ascending, 

0.3–1.2 m tall, glabrous and glaucous 

throughout. Leaves: Elliptic, spatulate or 

oblanceolate 1–2.5 cm wide, 4–15 cm long, 

gradually narrowing to a winged petiole 1–4 

cm long, upper ones narrowly lanceolate 

to lanceolate–oblong, 1–2.5 cm wide, 3–12 

cm long, obtuse tip, auriculate–clasping at 

base. Flowers: Virgate inflorescence 10–50 cm long, peduncles few to many 

flowered, erect or divergent to 2.5 cm long, glabrous; calyx 3–5 mm high, 

ovate sepals glabrous, acute or short–acuminate, corolla rose, cerise, or rose– 

magenta, 13–21 mm long, tube 3–5 mm long, pilose at base of lower lip. Fruits: 

Ovoid capsule 4–6 mm long. Ecology: Found on hillsides, outwash slopes, and 

along canyons from 1,500–5,000 ft (457–1524 m); flowers March–May. Notes: 

Diagnostic is the glabrous stem and clasping leaves. Ethnobotany: Unknown 

for this species, other species in this genera have many uses. Etymology: 

Penstemon is from Greek pente, five and stemon, indicating the five stamens 

of the genus, while parryi is named for Dr. Christopher Parry (1823–1890) an 

English–born, American botanist. Synonyms: None 






Plantago major 

common plantain 

General: Perennial to 42 cm tall. Leaves: Petiolate 

with broadly ovate blades, 3.5–15 cm long, 2–9 cm 

wide, attenuate at base, acute at apex, sparsely 

pubescent, becoming glabrate, distinctly 3–5 veined, 

margins with shallow lobes near base. Flowers: 

Peduncle 4–20 cm long, sparsely pubescent to 

glabrous, appearing ridged to four sided; spikes 3–24 

cm long, interrupted near base, bracts broadly ovate, 

1.5–4.5 mm long, broad scarious–margined, glabrous 

midvein; perfect flowers, sepals broadly ovate to 

elliptic, 1.2–2.3 mm long, broadly scarious margined, 

glabrous midvein, corolla lobes spreading or reflexed, ovate, 0.7–1.5 mm long, 

4 stamens. Fruits: Capsule breaks below middle. Ecology: Weed of wet 

areas from 2,000–8,500 ft (610–2591 m); flowers May–October. Notes: Easily 

distinguished by its prostrate broadly ovate leaves and its habitat of disturbed 

yet moist areas such as lawns; also diagnostic are the broadly ovate and entire 

bracts. Ethnobotany: Used for pain relief, rheumatism and swellings, as blood 

medicine, leaves used as a poultice, decoction taken for coughs, for stomach 

problems, and as a laxative. Many, many other uses by other non–regional 

tribes. Etymology: Plantago translates to foot–sole in reference to leaf habit 

on ground, major means larger, or greater. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 

Plantago patagonica 

woolly plantain 

General: Native annual; mostly woolly 

throughout and hairs on upper part of 

scape; very common. Leaves: Leaves 

linear to narrowly oblanceolate. Bracts 

pointed or narrowly lanceolate. Flowers: 

Inflorescence in dense spikes; petals 

spreading 2 mm long, suborbicular to ovate; 

stamens 4. Fruits: Capsule 3.5 mm long; 

seeds 2 Ecology: Dry open places up to 

7,000 ft (2100 m); flowers February–July. Notes: Characterized by hairy, linear 

to narrowly oblanceolate leaves and a spike inflorescence. More robust and 

with a denser spike; lower bracts are lanceolate to subulate and longer than the 

calyx. Hairs on upper part of scape usually apppressed or closely ascending. 

Ethnobotany: Keres, Navajo, and Zuni make plant tea to treat diarrhea and 

headaches. Havasupai include seeds in diet. Etymology: Plantago translates 

to foot–sole in reference to leaf habit on ground. Patagonica means from 

Patagonia in South America. Synonyms: P. picta, P. spinulosa, P. wyomingensis, 

P. purshii (4 varieties) 



Forbs


Forbs 

Plantago virginica 

pale–seeded plantain, Virginia 

plantain 

General: Annual herb to 34.5 cm tall. 

Leaves: Petiolate, blades lanceolate 

2.5–10 cm long, 0.8–2.7 cm wide, 

attenuate at base, acute at apex, sparsely 

villous, distinctly 3–veined, sometimes 

2–4 widely–spaced teeth. Flowers: 

Peduncles 1–20 cm long, spikes 1.5–17 

cm long, sparsely to densely villous, subulate bracts narrowly or broadly 

triangular, 2–4.8 mm long, narrowly scarious–margined at base, ciliate; more or 

less dioecious flowers, ovate sepals 2.5–3 mm long, 4 stamens. Fruits: Capsule 

breaks at middle. Ecology: Found in disturbed areas from 1,500–4,500 ft (457– 

1372 m); flowers March–July. Notes: Similar to P. rhodosperma, but otherwise 

clearly distinguishable. Ethnobotany: Used ceremonially Etymology: 

Plantago translates to foot–sole in reference to leaf habit on ground, while 

virginica means Virginia. Synonyms: Plantago virginica var. viridescens 

Veronica anagallis–aquatica 

water speedwell 

General: Perennial, generally decumbent, 

rooting at lower nodes, glabrous, simple to 

many–branching from base, 10–60 cm. Leaves: 

20–80 mm long, elliptic to ovate, clasping to 

cordate, entire to serrate, light green, sessile. 

Flowers: Axillary inflorescence, glabrous to 

glandular–puberulent, flowers generally more 

than 30, bracts linear–lanceolate, pedicels 4–8 

mm upcurved; sepals 3–5.5 mm, lanceolate to 

elliptic, corolla 5–10 mm, pale lavender–blue, 

violet–lined; style 1.5–3 mm. Fruits: Capsule, 

2.5–4 mm, at least as wide, rounded, barely notched. Ecology: Found in wet 

meadows, streambanks, and along slow streams from 1,500–7,000 ft (457–2134 

m); flowers March–September. Notes: Widespread in western hemisphere. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, other species in genera have 

medicinal uses. Etymology: Veronica is named for Saint Veronica, while 

anagallis–aquatica means water Anagallis. Synonyms: Many, see Tropicos 





Veronica peregrina 

neckweed 

General: Annual native herb; stems 

simple or branched, erect, ascending, 

15–30 cm tall; herbage glandular and 

pubescent, leaves and bracts often 

glabrous or the plant wholly glabrous; 

short taproot. Leaves: Leaves sessile 

or the lowermost leaves narrowed to a 

petiolar base, blades 0.5–2.2 mm long, 

0.5–5 mm wide, narrowly oblong to 

oblanceolate, entire or irregular, crenate–serrate. Flowers: Raceme terminal, 

elongate, glandular–puberulent, bracts foliaceous at the base, gradually 

reduced upwards, corolla inconspicuous, whitish. Fruits: Capsules 3–4 mm 

long and slightly wider, obcordate with a broad notch at the top; numerous 

seeds. Ecology: Usually along streams and washes to 10,000 ft (3050 m); 

flowers March–September. Notes: Differs from other species by the terminal 

raceme, annual habit, fibrous roots or taproot, short pedicels, and whitish 

corolla. Ethnobotany: Navajo use plant as ceremonial emetic. Chewed plant 

is blown toward deer for good luck while hunting. Etymology: Peregrina is 

foreign or exotic, wandering or straggling in growth. Synonyms: None 



Forbs

Polemoniaceae 

Forbs 

Eriastrum diffusum 

miniature woollystar 

General: Annual 3–35 cm tall, erect and simple 

to diffusely branching. Leaves: Subglabrous 

to sparsely woolly, entire or with 1–2 pairs 

of lobes near the base of the rachis, 1–3 cm 

long. Flowers: Calyx 6–7 mm long, corolla 

actinomorphic, narrowly funnelform to slightly 

zygomorphic, throat white to yellow, lobes 

white to pale blue or bluish lavender, tube 

and throat 4–7 mm long, slightly longer that 

the calyx tube, lobes 3–5 mm long, stamens 

inserted on throat near sinuses, less than corolla lobes, filaments unequal in 

length, pistil 5–7 mm long. Fruits: Capsule 2–4 mm long Ecology: Found in 

open sites, desert shrublands, sagebrush, and piñon–juniper woodland from 

500–5,500 ft (457–1676 m); flowers February–June. Notes: Distinguished by 

its shorter corolla lobes. Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, others in 

genera have medicinal use. Etymology: Eriastrum is form Green erion, for 

wool and astrum, star, meaning woolly with starlike flowers, while diffusum 

means diffuse. Synonyms: Eriastrum diffusum ssp. jonesii 

Gilia mexicana 

El Paso gilia 

General: Annual, 10–35 cm tall, usually branched, stems cobwebby pubescent 

below, sparsely glandular above. Leaves: Cobwebby pubescent, reduced above 

basal rosette; basal and lower deeply lobed, the lobes linear, entire or toothed, 

cauline leaves basally lobed to entire. Flowers: Open inflorescence with 1–2 

pedicelled flowers at branch tips; calyx 2.5–5 mm long, glabrous, lobes acute to 

acuminate; corolla funnelform, 4–8 mm long, the tube and throat equal to or 

slightly exceeding the calyx, white, throat white with yellow flecks, lobes white 

to pale blue, sometimes streaked with violet flecks, stamens inserted on throat, 

anthers slightly exserted, stigma among anthers. Fruits: Capsule 3.5–6 mm 

long, oblong–ovoid. Ecology: Found on sandy soils, bajadas, canyons, desert 

shrublands, coniferous or oak woodlands from 3,500–5,500 ft (1067–1676 m); 

flowers April–June. Notes: Thin basal leaf lobes are distinctive in this species. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown for this species, but many medicinal and edible uses 

for others in genera. Etymology: Gilia is named for Filippo Luigi Gilii (1756– 

1821) an Italian naturalist, while mexicana refers to Mexico. Synonyms: None 





Gilia sinuata 

rosy gilia 

General: Annual 9–30 cm tall, simple or branched 

above rosette, glabrous and glaucous below, 

glandular above. Leaves: Cobwebby pubescent on 

upper surface, abruptly reduced above the basal 

rosette, basal deeply lobed once, the lobes oblong, 

cauline clasping, dentate to entire. Flowers: Open 

inflorescence with 1–3 short pedicelled flowers at 

branch tips; calyx 3–5 mm long, glandular, lobes 

short acuminate, corolla funnelform, 7–12 mm 

long, tube exserted, purple and white striate, 

throat yellow or purple tinged below, lobes white 

to lavender, stamens exserted on throat, anthers 

exserted. Fruits: Capsule 4–7 mm long, ovoid. Ecology: Found in sandy soils, 

shrubland, woodland from 1,000–6,000 ft (305–1829 m); flowers March– 

May. Notes: Cauline leaves clasping, rachis of basal leaves strap shaped 

both diagnostic. Ethnobotany: Used by the Havasupai, seeds were parched, 

ground, and kneaded into seed butter. Etymology: Gilia is named for Filippo 

Luigi Gilii (1756–1821) an Italian naturalist, sinuata means having sinuous or 

wavy margins. Synonyms: Gilia inconspicua var. sinuata 

Ipomopsis longiflora 

flaxflowered ipomopsis 

General: Annual or biennial 25–100 cm 

tall, simple to branched, stems glabrous 

to sparsely short pubescent. Leaves: 

Glabrous to sparsely short pilose, deeply 

lobed. Flowers: Diffuse inflorescence with 

1–3 subsessile to long pedicelled flowers at 

tips of branches; calyx 5–11 mm long, short 

glandular pubescent, lobes lanceolate to 

ovate, acuminate; corolla white to bluish, 

tube 30–50 mm long, throat 2–3 mm wide, lobes ovate, rounded to acuminate; 

stamens inserted on tube. Fruits: Capsule 7–15 mm long. Ecology: Found on 

open sites, washes, desert and sagebrush shrublands, woodlands from 1,500– 

7,000 ft (457–2134 m); flowers April–November. Notes: Two subspecies known 

to southern Arizona, ssp. australis and ssp. neomexicana. Ssp. australis apices 

of calyx lobes short pubescent, capsules 7–10 mm long. Ssp. neomexicana 

has apices of calyx lobes that are glabrous to sparsely short pubescent, with 

capsules 10–15 mm long. Ethnobotany: Used medicinally as an emetic to 

eliminate the ozone in cases of lightning shock; for stomachache and arthritis, 

to prevent hair loss, and ceremonially. Etymology: Ipomopsis is from the 

Greek ipo, to strike and opsis, appearance, while longiflora means long 

flowered. Synonyms: None 


Polemoniaceae 

Forbs

Polygalaceae–Polygonaceae 

Forbs 

Polygala barbeyana 

blue milkwort 

General: Suffrutescent herb with erect, 

ascending, stiff, crowded stems 3–25 cm long 

from a woody root; stems densely leafy, flexuous, 

densely canescent–puberulent. Leaves: Broadly 

elliptic to oblong–oval, 8–18 mm long, 5–7 mm 

wide, middle and upper leaves progressively 

narrower and longer, oblong–lanceolate to 

linear–lancelate, 1.5–4 mm wide, 1.5–3.5 cm long, 

acute to acuminate or rarely obtuse. Flowers: 

Loose racemes 2–10 cm long, purplish flowers, 

lanceolate sepals 2.2–3.5 mm long, minutely puberulent, wings suborbicular to 

broadly oval 2.4–4 mm wide, 3.5–5.5 mm long, rounded at apex, puberulent 

on outer surface and near apex; keel 4–5.7 mm long glabrous. Fruits: Oval 

capsule 7–8 mm long, ciliate margins, glabrous sides, finely reticulate–veined. 

Ecology: Found on the banks of arroyos and rocky hillsides from 3,000–5,000 

ft (914–1524 m); flowers March–May, September–October. Notes: Alternate 

or whorled leaves and ciliate capsule sets this species apart. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown for this species, but other species in this genera have many uses. 

Etymology: Polygala is from Greek polys, many or much, and gala, milk. 

Synonyms: Polygala longa, P. racemosa, P. reducta, P. tenuiloba 

Eriogonum abertianum 

Abert’s buckwheat 

General: Annual, profusely branched from or near 

base with ascending appressed–hirsute stems 10–40 

cm long. Leaves: Basal leaves petiolate, blade ovate 

to oblong, 1–2 cm wide, 1.5–2.5 cm long, petiole 6 cm 

long, upper leaves usually sessile, obovate–lanceolate 

to linear, all loosely villous to hoary. Flowers: Soliatry 

involucre, broadly campanulate, villous–canescent 

on outside, tube 2–3 mm long, 5 oblong lobes 4–6 

mm long, 1–2 mm wide reflexed in maturity; calyx 

papery, white to pale yellow tinged with rose, deep 

rose midribs, outer lobes orbicular–cordate, 3–4 mm 

in diameter, sparingly glandular, inner lobes spatulate, 

0.7–1.2 mm wide, slightly longer than outer. Fruits: 

Achenes dark brown, smooth and shining or transversely rugulose, 0.6–0.8 

mm long. Ecology: Found on sandy plains, washes, and granitic hills from 

1,500–7,000 ft (457–2134 m); flowers March–September. Notes: One of our 

most common buckwheats with several varieties known. Ethnobotany: 

Used as a lotion for skin cuts on humans and horses by Navajo. Etymology: 

Eriogonum is from Greek erion, wool and phyllon, leaf, while abertiaum is 

named for James William Abert (1820–1897), a US Army officer. Synonyms: 

Many, see Tropicos 



©2008 Christopher L. Christie



Eriogonum polycladon 

sorrel buckwheat 

General: Native annual; 15–60 cm tall; branched 

in inflorescence. Leaves: Leaves scattered along 

stem; alternate; lanceolate or oblanceolate; 5–15 

mm long, margins curled under; tomentose. 

Flowers: Involucres sessile and solitary; 10– 

flowered or fewer; sepals petal–like, pink or 

whitish, glabrous, 1–2 mm; petals none. Fruits: 

Achenes about 2 mm long, blump, ovoid body 

abruptly narrowed to minutely scaberulous beak 

of equal length. Ecology: Common on roadsides 

and in washes from 2,500–7,500 ft (762–2286 m); 

flowers June–November. Notes: This annual species is distinguished by its 

tomentose hairs, leaves with curled–under margins scattered along the stem, 

and white or pink flowers. Host plant for Rita Blue butterfly. Ethnobotany: 

Unknown Etymology: Eriogonum is from Greek erion, wool and phyllon, leaf, 

while polycladon means many branched. Synonyms: E. densum, E. vimineum 

var. densum 

Persicaria punctata 

dotted smartweed 

General: Glabrous perennial with simple to 

much–branched, slender, erect or ascending 

stems 30–150 cm tall. Stipule sheath 

cylindrical on young stems, often split on 

older parts 1–1.5 cm long, truncate, glabrous 

to sparsely strigillose, fringed with bristles. 

Leaves: Blades narrowly lanceolate to 

oblong–lanceolate, 3–15 cm long, acuminate 

at both ends, glabrous, margin and midrib 

subscabrous with short, stout, forward–pointing hairs. Flowers: Inflorescence 

paniculate, narrow racemes 3–8 cm long, erect, pedunculate, ocreolae 

funnelform 2–3 mm long, sparingly bristly–cilliate, slender pedicels 3–4 mm 

long, greenish, conspicuously punctate–glandular, lobes ovate to oblong; 8 

stamens, 3 style branches. Fruits: Triquetrous or sometimes lenticular achene 

about 2.5 mm long, black, smooth, shiny. Ecology: Found along margins 

of ponds, along ditches, and in moist ground from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 

m); flowers April–October. Ethnobotany: Plant used for stomach pain, for 

pains and swellings in legs and joints, and as a psychological aid. Etymology: 

Polygonum is derived from Greek polys, many, and gonu, knee or joint, while 

punctatum means spotted. Synonyms: Polygonum punctatum 


Polygonaceae 

Forbs

Polygonaceae 

Forbs 


Polygonum argyrocoleon 

H M L 

silversheath knotweed 

General: Erect annual 10–60 cm high with simple or moderately branched, 

finely striate stems. Leaves: Elliptic–lanceolate to oblong, or oblanceolate, 

5–20 mm long, 1.5–5 mm wide, acute or rarely obtuse, cuneate at base, glabrous. 

Stipule sheath 3–6 mm long, lacerate, hyaline to faintly rosaceous. Flowers: 

In 1–6–flowered axillary fascicles, pedicels 1–4 mm long, calyx 1.5–2 mm long, 

oblong, greenish with white or pinkish margins, erect, surpassed by achene, 

8 stamens, 3 style branches. Fruits: Trigonous achene, 2.2–2.5 mm long, 

minutely granular–striate, dark brown, dull. Ecology: Found on roadsides and 

in disturbed habitats from 100–3,500 ft (30–1067 m); flowers April–October. 

Notes: Plant resembles P. ramosissimum but the inflorescences are more 

spicate. Naturalized from central Asia. Ethnobotany: Seeds were parched, 

ground, and eaten by the Cocopa. Etymology: Polygonum is derived from 

Greek polys, many, and gonu, knee or joint, while argyrocoleon means silvery 

and is from the Greek work koleos meaning sheath. Synonyms: None 

Rumex crispus 


H M L 

curly dock 

General: Introduced perennial herb; tap root; 30–120 cm tall; erect; glabrous. 

Leaves: Basal leaves 10–40 cm long, lanceolate, crenulate, petioled; stem leaves 

reduced. Flowers: Panicle 10–50 cm long; densely flowered; sepals ~1 mm long, 

green. Fruits: Achene. Ecology: Moist areas from 3,000–9,000 ft (914–2743 

m); ubiquitous in temperate North America; flowers March–October. Notes: 

Tall plant with little axillary branching below the inflorescence. Thick stems, 

large leaves that are wavy, crinkled and/or curled. Introduced from Europe. 

There are currently 2 varieties recognized as occurring in the United States: R. 

crispus var crispus and R. crispus var. fauriei. Only R. crispus var. crispus occurs 

in Arizona. Host plant for Purplish Copper butterfly. Ethnobotany: Plant is 

used by many tribes medicinally. Common uses are root or seed poultices for 

swelling and skin irritations. Considered a liver 

stimulant and blood purifier. Some tribes make tea 

to purify blood or treat urinary problems. Tea salve 

is made for skin problems. Slow root tea is used to 

treat diarrhea, stimulate appetite, and for intestinal 

cold. Tea is also made into a wash for face, hands 

and clothing as love med. Seeds, greens and stems 

are consumed by many tribes. Pima, Cheyenne, 

and Choctaw also make yellow dye from roots. 

Etymology: Crispus is from Latin meaning “curled 

or wavy” in reference to the leaves. Synonyms: R. 

fauriei 




H M L 



Portulaca oleracea 

little hogweed 

General: Native annual; several spreading, succulent stems. Leaves: Ovate 

to spoon–shaped; simple; opposite; succulent; 5–30 mm. Flowers: Solitary or 

in clusters of 2–5 at stem tips; sepals 2, fused at base, green or reddish; petals 

5, yellow, 3–5 mm. Fruits: Capsule, 3–8 mm wide; seeds 0.6–1 mm wide, dark 

brown to black. Ecology: Likes open, disturbed locations from 4000–8500 ft 

(1220–2590 m); flowers August–September. Notes: This spreading annual has 

succulent stems and opposite, succulent, spoon–shaped leaves; the flowers are 

small and yellow. Likes warm, sunny, open, disturbed areas. Ethnobotany: 

Hopi boil plant with meats or make into 

gravy. Pima eat boiled leaves. San Felipe 

fry young plants and mix with peas. 

Etymology: Portulaca means “milk– 

carrier.” It is also Latin for small gate 

or door, from the capsule lid. Oleracea 

means “of cultivation” meaning edible. 

Synonyms: Portulaca neglecta, P. retusa 

Portulaca suffrutescens 

shrubby purslane 

General: Native, erect or ascending fleshy 

herb 5–30 cm tall, from tuberous rootstocks, 

somewhat woody at base, hairs in axils of 

leaves conspicuous. Leaves: Blades linear, 

terete, 1–3 cm long, 1–2 mm broad, acute at 

apex. Flowers: In few–flowered terminal 

clusters, surrounded by 6–8 leaves and pale 

brown hairs 4–6 mm long, sepals broadly 

ovate to suborbicular, 5–8 mm broad, 6–7 

mm long; petals copper or buff colored, 7–12 mm long, emarginate to obcordate. 

Fruits: Subglobose capsule, 3.5–5 mm in diameter, 5–6 mm long, circumsessile 

below middle. Ecology: Found on plains and in open areas of full sun, often 

in dry sites from 3000–5500 ft (914–1676 m); flowers July–September. Rarely, in 

spring. Notes: One of the showiest species of Portulaca, with flowers to 3 cm 

or more. Ethnobotany: Unknown, but other species in genus have some uses. 

Etymology: Portulaca means “milk–carrier,” it is also Latin for small gate or 

door, from the capsule lid, while suffrutescens means woody base. Synonyms: 

None 


Portulacaceae 

Forbs

Portulacaceae–Primulaceae 

Forbs 

Portulaca umbraticola 

wingpod purslane 

General: Annual with fibrous roots, stems 

erect or ascending 10–23 cm, stems glabrous, 

with sparse hairs at nodes. Leaves: Mostly 

alternate, sometimes subopposite, few, flat, 

lanceolate or spatulate, 10–35 mm long, 2–15 

mm wide, glabrous. Flowers: Glabrous with 

4–5 conspicuous involucral leaves, 10–30 

mm long, 1–7 mm wide; flowers clustered at 

ends of branches; petals pink, purple, yellow or orange tipped with red, 5–10 

mm long, stigmatic branches 5–18. Fruits: Capsule 3–5 mm in diameter with 

expanded circular membranous wing just below rim. Ecology: Found in sandy 

or rocky soils, along washes and disturbed sites from 3,000–6,000 ft (914–1829 

m); flowers June–October. Notes: Ours are generally ssp. lanceolata, which is 

distinguished by the 8–15 mm flower diameter with the bi–colored flowers. One 

characteristic to key in on is the circular membranous wing just below the rim 

of the capsule. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Portulaca means “milk– 

carrier,” but it comes from the Latin for small gate or door, from the capsule lid, 

while umbraticola comes form Latin umbraculum, for shady place. Synonyms: 

None, but ssp. lanceolata has two, see Tropicos 

Androsace occidentalis 

western rockjasmine 

General: Small delicate annual herb to 10 cm tall, 

sparsely puberulent throughout. Leaves: Basal, 

narrowly obovate to oblanceolate or oblong, 1.5–4 

mm wide, 4–15 mm long, obtuse to short–acuminate 

at apex, narrowed to short peiole or subsessile, entire 

or slightly denticulate, scapes several, ascending to 

erect, 1.5–5 cm long. Flowers: Umbels 2–15–flowered 

(usually 2–8–flowered), bracts subtending umbel 

ovate or elliptic, somewhat rhombic 2–5 mm long 

foliaceous, green; pedicels slender, 5–20 mm long, 

outer curved–ascending, inner erect or nearly so; 

calyx tube 2–2.5 mm in flower, green or often reddish, lobes ovate or narrowly 

triangular, 1.2–1.5 mm long in flower, green or reddish, spreading or even slightly 

reflexed in fruit. Fruits: Capsule about 3 mm in diameter. Ecology: Found on 

grassy hillsides and along streams and washes from 1,000–5,000 ft (305–1524 

m); flowers February–April. Ethnobotany: This plant is used for postpartum 

hemorrhage, for birth injury, for internal pain, and as a ‘life medicine.’ 

Etymology: Androsace from Green name for sea–plant from Greek andros, a 

man, male and sakos, a shield, while occidentalis means western. Synonyms: 

Androsace arizonica, A. occidentalis var. arizonica, A. occidentalis var. simplex 






Clematis drummondii 

Drummond’s clematis 

General: Scandent and climbing vine with 

slender woody stems to 10 m long or more, 

bark tawny or light gray, striate and eventually 

stringy. Leaves: Petioles 3–8 cm long, sparsely 

puberulent, coiling like tendrils when in support 

of vine; leaflets 3–5 (rarely 7), lanceolate 

to narrowly ovate, 5–15 mm broad, usually less 

than 5 cm long, divergently 1–3–toothed or entire, 

grayish–pubescent, often copiously so. 

Flowers: Cymose panicles, on pedicels 1–2.5 cm 

long, sepals obovate to narrowly oblanceolate, 1 cm long or less, spreading but 

soon involute and irregularly reflexed; stamens about 7–8 mm long. Fruits: 

Achenes, narrowly ovoid, about 4 mm long, pubescent, tails 5–10 cm long, 

filiform, shining white but turning slightly rusty in drying. Ecology: Climbing 

over rocks and shrubs below 4,500 ft (1372 m); flowers March–September. 

Notes: Diagnostic for C. drummondi versus C. ligusticifolia involves the longer 

filiform tail off the achene and the grayish pubescence on the leaves, whereas 

C. ligusticifolia is glabrous and green. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

Clematis is Greek name given to climbing plants, drummondii is named after 

Thomas Drummond (1790–1835) a Scottish naturalist. Synonyms: None 

Clematis ligusticifolia 

western white clematis 

General: Native perennial vine often 4–6 

m tall; stems woody at the base. Leaves: 

Leaves pinnately compound; leaflets 

5–7, lanceolate, toothed sparsely hairy; 

petioles tendril–like. Flowers: Flowers 

imperfect; dioecious; sepals ~10mm 

long, petal–like, white; petals none. 

Fruits: Achenes pubescent with long, 

straight hairs. Ecology: Along streams 

from 3,000–8,500 ft (915–2590m); flowers 

May–September. Notes: This species is a perennial vine with white dioecious 

flowers. There are currently 3 varieties recognized in the United States: 

C. ligusticifolia var. brevifolia, C. ligusticifolia var. californica, C. ligusticifolia 

var. ligusticifolia. Only C. ligusticifolia var. ligusticifolia is listed as occurring in 

Arizona. Medium drought and fire tolerance. Used to rehabilitate roadsides 

and stream–banks. Develops thick mat that may inhibit livestock movement. 

Cold stratification required. Ethnobotany: Native Americans used the roots 

as a stimulant for exhausted or dehydrated horses. The plant was chewed as a 

cold remedy and to cure sore throats. Similar uses as C. hirsutissima. Etymology: 

Clematis is Greek name given to climbing plants and hirsutissima means 

very hairy. Synonyms: C. neomexicana, C. suksdorfii 


Ranunculaceae 

Forbs

Ranunculaceae 

Forbs 

Delphinium scaposum 

tall mountain larkspur 

General: Native perennial; stems leafless; 

20–50 cm tall; glabrous. Leaves: Leaves 

mostly basal, occasional reduced stem 

leaves; 3–5 divisions; divisions lobed; 2–3 

cm wide. Flowers: Raceme 5–15 flowers; 

sepals 5, petal–like, 10–15mm, blue; petals 

4 in 2 unequal pairs, white; spur as long as 

sepals, bronze–tipped. Fruits: Follicles 10– 

20 mm long, glabrous; seeds dark brown. 

Ecology: Exposed rocky areas from 1,500–8,500 ft (460–2590m); flowers 

March–June. Notes: Distinguished from other Delphinium by more or less 

leafless stems and flowers with blue sepals and white petals. Ethnobotany: 

Hopi use as emetic in Po–wa–mu ceremony. Also used as after birth wash. 

Navajo make blue dye from flower. Etymology: Delphinium is Discorides’ 

name for dolphin–head. Scaposum is ancient word referring to leafless stems. 

Synonyms: D. andersonii var. scaposum 

Myosurus minimus 

tiny mousetail 

General: Native annual; 2–18 cm tall; stems generally 

leafless. Leaves: Filiform to linear; 2–8 cm long. 

Flowers: In spikes 1–6 cm long; sepals 5, 1–4 mm, 

spurred; petals 5, 1.5–3 mm, whitish. Fruits: Achenes 

Ecology: Wet areas from 3,000–7,000 ft (915–2135 

m); flowers March–April. Notes: This small annual 

has spikes of tiny flowers with spurred sepals and 5 

whitish petals. Ethnobotany: Chewed plant poultice 

is used by Navajo for ant bites. Etymology: Myosurus 

translates to mouse– tail, pertaining to receptacle 

when mature. Minimus means least or smallest. 

Synonyms: M clavicaulis; M. lepturus 


©2008 T. Beth Kinsey ©2004 Carol W. Witham



Diodia teres 

poorjoe 

General: Erect annuals, 7–25 cm tall, simple, with 

four–angled stems above, glabrous, or with short 

scattered hairs. Leaves: Opposite with connecting 

stipules, fimbriate; blades 1.5–3.5 cm long, linear 

to narrowly lanceolate–oblanceolate, apices 

subulate bearing a sharp terminal hair, scabrous 

margins, bases somewhat hyaline, this forming 

the fimbriate stipules that contain the sessile 

flowers. Flowers: One to several in leaf axils, 

calyx 2–4 lobes, unequal, ovate or lanceolate, 

smallest above; other 3 large and adhering to the lower nutlet; corolla white or 

pink, glabrous or hispid externally, 3 mm long, 4 small lobes; stamens and style 

included or scarcely exserted. Fruits: Nutlets 3 mm long, obovoid–turbinate, 

flattened at plane of separation, covered with stiff straight, apically directed hairs, 

topped with persistent calyx. Ecology: Found on sandy, gravelly slopes and along 

washes, often in disturbed soils from 3,500–8,000 ft (1067–2438 m); flowers 

August–October. Notes: Flowers to make you think Houstonia or Hedyotis, but 

this species is delicately annual and with the connective stipules, quite unlike 

the close ground habit of the other two species. Ours are thought to be of var. 

angustata. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Diodia is from the Greek 

for thoroughfare, for its habit, while teres means cylindrical in cross–section. 


Phoradendron californicum 

mesquite mistletoe 

General: Branches arching to drooping, 

often forming much branched masses in 

desert trees, especially legumes. Stems 

terete, at first silvery–green pubescent 

with minute, appressed scalelike hairs, 

soon glabrous and green to reddish 

green. Leaves: Closely appressed to 

stem, 1–2.5 mm, at first green or yellow– 

green and quickly drying as persistent 

scales or remaining green only at base. 

Flowers: Dioecious or occasionally 

monoecious. Fragrant, calyx thick, 

fleshy, and yellow–green. Anthers short and yellow. Fruits: Globose, 4.5–5.5 

mm when fresh, the fresh pulp viscid and translucent white, salmon colored on 

exposed surfaces and whitish to yellow–white when not exposed to sunlight. 

Explosive dehiscence. Ecology: Found on host plants through southwest; flowers 

December–February. Notes: Flowering and fruiting non–seasonally, birds love 

this species and help to spread. Ethnobotany: Decoction of the berries was taken 

as purge by the Pima. It was used for washing sores, for stomachaches, boiled, 

dried and stored for food. Etymology: Phoradendron is from Greek phor, a thief 

and dendron, tree—hence tree thief because of its parasitism, while californicum 

refers to California. Synonyms: Phoradendron californicum var. distans, P. 

californicum var. leucocarpum 


Rubiaceae–Santalaceae 

Forbs

Solanaceae 

Forbs 

Calibrachoa parviflora 

seaside petunia 

General: Prostrate annual herb with diffusely 

branched stems 2–40 cm, glandular–viscid 

herbage. Leaves: Linear, elliptic, or oblong– 

oblanceolate, 4–18 mm long, 1–4.5 mm wide, 

narrowed to short petiole or nearly sessile, 1 

nerved, acute to rounded at apex, margins entire 

to slightly undulate. Flowers: Solitary in axils on 

slender pedicels, 2–5 mm long at anthesis, calyx 

lobes linear–spatulate to linear–lanceolate, .5–1 

mm wide, 2–3 mm long in flower, 5–8 mm long in 

fruit, cup 1–2 mm deep, funnelform corolla 5–7 mm long, pale blue to purplish, 

often paler to nearly white on one side, lobes rounded but apiculate, more or 

less spreading. Fruits: Capsule broadly ovoid, 3–4 mm long, firm, yellowish 

or whitish, glabrous. Ecology: Found on sandy flats, arroyos, sand bars and 

stream banks from 500–5,000 ft (152–1524 m); flowers December–September, 

although it flowers sporadically the rest of the year. Notes: Relative of the 

showy cultivated petunias. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Calibrachoa 

is named for Mexican botanist Antonio de la Cal y Bracho (1766–1833) while 

parviflora means small flowered. Synonyms: Petunia parviflora 

Chamaesaracha conoides 

gray five eyes 

General: Copiously branched, glandular– 

pubescent plant with ascending or slightly 

decumbent stem 10–40 cm long, viscid and 

often discolored with adhering soil and debris. 

Leaves: Numerous, lance–ovate to broadly 

ovate, blades 4–18 mm wide, 1–3.5 cm long, 

rounded to acute at apex, cuneately narrowed 

to narrowly winged petiole, margin entire, 

undulate, occasionally pinatifid. Flowers: 

Pedicels 1–2.5 cm long, glandular–hirsute, calyx 

3–4 mm deep, teeth 1–1.5 mm long, ascending 

to erect, lanceolate, triangular; corolla rotate 10–15 mm in diameter, greenish 

yellow to purplish, densely pubescent in throat, stamens 3–5 mm long, erect, 

filaments glabrous, yellowish anthers 2 mm long. Fruits: Dry berries, globose 

5–6 mm diameter, glabrous, pale yellow to whitish. Ecology: Found on 

roadsides, grassy plains, rocky hillsides and mesas from 3,500–5,500 ft (1067– 

1676 m); flowers April–August. Notes: Told apart from C. coronopus by its 

herbage which is composed for simple hairs intermingled with gland–tipped 

ones, making it more or less viscid. Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: 

From Greek for low or dwarf and Saracha, a genus in Solanaceae from South 

America, conoides is cone like. Synonyms: None 



©2011 Anthony Mendoza


Chamaesaracha coronopus 

greenleaf five eyes 

General: Herbaceous perennial, ascending to 

procumbent, 10–50 cm long, slightly angular in 

cross section, longitudinally ridged or subulate, 

ridges more pubescent than intervening channels; 

herbage sparsely scurfy with coarse dendritic to 

stellately branched hairs, branches stubby, white. 

Leaves: Oblong–linear to elliptic–oblanceolate, 

usually pinnatifid with teeth 1–2 mm long, leaves 

2–5 mm wide but vigorously growing plants often 

have shallowly pinnatifid leaves or only undulate. 

Flowers: Solitary in axils on slender pedicels to 4 cm long and often deflexed and 

curved in fruit; calyx 3–4 mm deep at anthesis, densely pubescent–scurfy, teeth 

broadly to narrowly deltoid, corolla rotate or shallowly cup–shaped, 12–18 mm in 

diameter, greenish–yellow, more or less blotched with purple, densely puberulent 

around base of filaments, tips sparsely pubescent; glabrous yellow stamens. 

Fruits: Globose berry, dry, 5–8 mm diameter, glabrous. Ecology: Along ditches, 

roadsides, pastureland, and mesas from 2,500–7,500 ft (762–2286 m); flowers 

April–September. Notes: Told apart from C. conoides by the mostly pinnatifid 

leaves and the coarse pubescence. Ethnobotany: Used for swellings and the 

Kayenta used it in case of drowning. Etymology: From Greek for low or dwarf 

and Saracha, a genus in Solanaceae from South America, coronopous is from 

Greek korone, crown and pous, foot from the deeply cleft leaves being like the 

points of a crown. Synonyms: None 


Solanaceae 

Forbs

Solanaceae 

Forbs 

Datura wrightii 

sacred thorn–apple 

General: Perennial herbs; spreading and 

branching; herbage grayish–green; 50–180 cm tall. 

Leaves: Leaves alternate with short petioles and 

toothed lobes, usually asymetric at the base, 4–15 

cm long, grayish–green and short–pubescent. 

Flowers: Calyx tube 6–10 cm long with 1–3 cm long 

teeth; corolla white, often with hints of lavender or 

purple, 15–25 cm long, with 5–10 slender teeth that 

are 5–20 mm long; anthers white or lavender, 15 

mm long. Fruits: Capsule round, 3–4 cm in diameter, nodding, and very prickly; 

prickles 5–12 mm long; seeds flat and cream–colored. Ecology: Found in creosote 

brush, Joshua tree, sagebrush, and pinon–juniper communties from 1,000–6,500 ft 

(300–1980 m); flowers April–October. Notes: Characterized by its spreading habit, 

large ovate leaves, and large white funnel–shaped corolla. Entire plant is poisonous. 

Ethnobotany: Apache use plant juice, flower, roots as disinfectant. Cahuilla and 

others use leaf powder to make ointment for setting bones. Also used as antidote 

for tarantula, snake, spider and poisonous insect bites. In Cahuilla given to shaman 

so he may visit the land of the dead and offer messages to those living. In other 

tribes given to medicine men to “see” the disease and give proper diagnosis. Used 

in numerous tribes in ceremonies marking boy initiation into manhood. Plant is 

most poisonous narcotic known. Etymology: Datura is an ancient Hindu name. 

Wrightii named for Charles Wright (1811–1885), an American botanical collector. 

Synonyms: D. inoxia, D. meteloides, D. metel 

Physalis acutifolia 

sharpleaf groundcherry 

General: Erect or ascending annual 10– 

100 cm tall with strongly angled, much– 

branched stems and sparingly pubescent 

to subglabrous foliage. Leaves: Slender 

petioles 1.5–5 cm long, lanceolate, 6–35 

mm wide, 2.5–8 cm long, deeply sinuate– 

toothed, cuneate at base, acute, attenuate 

at apex, margins finely ciliate. Flowers: 

Pedicels 5–20 mm long, finely puberulent 

at anthesis, campanulate calyx, scarcely 

angular, 3–5 mm long with narrowly deltoid lobes, rotate corolla 12–20 mm 

diameter, whitish or light yellow with deeper yellow center; greenish anthers, 

linear, 3–4.5 mm long. Fruits: Ovoid globose berry 1.5–2.5 cm long. Ecology: 

Found on roadsides, fields, ditches from 100–4,000 ft (30–1219 m); flowers 

April–September. Notes: Smaller, low growing habit help identify this species. 

Ethnobotany: Fruit eaten primarily by children as a snack food by the Gila 

River Pima; eaten raw, cooked into sauces, preserves and jams, dried and stored 

as food. Etymology: Physalis from Greek physallis, a bladder or bubble, due 

to inflated calyx, while acutifolia means pointed leaves. Synonyms: Physalis 

wrightii 






Physalis longifolia 

longleaf groundcherry 

General: Stout erect perennial 0.5–1 

m tall with angulate–striate, glabrous 

stems Leaves: Lance–elliptic, glabrous 

or subglabrous entire leaves 1–2.2 cm 

wide and 3–9 cm long, acute, cuneate and 

deccurrent on petioles at base; petioles 1–4 

cm long. Flowers: Pedicels 8–12 mm long 

at anthesis; campanulate calyx, truncate 

at base, sparsely puberulent toward base, 

lanceolate lobes 2.5–3 mm wide, 4–5 mm 

long; corolla campanulate–rotate, 12–20 mm wide, about 10–15 mm long, 

yellow with darker center; anthers 2–3 mm long, yellow. Fruits: Fruiting calyx 

ovoid 2–3 cm long, glabrous, distinctly veined, berry. Ecology: Found on plains 

and along stream banks from 2,500–5,000 ft (762–1524 m); flowers April– 

August. Notes: Fairly rare in Arizona, large size compared to other ground 

loving Physalis distinguish this species. Ethnobotany: Berries were widely 

eaten, whether raw or boiled. Etymology: Physalis from Greek physalis, a 

bladder or bubble, due to inflated calyx, while longifolia means long leaved. 


Solanum eleagnifolium 

silverleaf nightshade 

General: Perennial herb or woody at base 

to 1 m tall, emerges from tough creeping 

rhizomes, foliage and stems canescent with 

finely stellate pubescence; stems, petioles 

and midribs of leaves sparsely to densely 

prickly with slender yellowish spines 1–5 

mm long. Leaves: Petioles with shallowly 

longitudinal grooves on upper surface, 

3–20 mm long, leaves linear, oblong, or 

lanceolate 4–25 mm wide, 3–10 cm long, broadly cuneate at base, obtuse to 

acute at apex, with prominent veins. Flowers: Cymose, peduncles, pedicels 

and calyces prickly with yellow spines, calyx ovate to lance–linear, corollas 2–3 

cm diameter, violet or blue; anthers 7–9 mm long, subequal, yellow. Fruits: 

Berries globose 9–14 mm in diameter, yellow to brownish. Ecology: Found on 

sandy plains, arroyos, outwash slopes and disturbed areas from 1,000–5,500 

ft (305–1676 m); flowers April–October. Notes: Rhizomatousness, spines, and 

distinct purple–blue flowers help identify this species. Ethnobotany: Used in 

a variety of medicinal capacities, considered to be highly toxic. Etymology: 

Solanum is Latin for quieting, reference to the narcotic properties of some 

species, elaeagnifolium refers to being like plants in the genus Eleagnus. 



Verbenaceae 

Forbs

Talinaceae–Urticaceae 

Forbs 

Talinum paniculatum 

pink baby breath, jewels of Opar 

General: Perennial herb to 1 m tall, tuberous roots, 

erect stem. Leaves: Short–petiolate, blades elliptic 

to obovate, basally attenuate, to 12 cm long, reduced 

upward. Flowers: Inflorescence spreading to 25 cm 

long, sepals ovate to suborbiculate, 2.5–4 mm long, 

sometimes reflexed, petals ovate to suborbiculate, 3–5 

mm long, red or pink, sometimes orangish, yellowish, 

or purplish, 15–20 stamens, 3 linear stigmas. Fruits: 

Subglobose capsule, sometimes triquetrous, 3–5 

mm long. Ecology: Found in moist to dry habitats in 

woodlands and savannas, desert scrub and grasslands, 

in grassy soil and crevices, in open and often in shade from 2,500–5,500 ft (762– 

1676 m); flowers July–October. Notes: Its very fleshy leaves and weak stems 

help to identify this plant.Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Paniculatum 

means with panicles. Synonyms: Portulaca paniculata, Talinum chrysanthum, 

T. paniculatum var. paniculatum, T. paniculatum var. sarmentosum, T. reflexum, 

T. spathulatum 

Parietaria pensylvanica 

Pennsylvania pellitory 

General: Erect, slender stemmed annual 

10–40 cm tall, simple or sparingly branched 

at base, glabrate or more commonly 

sparsely to moderately villous with weak, 

white hairs. Leaves: Lanceolate to lance– 

oblong, cuneate to slightly rounded at 

base, acute to acuminate at the apex, 

puberulent to villosulous, blades 5–12 mm 

wide, 2.5–7.5 cm long long slender petioles about one half as long as blade. 

Flowers: In glomerules in most axils, bracts linear or lance–linear, 4–6 mm 

long, sparsely pubescent, sepals lance–linear, about 2 mm long, acute. Fruits: 

Achenes, brownish about 2 mm long. Ecology: Found along watercourses, in 

the shade of trees, cliffs, and rocks from 1,500–4,500 ft (457–1372 m); flowers 

March–June. Notes: This plant is common through temperate North America. 

Ethnobotany: Unknown Etymology: Parietaria comes form Latin parietarius, 

of walls which details the preferred habitat, while pensylvanica comes from 

its being of Pennsylvania. Synonyms: Parietaria obtusa, P. occidentalis, P. 

pensylvanica var. obtusa 






Glandularia gooddingii 

southwestern mock vervain 

General: Annual or perennial; stems 

several from a common base, 20–45 cm 

tall, branched, densely hairy and glandular. 

Leaves: Mostly 3–cleft, the divisions are 

toothed or cleft, hairy on both sides, tapering 

at the base to a short petiole. Flowers: 

Spikes capitate in anthesis, elongated in 

fruit, bracts a little shorter than the calyx, 

which is glandular; corolla pink, lavender, 

violet or blue, tube a little longer than calyx. Fruits: Nutlets, about 3 mm long, 

reticulate, base striate. Ecology: Found at 5,000–10,000 ft (1524–3048 m) in 

coniferous forests; flowers throughout year. Notes: Corollas large and showy, 

pink, lavender, violet or blue, 3–cleft leaves. G. gooddingii has large and showy 

corolla, but the corolla tube is only slightly longer than the calyx. Herbage is 

conspicuously villous and stems and stems are glandular. Ethnobotany: Acts 

as a sedative, diphoretic, diuretic, bitter tonic, and antispasmodic. Etymology: 

Verbena is the Latin name for the leafy twigs used in the wreaths for ritual use 

and medicine. Glandularia is ancient word meaning full of glands. Synonyms: 

Verbena arizonica, V. gooddingii, V. gooddingii var. nepetifolia, V. verna, V. var. 

fissa 

Tetraclea coulteri 

Coulter’s wrinklefruit 

General: Perennial with several branching 

obscurely 4–angled ascending or spreading 

stems about 40 cm tall from a woody root; 

branchlets slender, gray, obtusely tetragonal, 

densely puberulent with appressed, strigose, 

whitish hairs, nodes not swollen, principal 

nodes 9–32 mm long. Leaves: Decussate– 

opposite, slender petioles, 4–10 mm long, 

flattened with distinct margin from apex to 

base, appressed–puberulent throughout, blades 

thin–chartaceous or submembranous, uniformly bright green, ovate 1.5–3.5 

cm long, 6–18 mm wide, sharply acute and mucronulate at apex, irregularly 

and coarsely dentate, finely puberulent. Flowers: Mostly 3–flowered, slender 

peduncles 3–8 mm long, densely puberulent, cream–colored corolla, tinged 

with red outside, lobes elliptic–obovate, entire. Fruits: Pyriform pyrene, 

strongly and coarsely reticulated, finely pubescent. Ecology: Found in sandy 

soil below 4,500 ft (1372 m); flowers April–August. Notes: Ashy–green foliage 

and fine, rough pubescence helps to separate this plant. Ethnobotany: Plant 

used as a ceremonial medicine and as a fever medicine. Etymology: Tetraclea 

comes from tetra meaning four, and coulteri which is named for Dr. Thomas 

Coulter (1793–1843) an Irish botanist. Synonyms: Tetraclea coulteri var. 

angustifolia 


Verbenaceae 

Forbs

Vitaceae 

Forbs 

Vitis arizonica 

canyon grape 

General: Native, sprawling or weakly climbing 

perennial vine; stems generally 2–6 m long; the 

young twigs densely woolly, but losing this over 

time and the bark becoming shreddy. Leaves: 

Broadly cordate, 3–10 cm long and about 

as wide, irregularly toothed and sometimes 

shallowly 3–lobed, more–or–less cottony hairy; 

petiole 1–3 cm long; tendrils opposite the leaves, 

more–or–less branched, withering quickly if not 

attached to something. Flowers: Inflorescence 

opposite leaves, usually branched, 2–10 cm long; flowers with five, white petals. 

Fruits: Edible (but sometimes bitter) grapes, 8–10 mm thick, black. Ecology: 

Generally in canyons and along streams from 2,000–7,500 ft (610–2286 m); 

flowers April–July. Notes: Characterized by a sprawling or vine–like habit; 

broad, irregularly–toothed leaves with tendrils opposite; and inflorescences 

opposite of the leaves that bare dark purple to black grapes. Ethnobotany: 

Navajo use in courtship gifts. Apache dry and eat fruits like raisins, eaten 

fresh. Havasupai use to make toys/games, other tribes have uses as well. Leaves 

can be salted and soaked and used similarly like domesticated grape leaves. 

Etymology: Vitis is Latin for vine. Synonyms: Vitus treleasei 




Kallstroemia grandiflora 

Arizona poppy, caltrop 

General: Diffuse annual with hirsute, 

spreading to ascending stems 10–40 cm 

long, stipules linear–subulate, 4–6 mm long, 

hirsute; procumbent with age. Leaves: 

Leaves 4.5–12 cm, with 5–9 pairs of leaflets; 

obliquely oblong, 2–5 mm wide, 8–25 mm 

long, obtuse or acute, asymmetrical at base, 

usually glabrous above, pubescent with 

both coarse and fine hairs or glabrate beneath. Flowers: Pedicels 1–2 cm long 

at anthesis, to 4 cm long in fruit, sepals narrowly linear–lanceolate, about 5 mm 

long, hirsute, persistent; petals deep dark orange that fades to yellow with the 

day, narrowly obovate 5–7 cm wide corolla, corolla center and filaments dark 

orange–red, anthers yellow, ovary and style green. Fruits: Fruiting pedicels 

3–7 cm, body of fruits 4–5 mm and knobby, beaks 8–12 mm long, columnar. 

Ecology: Widespread and common on desert flats, gravelly or sandy soils 

from 5,000 ft (1524 m) and below; flowers February–September. Notes: 

The color of the petals is diagnostic between the three species in the region. 

Ethnobotany: K. californica was used as an antidiarrheal and a dermatological 

aid. Etymology: Kallstroemia is named for Anders Kallstrom (1733–1812) a 

contemporary of Giovanni Antonio Scopoli, the author of the genus, while 

grandiflora refers to the large flower. Synonyms: None 

Tribulus terrestris 

puncturevine 

General: Prostrate annual herb with diffusely branching stems 10–80 cm long; 

herbage sparsely silky–strigose throughout or upper surfaces of leaflets nearly 

glabrous; stipules subulate, 2–3 mm long. Leaves: Leaves 2–5 cm long, with 3–9 

pairs of elliptic or oblong leaflets 3–13 mm long, oblique, acute to obtuse at apex; 

leaflets of the lower pair unequal in size. Flowers: Peduncles axillary to the 

shorter of the pair of leaves and exceeded by subtending leaf; sepals narrowly 

lance–ovate, 3–3.5 mm long, caducous; petals pale yellow, 4–5 mm long. Fruits: 

15–18 mm broad exclusive of spines, breaking into 5 spiny nutlets, each with 2 

larger spines, after separation the vicious tacklike nutlets land with the larger 

spines upward. Ecology: Introduced 

and abundant in cultivated areas, along 

roads, disturbed sites; flowers July– 

October. Notes: Introduced and weedy 

where established. Ethnobotany: Used 

by the Navajo as a ceremonial medicine. 

Etymology: Tribulus is Latin for three– 

pointed, a caltrop, while terrestris in 

Latin means on land. Synonyms: None 

©2008 T. Beth Kinsey H M L Impact risk level 



Forbs

Forbs 


A 

Abaxial: the side away from the axis 

Acaulescent: stemless 

Accumbent: a term referring to seeds in which the embryonic root is wrapped 

around and lies along the edges of the two cotylodons (compare incumbent) 

Acerose: needle-shaped 

Achene: a small, dry, one-seeded, indehiscent fruit (i.e. one that does not split 

open), deriving from a one-chambered ovary, typical of the Asteraceae 

Acicular: needle-shaped, as applied to some kinds of foliage 

Acorn: hard, dry, indehiscent with a single large seed and a cupule 

Actinomorphic: radially symmetrical 

Aculeate: pointed or prickly 

Acuminate: tapering gradually to a pointed apex with more or less concave sides 

along the tip 

Acute: tapering to a sharp-pointed apex with more or less straight sides along 

the tip 

Acyclic: with the floral parts arranged spirally rather than in whorls 

Adaxial: the side toward the axis 

Adenophorous: gland-bearing 

Adherent: two or more organs appearing to be fused but actually separable 

Adnate: grown together, used only to describe unlike parts (compare connate) 

Adventitious: occurring in unusual or unexpected locations such as roots on 

aerial stems or buds on leaves. Also meaning: out of the usual place, introduced 

but not yet naturalized 

Aestivation: the arrangement of floral parts in a bud 

Aggregate: densely clustered 

Albumen: the nutritive tissue in a seed 

Alkaline: soils that contain high amounts of various salts of potassium and/or 

sodium, as well as other soluble minerals, and are basic rather than acidic with a 

pH greater than 7.0 

Allelopathy: a characteristic of some plants according to which chemical 

compounds are produced that inhibit the growth of other plants in the immediate 

vicinity 

Allopatric: occupying different geographic regions 

Alternate: a leaf arrangement along the axis in which the leaves are not opposite 

to each other or whorled 

Alveolate: Honeycombed, with pits separated by thin, ridged partitions 

Ament: an inflorescence consisting of a dense spike or raceme or apetalous, 

unisexual flowers, another name for a catkin 

Ammophilous: sand-loving 

Amplexicaul: describing a sessile leaf that has its base completely surrounding 

the stem 

Anandrous: without stamens 

Ananthous: without flowers 

Androecium: a collective term for the stamens of a flower (compare 

gynoecium) 

Androgynous: having staminate and pistillate flowers in the same inflorescence 

Anemophilous: wind-pollinated 

Angled: sided, as in the shape of stems or fruits 

Angular: having sharp angles or corners, generally used in reference to structures 

such as stems to contrast them with rounded stems 


Glossary

Glossary 

Annual: a plant that completes its life cycle from the its germination as a seed to 

the production of new seeds in a single year and then dies 

Anterior: on the front side away from the axis 

Anther: the pollen-bearing portion of a stamen 

Anthesis: time during which the flower is open 

Antrorse: pointing forward or upward (compare retrorse) 

Aperturate: with one or more openings or apertures 

Apetalous: lacking petals 

Apex: the tip of a plant part 

Aphyllous: without leaves 

Apiculate: ending in an abrupt slender tip which is not stiff 

Applanate: flattened 

Appressed: lying flat against or nearly parallel to, as leaves on a stem or hairs on 

a leaf 

Arborescent: approaching the size and habit of a tree 

Arcuate: arching or curved like a bow 

Areole: a raised area on a cactus from which spines develop 

Aristate: with an awn or stiff bristle, typically at the apex 

Armed: provided with prickles, spines or thorns 

Ascending: growing obliquely upward 

Asymmetrical: not divided into like and/or equal parts 

Attenuate: gradually narrowing to a tip or base 

Auricle: a small earlike lobe or appendage 

Auriculate: having earlike appendages 

Autophilous: self-pollinated 

Awn: a slender, stiff terminal bristle attached at its base to another structure or 

organ such as a leaf or grass stem 

Axil: the upper angle formed between two structures or organs, such as a leaf and 

the stem from which it grows 

Axillary: borne or carried in the axil 

Axis: the main stem 

B 

Banner: the upper petal of a pea flower 

Barbed: with a backward-facing tip 

Barbellate: with short, stiff hairs or barbs 

Basal: at or near the base, often describing leaves and where they attach 

Basifixed: attached by the base (compare dorsifixed, versatile) 

Beak: a firm, pointed terminal appendage 

Berry: a fleshy, indehiscent fruit in which the seeds are not encased in a stone and 

are typically more than one 

Biennial: a plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle, usually growing 

vegetation in the first year and producing flowers and seeds in the second, then 

dying 

Bifurcate: divided into two forks or branches 

Bilabiate: two-lipped 

Bipinnate: twice pinnately compound 

Bipinnatifid: two times pinnately cleft 

Bisexual: having both stamens and pistils 

Bladdery: thin-walled and inflated 

Blade: the expanded terminal portion of a leaf, petal or other structure, i.e. that 

portion of the leaf that does not include the stalk 


Bloom: a white, powderlike coating sometimes found on a leaf or stem surface 

Bole: the trunk or stem of a tree 

Brackish: a mixture of salt and fresh water, somewhat saline 

Bract: a modified leaf which may be reduced in size or different in other 

characteristics from the foliage leaves and which usually subtends a flower or an 

inflorescence 

Bracteole: a small bract, often secondary in nature, a bractlet 

Bristle: a stiff hair, usually erect or curving away from its attachment point 

Bud: a developing leaf, stem or flower 

Bulb: an underground plant part derived from a shoot that is enclosed in 

numerous overlapping thickened leafy scales whose purpose is to store food 

Bundle scar: scar left on a twig by the vascular bundles when a leaf falls 

Bur: a prickly or spiny seed or fruit 

Burl: a woody swelling where the stem joins the roots 

C 

Caducous: falling off very early compared to similar structures in other plants 

Caespitose (Cespitose): having a densely clumped, tufted or cushion-like growth 

form with the flowers extending above the clump 

Callus: a hardened or thickened area at the point of attachment 

Calyptra: a hood or lid 

Calyx: the outer whorl of the perianth, composed of the sepals, usually but not 

always green, which enclose other flower parts in bud 

Campanulate: bell-shaped 

Canescent: with gray or white short hairs, often having a hoary appearance 

Capillary: very slender and hairlike 

Capitate: in a globular or head-shaped cluster 

Capsule: a dry, generally many-seeded fruit divided into two or more seed 

compartments that dehisces or splits open longitudinally with the line of 

dehiscence either through the locule (loculicidal) or through the septa 

(septicidal), or, less commonly, through pores (poricidal) or around the 

circumference (circumscissile) 

Carnose: with a fleshy texture 

Carpel: a simple pistil, or a single unit of a compound pistil, the ovule-bearing 

portion of a flower 

Caruncle: a protuberance or appendage near the hilum of seed 

Caryopsis: the grain or fruit of grasses 

Catkin: a spikelike, often pendulous, inflorescence of petalless unisexual flowers, 

either staminate or pistillate 

Caudate: bearing a tail or slender tail-like appendage 

Caudex: the persistent, often woody base of an otherwise annual herbaceous 

stem 

Cauline: attached to or referring to the stem, as opposed to ‘basal’, often used to 

describe leaf position 

Ceraceous: waxy in texture or appearance 

Cernuous: drooping or nodding 

Chaff: thin scales or bracts subtending individual flowers in many species of the 

Asteraceae 

Chaparral: an area characterized by dense, leathery-leaved, evergreen shrubs 

Chartaceous: with a papery texture, usually not green 

Cilia: marginal hairs 


Glossary

Glossary 

Ciliate: with a row of fine hairs along the margin of a structure such as a leaf 

Ciliolate: with a marginal fringe of minute hairs 

Cinereous: ash-colored, light-gray due to a covering of short hairs 

Circumboreal: distributed around the globe at northern latitudes 

Circumsessile: dehiscing along a transverse circular line around the fruit or 

anther, so that the top separates or falls off like a lid 

Clasping: having the lower edges of a leaf blade partly surrounding the stem 

Clavate: club-shaped, gradually thickened or widened toward the apex 

Claw: the narrow, basal stalklike portion of some sepals and petals 

Cleft: deeply cut, usually more than one-half the distance from the margin to the 

midrib or base 

Cleistogamous: flowers which self-fertilize without opening 

Collar: found in grasses, the outer side of the leaf at the junction of the sheath 

and blade 

Colleter: a glandular hair 

Column: a structure formed by the union of staminal filaments 

Coma: a tuft of hairs, often at the tip of seeds 

Complete: describing flowers that contain petals, sepals, pistils and stamens 

Compound: made up of two or more similar parts, as in a leaf which has leaflets 

Compressed: flattened 

Concolor: of uniform color 

Conduplicate: folded together lengthwise with the upper surface within, as the 

leaves of many grasses 

Cone: a dense cluster of sporophylls on an axis 

Confluent: running together or blending of one part into another 

Connate: Describing similar structures that are joined or grown together 

(compare adnate) 

Connivent: converging, but not actually fused or united 

Contracted: narrowed or shortened as opposed to open or spreading 

Convergent: meeting together, as leaf veins which come together at the apex 

Convex: rounded or curved outward on the surface 

Convolute: rolled up longitudinally, with one edge inside the other and the upper 

surface on the inside (compare revolute, involute) 

Coppice: a thicket of bushes or small trees; sprouts arising from a stump 

Cordate: heart-shaped 

Coriaceous (Coreaceous): leathery in texture 

Corm: an enlarged underground structure of stem tissue and thin scales 

Corneous: horny 

Corniculate: having little horns or hornlike appendages 

Corolla: the inner whorl of the perianth, between the calyx and the stamens, a 

collective term for the petals of a flower 

Corolla tube: the hollow, cylindric portion of a corolla of united petals 

Corona: petal-like or crown-like structures between the petals and stamens in 

some flowers 

Coroniform: crown-shaped 

Corrugated: wrinkled, folded 

Corymb: a broad, flat-topped inflorescence in which the flower stalks arise from 

different points on the main stem and the marginal flowers are the first to open 

(compare cyme) 

Costa (pl. costae): a rib or prominent mid-vein 

Cotyledon: a primary leaf of the embryo; a seed leaf 

Crenate: with shallow roundish or bluntish teeth on the margin, scalloped 


Crenulate: similar to crenate, but with smaller, rounded teeth 

Crisped: curled on the margin like a strip of bacon 

Cristate: with a terminal tuft or crest 

Crosier: the curled top of a young fern frond 

Cruciform: cross-shaped 

Crustaceous: dry and brittle 

Cucullate: hooded or hood-shaped 

Culm: a hollow or pithy slender stem such as is found in the grasses and sedges 

Cultivar: a form of a plant derived from cultivation 

Cuneate: wedge-shaped, with the narrow part at the point of attachment 

Cupule: a cup-shaped involucre, as in an acorn 

Cuspidate: tipped with an abrupt short, sharp, firm point (compare mucronate) 

Cuticle: the waxy layer on the surface of a leaf or stem 

Cyathiform: cup-shaped 

Cyathium: the specialized inflorescence characteristic of the Euphorbiaceae, 

consisting of a flower-like, cup-shaped involucre which carries the several true 

flowers within 

Cyme: a broad, flat-topped inflorescence in which the central flower is the first to 

open (compare corymb) 

Cymose: with flowers in a cyme 

Cypselae: dry, single-seeded, indehiscent fruit with an adnate calyx, essentially 

an achene 

D 

Deca-: a prefix meaning ten 

Decompound: more than once-compound, the leaflets again divided 

Decumbent: prostrate at the base but ascending at the end 

Decurrent: adnate to the petiole or stem and extending downward, as a leaf base 

that extends downward along the stem (compare surcurrent) 

Decussate: arranged in pairs along the stem with each pair at right angles to the 

one above and below 

Deflexed: Bent downward or backward 

Defoliation: the shedding of leaves 

Dehiscent: opening spontaneously when ripe to discharge the seed content 

(compare indehiscent) 

Deltoid: broadly triangular in shape 

Dendritic: with a branching patter similar to that in a tree, describes a hair type 

Dense: congested, describing the disposition of flowers in an inflorescence 

(compare open) 

Dentate: with sharp, outward-pointing teeth on the margin 

Depauperate: starved or stunted, describing small plants or plant communities 

that are growing under unfavorable conditions 

Determinate: describes an inflorescence in which the terminal flower blooms 

first, thereby halting further elongation of the flowering stem (compare 

indeterminate) 

Dextrorse: turned to the right or spirally arranged to the right (compare 

sinistrorse) 

Di-: prefix meaning two or twice 

Diadelphous: stamens united into two, often unequal, sets by their filaments 

Diandrous: having two stamens 

Dichasium: a cymose inflorescence in which each axis produces two opposite or 


Glossary

Glossary 

subopposite lateral axes 

Dichotomous: branching regularly and repeatedly in pairs 

Diclinous: with the stamens and pistils in separate flowers, imperfect 

Dicotyledon: a plant having two seed leaves, one of the two major divisions of 

flowering plants (compare monocotyledon) 

Didymous: twinned, being in pairs 

Didynamous: with two pairs of stamens of unequal length 

Diffuse: looosely branching or spreading 

Digitate: radiating from a common point, having a fingered shape, i.e. a shape 

like an open hand 

Digynous: having two pistils 

Dimorphic: having two forms 

Dioecious: having staminate and pistillate flowers on separate plants (compare 

monoecious) 

Diploid: with two full sets of chromosomes in each cell 

Disarticulating: separating at maturity at a joint 

Disciform: having a flowering head that contains both filiform and disk 

flowers, referring to members of the Asteraceae 

Discoid: having only disk flowers, referring to flower heads in the Asteraceae 

Disjunct: separated from the main distribution of the population 

Disk: the central portion of composite flowers, made up of a cluster of disk 

flowers 

Dissected: finely cut or divided into many, narrow segments 

Distal: the end opposite the point of attachment, away from the axis (compare 

proximal) 

Distichous: two-ranked, that is with leaves on opposute sides of a stem and 

in the same plane 

Distinct: having separate, like parts, those not at all joined to each other, often 

describing the petals on a flower (compare united) 

Disturbed: referring to habitats that have been impacted by the actions of 

people 

Dithecal anthers: anthers lacking septi between the loculi, so there are only 

two anther cells 

Diurnal: growing in the daytime 

Divaricate: widely diverging or spreading apart 

Divergent: diverging or spreading 

Divided: cut deeply, nearly or completely to the midrib 

Dolabriform: ax-shaped or cleaver-shaped; pick-shaped; attached at some 

point other than the base, usually near the middle 

Dorsal: referring to the back or outer surface 

Dorsifixed: attached at the back (compare basifixed, versatile) 

Drooping: erect or spreading at the base, then bending downwards 

Drupe: a fleshy indehiscent fruit enclosing a nut or hard stone containing 

generally a single seed such as a peach or cherry 

E 

E-: prefix usually meaning without, from, or away 

Echinate: prickly 

Ecotone: transition zone between two adjoining communities 

Ecotype: those individuals adapted to a specific environment or set of 

conditions 


Edaphic: due to, or pertaining to, the soil 

Elater: structures attached to spores to aid in dispersal 

Elliptic: broadest near the middle and tapering gradually to both ends 

Elongate: stretched out, many times longer than broad 

Emarginate: with a shallow notch at the apex 

Endemic: confined to a limited geographic area 

Endocarp: the inner layer of the pericarp, which is the wall of the ripened ovary 

or fruit (compare mesocarp, exocarp) 

Endogenous: growing from, or originating from within 

Ensiform: sword-shaped, as applied to a leaf 

Entire: describing a leaf that has a continuous, unbroken margin with no teeth 

or lobes 

Entomophilous: insect-pollinated 

Ephemeral: describes a plant or flower that lasts for only a short time or blooms 

only occasionaly when conditions are right 

Epi-: meaning upon 

Epicalyx: an involucre which resembles an outer calyx 

Epigynous: with stamens, pistils, and sepals attached to the top of the ovary 

(compare hypogynous) 

Epipetalous: attached to the petals 

Episepalous: attached to the sepals 

Equilateral: with sides of equal shape and length 

Equitant: overlapping or straddling in two ranks, as in Iris 

Erose: having an irregular margin as if it has been gnawed 

Erosulate: more or less erose 

Escapee: a plant escaped from cultivation that now reproduces on its own 

Esculent: edible 

Estipulate: without stipules 

Evanescent: fleeting, lasting for only a short time 

Even-pinnate: a pinnately-compound leaf ending in a pair of leaflets (compare 

odd-pinnate) 

Excurrent: extending beyond the apex, as the midrib in some leaves 

Exfoliating: peeling off in thin layers or flakes 

Exocarp: the outer layer of the pericarp of a fruit (compare endocarp, 

mesocarp) 

Exotic: not native, introduced from another area 

Exserted: projected from or extending beyond, as stamens from a flower 

Extant: still surviving, not completely extinct 

Extirpated: destroyed or no longer surviving in the area being referred to, but 

may survive outside of that area 

Extrorse: turned or opening outward away from the axis (compare introrse) 

Exudate: a substance exuded or secreted from a plant 

F 

Falcate: scimitar- or sickle-shaped 

Farinose: covered with a mealy or whitish powdery substance 

Fascicle: a small cluster or bundle, a fairly common leaf arrangement 

Faveolate: honeycombed or pitted: alveolate 

Fenestrate: with small slits or areas thinned so as to be translucent 

Ferruginous: rust-colored 

Fertile: having the capacity to produce fruit, having a pistil 

Fetid: with an offensive odor, stinking 


Glossary

Glossary 

Fibril: a delicate fiber or hair 

Filament: the basal, sterile portion of a stamen below the anthers 

Filiform: (1) threadlike; (2) a type of flower in the Asteraceae which is pistillate 

and has a very slender, tubular corolla 

Fimbriate: having fringed margins 

Fistulose: hollow like a tube or pipe 

Flaccid: soft and weak, limp 

Flagellate: with long, slender runners 

Flange: a projecting rim or edge 

Fleshy: thick and pulpy, succulent 

Flexuose or flexuous: with curves or bends, somewhat zigzagged 

Floccose: bearing tufts of long, soft, tangled hairs 

Floret: a small individual flower in a flower head 

Fluted: with furrows or grooves 

Foliar: pertaining to the leaves, leaf-like 

Foliolate: of or pertaining to, or having leaflets 

Follicle: a dry, many-seeded fruit derived composed of a single carpel and 

opening along one side only like a milkweed pod 

Forb: a non-grasslike herbaceous plant 

Fringed: with hairs or bristles along the margin 

Frond: a fern leaf 

Fructiferous: fruit-bearing 

Frutescent: shrubby or bushy in the sense of being woody 

Fugacious: falling or withering early; ephemeral 

Fulvous: dull yellowish-brown or yellowish-gray, tawny 

Funiculus: the stalk connecting the ovule to the placenta, the stalk of a seed 

Funnelform: gradually widening upwards, as in the flowers of morning glory 

Furcate: forked 

Fuscous: dark grayish-brown, dusky 

Fusiform: spindle-shaped, thickest in the middle and drawn out at both ends 

G 

Galbulus: a cone of Cupressus 

Gall: an abnormal growth on a plant that is caused by insects 

Geniculate: bent abruptly like a knee or a stove pipe 

Gibbous: swollen or enlarged on one side, ventricose 

Glabrate: becoming glabrous in age 

Glabrous: smooth, without hairs 

Gland: a depression or protuberance that exists for the purpose of secreting 

Glandular: producing tiny globules of sticky or oily substance 

Glans: a dry dehiscent fruit borne in a cupule, such as the acorn 

Glaucescent: slightly glaucous 

Glaucous: covered with a thin, light-colored waxy or powdery bloom 

Globose: globe-shaped, spherical 

Glochids: barbed bristles on cacti 

Glomerate: crowded, congested or compactly clustered 

Glume: in grasses, the bracts (generally two) that form the lowermost parts of 

the spikelet 

Glutinous: having a sticky surface 

Gracile: slender and graceful 

Grain: the fruit of grasses 

Gregarious: growing in groups or colonies 


Gynobase: an elongation or enlargement of the receptacle that supports the 

carpels or nutlets, as in many species of the Boraginaceae 

Gynoecium: a collective term for the pistils of a flower (compare androecium) 

H 

Habit: the overall appearance of a plant 

Halophyte: a plant that can tolerate an abnormal amount of salt in the soil 

Haploid: with a single full set of choromosomes in each cell 

Hastate: spear- or arrowhead-shaped with the basal lobes facing outward 

Haustorium: a specialized root-like organ used by parasitic plants to draw 

nourishment from host plants (Phoradendron) 

Head: a dense cluster of sessile or subsessile flowers, found in Asteraceae 

Helicoid: coiled spirally like a spring or a snail shell 

Heliotropic: the movement of plant parts in response to a light source 

Hemiparasite: a plant that derives its energy both from parasitism and from 

photosynthesis 

Herbaceous: fleshy-stemmed, not woody 

Heteromorphic: of one or more kind or form 

Heterostylous: having different kinds of style (and stamen) lengths 

Hexa-: a prefix meaning six 

Hibernal: flowering or appearing in the winter 

Hilum: a scar on a seed indicating its point of attachment 

Hip: a fleshy, berry-like fruit, as in some members of the Rosaceae 

Hirsute: pubescent with stiff, coarse hairs 

Hirsutulous: pubescent with very small, coarse, stiff hairs 

Hispid: rough-haired with firm, stiff hairs 

Hoary: covered with white or gray, short, fine hairs 

Holosericeous: covered with fine, silky hairs 

Homomorphic: all of the same kind or form 

Hood: a hollow, arched covering, found in Asclepias 

Hooked: abruptly curved at the tip 

Host: a plant providing nourishment to a parasite 

Humifuse: spreading along or over the ground 

Humistrate: lying on the ground 

Hyaline: thin, translucent or transparent 

Hydrophytic: adapted to growing in water 

Hypanthium: a cup-shaped enlargement of the receptacle, creation by the fusion 

of sepals, petals and stamens 

Hypogynous: with stamens, petals and sepals attached below the ovary (compare 

epigynous) 

I 

Imbricate: overlapping, like shingles on a roof 

Imparipinnate: odd-pinnate, unequally pinnate 

Imperfect: describes a flower that has stamens or pistils but not both 

Implicate: twisted together, intertwined 

Incised: cut, often deeply, usually irregularly, but seldom as much as one-half the 

distance to the midrib or base 

Incumbent: a term referring to seeds in which the embronic root is wrapped 

around and lies adjacent to the back of one of the two cotylodons (compare 

accumbent) 

Indehiscent: not opening by itself, said of a seed pod (compare dehiscent) 

Indeterminate: describes an inflorescence in which the outer or lower flowers 


Glossary

Glossary 

bloom first, allowing an indefinite elongation of the flowering stem (compare 

determinate) 

Indigenous: native to an area 

Induplicate: with petals or sepals edge to edge along their entire length, the 

margins rolled inward 

Indurate: hardened and/or stiffened 

Indusium: a scale-like outgrowth on a fern leaf which forms a covering for 

the sporangia 

Inferior ovary: one that is situated below the point of attachment of the sepals 

and petals, and possibly below the point of attachment of all other flower parts 

and embedded in the floral stem 

Inflexed: turned abruptly or bent inwards 

Inflorescence: the flowering portion of a plant 

Infra-: a prefix meaning below or beneath 

Infraspecific: below the species level 

Infundibular: funnel-shaped 

Innate: borne at the apex 

Inserted: attached to or growing out of 

Integument: the covering of the ovule which will become the seed coat 

Inter-: a prefix meaning between or among 

Internode: the portion of a stem between two successive nodes 

Interrupted: not continuous, with gaps 

Introrse: turned or opening inward toward the axis as an anther toward the 

center of a flower (compare extrorse) 

Invaginated: sheathed, folded 

Involucel: a secondary involucre as in the Apiaceae 

Involucre: a set of bracts subtending a flower or an inflorescence 

Involute: with both edges inrolled toward the midnerve on the upper surface 

(compare revolute) 

Irregular: describes a flower that is not radially symmetric, the similar parts of 

which are unequal in size or form 

J 

Joint: the point on a plant stem from which a leaf or leaf-bud grows, more 

commonly termed a node 

Jugate: with parts in pairs 

Junciform: rush-like in appearance 

K 

Keel: the two lower petals of most pea flowers, united or partially joined to 

form a structure similar to the keel of a boat 

Knee: a joint or articulate, as in grass 

Krummholz: literally crooked forest, low wind-contorted forest that can be 

found at timberline 

L 

Labellum: lip, an exceptional petal found in some flowers, like Orchidaceae 

Labiate: lipped 

Lacerate: irregularly cut or cleft 

Laciniate: cut into slender lobes 

Lacustrine: growing around lakes 


Laevigate: lustrous, shining 

Lamella: erect scale inserted on the petal in some corollas and forming part of 

the corona 

Laminar: thin, flat, and expanded, as the blade of a leaf (laminar stamens) 

Lanate: with long tangled wooly hairs 

Lanceolate: significantly longer than wide and widest below the middle, gradually 

tapering toward the apex 

Lanulose: with very short hairs, minutely downy or wooly 

Lateral: borne at or on the side of 

Latex: a milky sap 

Latifoliate: with broad leaves 

Leaflet: one segment of a compound leaf 

Legume: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel and usually opening 

along two lines of dehiscence like a pea pod 

Lemma: in grasses, the lower and usually larger of the two bracts of the floret 

Lenticel: Raised, corky , lens-shaped area on the surface of a young stem. 

Lepidote: covered with small scurfy scales 

Liana: a herbaceous or woody, usually perennial, climbing vine that roots in the 

ground and is characteristic especially of tropical forests 

Ligneous: woody 

Ligule: strap-shaped organ, membranous appendage arising from inner surface 

of leaf at the junction with the leaf sheath in many grasses and some sedges 

Ligulate: (1) Describing a floral head in the Asteraceae that contains only ray 

flowers, or ligules; (2) strap-shaped 

Limb: the upper, expanded portion of a corolla which has fused petals 

Linear: long and narrow with sides that are parallel or nearly so 

Lingulate: tongue-shaped 

Lip: one of the two projections or segments of an irregular, two-lipped corolla 

or calyx 

Littoral: growing along the shore 

Livid: pale grayish-blue 

Lobate: in the form of a lobe, lobed 

Lobe: usually a rounded segment of an organ 

Lobed: more or less deeply cut but not as far as the midrib 

Lobulate: with small lobes 

Locule: a cavity of the ovary which contains the ovules 

Loculicidal: said of a capsule, longitudinally dehiscent through the ovary wall at 

or near the center of each chamber or locule (compare poricidal, septicidal) 

Lodicule: paired, rudimentary scales at the base of the ovary in grass flowers 

Loment: a legume which is constricted between the seeds 

Lunate: crescent-shaped 

Lurid: pale brown to yellowish-brown 

Lustrous: shiny or glossy 

Lyrate: lyre-shaped, pinnatifid with the terminal segment large and rounded and 

the lower lobes increasingly smaller toward the base 

M 

Machaerantheroid: having involucral bracts with recurved tips 

Macro-: prefix meaning large or long 

Macrophyllous: having large leaves 

Maculate: spotted or blotched 


Glossary

Glossary 

Malvaceous: mallow-like 

Mammilate: with nipple-like protuberances 

Manicate: with a thick, interwoven pubescence 

Margin: the edge, as of a leaf blade 

Marginate: distinctly margined 

Mealy: describing a surface that is covered with minute, usually rounded 

particles 

Medial: of the middle, situated in the middle 

Mega-: prefix meaning large 

Membranous: thin, flexible and more or less translucent, like a membrane 

Meristem: undifferentiated, actively dividing tissues at the growing tips of 

shoots and roots 

-merous: a suffix utilized to indicate the number of parts or divisions in a 

particular structure or organ, as in 4-merous or 4-parted 

Mesic: describes a habitat that is generally moist throughout the growing 

season (compare xeric) 

Meso-: prefix meaning middle 

Mesocarp: the middle layer of the pericarp of a fruit (compare endocarp, 

exocarp) 

Mesophytic: adapted to growing under medium or average conditions, 

especially relating to water supply 

Micro-: prefix meaning small 

Microphyllous: bearing small leaves 

Midnerve: the central nerve 

Midrib: the main or central rib or vein of a leaf, a midvein 

Monadelphous: having stamens with filaments united in a single group, 

bundle or tube 

Mono-: prefix meaning one 

Monocarpic: flowering and bearing fruit only once and then dying, the term 

may be applied to perennials, biennials, or annuals 

Monochasium: a type of cymose inflorescence with only a single main axis 

Monocotyledon: a plant having only one seed-leaf (compare dicotyledon) 

Monoecious: having both male and female flowers on the same plant (compare 

dioecious) 

Monotypic: describing a genus that contains only a single species 

Montane: of or pertaining to, or growing in, the mountains 

Mucilaginous: slimy and moist 

Mucro: a short, sharp, abrupt point, usually at the tip of a leaf or other organ 

Mucronate: having a short projection at the tip, as of a leaf 

Mucronulate: tipped with a very small mucro 

Multi-: prefix meaning many 

Multifid: cleft into very many narrow lobes or segments 

Multiflorus: many-flowered 

Multifoliate: bearing many leaves 

Muricate: rounded or roughened with short, hard or warty points 

Mycorrhizal: having a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and the root 

of a plant 

N 

Nacreous: having a pearly luster 


Naked: lacking hairs, structures or appendages, as in a flower lacking a perianth 

Nascent: in the process of being formed 

Nebulose: indistinct, as in a fine, diffuse inflorescence 

Nectariferous: with nectar 

Nectary: a plant part that secretes nectar, a sweet liquid that attracts bees, insects 

and birds 

Needle: a slender, needle-shaped leaf 

Nerve: a prominent, simple vein or rib of a leaf or other organ 

Net-veined: in the form of a network, reticulate 

Netted: same as reticulated, in the form or pattern of a network 

Neuter: lacking a pistil or stamens 

Nidulent: lying within a cavity, embedded within a pulp 

Nitid: lustrous, shining 

Nocturnal: functioning at night, as in flowers which open at night 

Nodding: hanging down 

Node: a point on a stem where leaves or branches originate 

Numerous: eleven or more, same as ‘many’ 

Nut: a dry, usually one-seeded, indehiscent fruit with a hard-walled exterior 

Nutlet: a small nut or one of the sections of the mature ovary of some members 

of the Boraginaceae, Verbenaceae or Lamiaceae 

O 

Ob-: prefix signifying inversion or reversal of normal direction 

Obcordate: inversely heart-shaped, attached at the point 

Oblanceolate: inversely lanceolate 

Oblate: spheroidal and flattened at the poles 

Obligate: restricted to particular conditions or circumstances 

Oblique: with sides unequal, usually describing the base of a leaf 

Oblong: two to four times longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, but 

broader than ‘linear’ 

Obovate: inversely ovate 

Obovoid: inversely ovoid, with the attachment at the narrower end 

Obtuse: blunt or rounded at the apex 

Obverse: describing a leaf that is narrower at the base than at the apex 

Obvolute: a vernation in which two leaves are overlapping in the bud in such a 

manner that one-half of each is external and the other half is internal, i.e. each 

leaf both overlaps the next and is in turn overlapped by the one before 

Ochroleucous: yellowish-white; cream-colored 

Ocrea: a sheath around the stem derived from the leaf stipules, primarily used in 

the Polygonaceae 

Octo-: prefix meaning eight 

Odd-pinnate: describing a pinnately-compound leaf with a single terminal 

leaflet (compare even-pinnate) 

Open: uncongested, usually describing the organization of flowers in an 

inflorescence (compare dense) 

Opposite: describing leaves that are situated in pairs at each node along an axis 

Orbicular: circular 

Oval: broadly elliptic, the width over half the length 

Ovary: the basal portion of a pistil where female germ cells develop into seeds 

after germination 

Ovate: egg-shaped, wider below the middle 


Glossary

Glossary 

Ovoid: an egg-shaped solid 

Ovule: the structure that develops into the seed inside the ovary 

P 

Palate: an appendage or raised area on the lower lip of the corolla which 

partially blocks the throat 

Palea: in grasses, the upper and generally smaller of the two bracts of the 

floret 

Pallid: pale 

Palmate: radiating from a single point like the spreading fingers of an 

outstretched hand 

Palmate-pinnate: with the primary leaflets palmately arranged and the 

secondary leaflets pinnately arranged 

Palmatifid: palmately cleft or lobed 

Palustrine: same as paludose 

Pandurate: fiddle-shaped 

Panicle: a compound inflorescence in which the branches are racemose and 

the flowers are pedicelled on the branches 

Papilla: short, rounded nipple-like bump or projection 

Pappose: pappus-bearing 

Pappus: collectively, the bristles, hairs or scales at the apex of an achene in the 

Asteraceae 

Parasite: a plant which derives most or all of its food from another organisim 

to which it attaches itself 

Parietal: attached to the wall of the ovary instead of the axis 

Paripinnate: even pinnate, lacking a terminal leaflet 

Parted: lobed or cut in over half-way and often very close to the base or 

midrib 

Pectinate: describing a pinnatifid leaf whose segments are narrow and 

arranged like the teeth of a comb 

Pedicel: the stalk of a single flower that is part of an inflorescence 

Peduncle: the stalk of a flower cluster, or of a solitary flower not associated 

with others in an inflorescence 

Pellucid: transparent or translucent 

Peltate: a type of leaf having its petiole attached to the center of the lower 

surface of the blade 

Pendent: hanging downward or drooping 

Penicillate: with a tuft a short hairs at the end, like a brush 

Penta-: prefix meaning five 

Pepo: a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with a hard, more or less thickened rind and a 

single many-seeded locule, characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae 

Perennial: a plant living for more than two years 

Perfect: containing both stamens and pistils 

Perfoliate: the stem apparently piercing the leaf or surrounded by basally 

joined opposite leaves 

Perianth: a collective term for the calyx and corolla 

Pericarp: the outer wall of mature fruit 

Perigynous: situated around but not attached to the ovary directly, describing 

a flower whose stamens and pistils are joined to the calyx tube and the ovary 

is superior 


Pernicious: harmful, destructive, or deadly in nature 

Persistent: remaining attached after the usual time of falling 

Petal: a single segment of a divided corolla 

Petaloid: having the appearance of a petal 

Petiole: the stalk of a leaf 

Petiolule: the stalk of a leaflet of a compound leaf 

Phloem: the food conducting tissue of vascular plants, bark 

Phyllary: one of the bracts below the flowerhead in the Asteraceae 

Pilose: having long, soft, straight hairs 

Pilosulose: bearing minute, long, soft, straight hairs 

Pinnate: with separate segments which are arranged feather-like on either side 

of a common axis 

Pinnatifid: so deeply cleft or cut as to appear pinnate 

Piriform: pear-shaped 

Pistil: the central reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of ovary, style and 

stigma 

Pistillate: a female flower that has two or more pistils but no functional 

stamens 

Pith: the spongy central tissue in some stems and roots 

Plane: with a flat surface 

Planoconvex: flat on one side and rounded on the other 

Plumose: appearing plumelike or feathery from fine hairs that line two sides 

of a central axis 

Pod: any dry, dehiscent fruit, especially a legume or follicle 

Pollinum: a mass of waxy pollen grains, in Asclepias and Orchidaceae 

Poly-: prefix meaning many 

Polyandrous: with many stamens 

Polyanthous: with many flowers 

Polycephalous: with many flower heads 

Polygamous: having both unisexual and bisexual flowers on the same plant 

Polyploid: with three or more complete sets of chromosomes in each cell 

Pome: a fleshy indehiscent fruit derived from an inferior, compound ovary 

and consisting of a modified floral tube surrounding a core with several seeds, 

such as an apple 

Poricidal: opening by pores, like a poppy capsule (compare loculicidal, 

septicidal) 

Posterior: on the side next to the axis (compare anterior) 

Praemorse: terminating abruptly, as if bitten off 

Prehensile: adapted for grasping, as in a tendril 

Prickle: a superficial, sharp-pointed outgrowth of the bark or epidermis 

Procumbent: lying flat or trailing but not rooting at the nodes 

Prostrate: lying flat 

Proximal: nearest the axis or base (compare distal) 

Prurient: causing itching 

Ptero-: prefix meaning winged 

Pterocarpous: with winged fruits 

Puberulence: fine, short hairs 

Puberulent: minutely pubescent 

Pubescent: covered with short, soft hairs 

Pulvinus: a swelling or enlargement at the base of a petiole or petiolule 

Punctate: dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or colored dots 


Glossary

Glossary 

Puncticulate: minutely punctate 

Punctiform: reduced to a point 

Pungent: tipped with a sharp, rigid point 

Pustulose: with small blisters or pustules, often at the base of a hair 

Pyrene: the stone or pit of a drupe or drupelet 

Pyriform: pear-shaped 

Pyxis: a circumscissile capsule, the top coming off as a lid 

Q 

Quadrate: square, rectangular 

Quadri-: prefix meaning four 

Quilled: with tubular florets, especially in cases whre the florets are typically 

ligulate, as in some Asteraceae 

Quinate: with five nearly similar structures from a common point 

Quinque-: prefix meaning five 

R 

Raceme: an elongate, unbranched inflorescence with pedicelled flowers on 

the main stem 

Racemose: raceme-like or bearing racemes 

Rachilla: a small rachis, in particular the axis of a grass spikelet 

Rachis: the main stalk of a flower cluster or of a compound leaf, also that part 

of a fern frond stem that bears the leaflets 

Radical: belonging to or proceeding from the root 

Radiate: describing a flower head in the Asteraceae that contains both ray and 

disk flowers 

Radicant: rooting from the stem 

Radicle: part of the plant embryo which will develop into the primary root 

Ramose: with many branches, branching 

Rank: a vertical row usually of leaves or bracts that can be either opposite or 

alternate 

Ray: strap-like portion of a ligulate flower in Asteraceae 

Receptacle: the expanded apex of a flower stalk which bears the floral organs, 

either such structures as individual petals, sepals etc., or entire flowers in headlike 

inflorescences such as is typical of the Asteraceae 

Recumbent: leaning or reposing upon the ground 

Recurved: curved backwards or outwards 

Reflexed: abruptly bent or curved downward 

Regular: describes a flower with petals or sepals all of equal size and shape, i.e. 

radially symmetrical or capable of being divided into mirror images on either 

side of any plane that passes through the center 

Reniform: kidney-shaped or rounded with a notch at the base 

Repand: with an undulating margin, less strongly wavy than ‘sinuate’ 

Replum: partition or septum between the two valves or compartments of 

silicles or siliques in the Brassicaceae 

Resupinate: upside down due to twisting of the pedicel 

Reticulate: having a netted pattern 

Retrorse: bent backward or downward, reflexed (compare antrorse) 

Retuse: having a rounded apex with a shallow notch 

Revolute: having the margins inrolled toward the underside (compare 

convolute, involute) 


Rhizomatous: rhizome-like, with rhizomes 

Rhizome: an underground stem capable of producing new stems or plants at its 

nodes 

Rhombic: with the shape of a diamond 

Rosette: a cluster of leaves in a circular arrangement at the base of a plant, often 

called the basal rosette 

Rostrum: a beak-like structure 

Rotate: a rotate corolla is wheel-shaped with a short tube and a wide horizontally 

flaring limb 

Ruderal: growing in disturbed habitats, weedy 

Rudiment: an imperfectly developed organ, a vestige 

Rufous: reddish-brown 

Rugose: wrinkled 

Rugulose: slightly wrinkled 

Rucinate: sharply pinnatifid or cleft, the segments directed downward 

Runner: a slender stolon or prostrate stem rooting at the nodes or at the tip 

S 

Saccate: with a sac, or in the shape of a sac 

Sagittate: arrowhead-shaped, with two retrorse basal lobes 

Salient: projecting outward 

Salverform: with a slender tube abruptly expanded into a rotate limb 

Samara: dry fruit with wings that do not open when mature, as in maple trees 

Sanguineous: blood-red 

Saponaceous: soapy 

Saprophytic: deriving food from dead or decaying organic material in the soil 

and usually lacking in chlorophyll 

Scaberulent: slightly scabrous 

Scabrous: rough to the touch 

Scale: a greatly reduced leaf or other outgrowth on a plant surface 

Scape: a leafless flowering stem arising directly from the ground 

Scapose: with flowers borne on a scape 

Scarify: to roughen, score or scrape the hard, outer coating of a seed to assist in 

the absorption of moisture before germination, a process that many desert wash 

seeds require 

Scarious: thin, dry, membranous and more or less translucent 

Schizocarp: a dry, indehiscent fruit which splits into separate one-seeded 

segments (carpels) at maturity 

Scissile: splitting easily 

Sclerphyllous: with stiff, firm leaves 

Scobina: the zigzag rachilla of some grass spikelets 

Scorpioid: describing a coiled inflorescence 

Scurfy: covered with small scale-like or bran-like particles or projections 

Secund: borne from only one side of an axis 

Semi-: prefix meaning half 

Sepal: a single segment of a divided calyx 

Septicidal: said of a capsule, longitudinally dehiscent through the ovary wall at or 

near the center of each septa, preserving each locule as an intact entity (compare 

loculicidal, poricidal) 

Septum: any kind of a partition, specifically the wall between chambers in a 

compound ovary 

Seriate: arranged in rows or series 


Glossary

Glossary 

Sericeous: covered with long, soft, straight, appressed hairs giving a silky 

appearance 

Serpentine: refers to soils that are low in calcium and high in magnesium and 

iron, derived from greenish or gray-green rocks that are essentially magnesium 

silicate, other characteristics of which are a high nickel and chromium content, 

and a low content of nutrients such as nitrogen 

Serrate: having sharp, forward-pointing teeth on the margin 

Serrulate: serrate with very small teeth 

Sessile: attached directly and without a petiole, pedicel or other type of stalk, 

said of either leaves or flowers 

Setaceous: bristle-like, with bristles 

Sheath: leafy, tubular structure on a sedge or grass that envelops the stem 

Shrub: a small, woody plant with several stems 

Silicle: fruit similar to a silique, but much shorter, not much longer than wide 

Silique: a type of capsule found in the Brassicaceae, either half of which peels 

away from a central, transparent, dividing membrane 

Simple: a leaf that has one part, not subdivided into leaflets 

Sinuate: strongly or deeply wavy, usually referring to a leaf margin 

Sinuous: of a wavy or serpentine form 

Sinus: the space or division, usually on a leaf, between two lobes or teeth 

Sori: clusters of spore sacs on a fern frond (singular: sorus) 

Sp: abbreviation for ‘species’ 

Spadix: a floral spike or head in which the flowers are borne on a fleshy axis 

Spathe: a large bract or pair of bracts subtending and usually partially enclosing 

an inflorescence 

Spatulate: spoon-shaped, gradually widening to a rounded apex 

Specific epithet: second part of a scientific name which identifies the species 

Spicate: arranged in a spike 

Spike: an elongated, unbranched inflorescence with sessile or nearly-sessile 

flowers 

Spikelet: in grasses, the smallest aggregation of florets plus any subtending 

glumes 

Spine: sharp-pointed rigid structure, usually a highly modified leaf or stipule 

Spinose: having a stiff and tough acuminate tip 

Spinulose: bearing very small spines 

Sporangium: a spore-case or sac in which spores are produced in a fern 

Spore: a reproductive cell resulting from meiotic cell division in a sprangium, 

representing the first cell of the gametophyte generation 

Spp: abbreviation for the plural of ‘species’ 

Spray: a slender shoot or granch with its leaves, flowers, or fruits 

Spur: a hollow extension of a petal or sepal such as characterizes the larkspurs, 

and which often produces nectar 

Squarrose: having spreading, recurved tips 

Ssp: abbreviation for ‘subspecies’ 

Stamen: the male or pollen-bearing organ of a flower, composed of filament 

and anthers 

Staminate: describing a male flower that contains one or more stamens but 

no functional pistils 

Staminode: a sterile stamen or other nonfunctional structure occupying the 

position and having the overall appearance of a stamen 

Standard: also called a banner, this is the upper petal or segment of a 

papilionaceous flower 


Stellate: starlike, with radiating branches and often referring to the pattern of 

hairs on the surface of a leaf 

Stem: the main upward-growing axis of a plant which bears the leaves and 

flowers 

Stigma: the terminal portion of a pistil, which receives the pollen 

Stipe: that portion of a fern frond below the rachis, i.e. below where the leaflets 

are attached 

Stipitate: borne on a stipe or stalk 

Stipule: an appendage at the base of a petiole, usually in pairs 

Stolon: an elongated horizontal shoot above or below the ground, rooting at 

the nodes or apex 

Stomate: a small pore or opening on the surface of a leaf through which 

gaseous exchange takes place, i.e. the diffusion of carbon dioxide, oxygen and 

water vapor 

Stone: the hard, woody endocarp enclosing the seed of a drupe 

Stramineus: straw-colored 

Strap-shaped: elongated and flat 

Striate: with fine longitudinal lines or ridges 

Strigose: covered with rough, stiff, sharp hairs that are more or less parallel to 

a particular surface 

Strobilus: a cone-like cluster of sporophylls on an axis, a cone 

Style: the narrowed portion of a pistil between and connecting the ovary and 

the stigma 

Sauveolent: fragrant 

Sub-: prefix meaning under, slightly, somewhat or almost 

Suber: cork 

Suberose: corky in texture 

Subshrub: a suffrutescent perennial plant 

Subspecies: a group of plants within a species that has consistent, repeating, 

genetic and structural distinctions 

Subtend: to occupy a position below and adjacent to 

Subulate: awl-shaped 

Succulent: fleshy, juicy and thickened 

Sucker: a shoot originating from below ground 

Suffrutescent: somewhat shrubby, slightly woody at the base 

Sulcate: with longitudinal grooves or furrows 

Summer annual: plant with seeds germinating in spring or early summer and 

completing flowering and fruiting in late summer or early fall (compare winter 

annual) 

Superior ovary: one that is located above the perianth and free of it 

Surcurrent: extending upward from the point of insertion, as a leaf base that 

extends up along the stem 

Surficial: growing near the ground, or spread over the surface of the ground 

Suture: a junction or seam of union, or a line of dehiscence 

Swale: a depression or shallow hollow in the ground, typically moist 

Sympatric: growing together with, or having the same range as 

Sympetalous: having the petals more or less united 

Syn-: prefix meaning united 

Synandrous: with united anthers 

Synoecious: having male and female flowers in the same flowerhead 

Synsepalous: having the sepals more or less united 


Glossary

Glossary 

T 

Taproot: the primary root continuing the axis of the plant downward often 

quite deeply into the ground 

Taxon: any group of plants occupying a particular hierarchical category, such 

as genus or species 

Tendril: a slender portion of a leaf or stem, modified for twining 

Tepal: a collective term for sepals and petals, used when they cannot be easily 

differentiated 

Terete: round in cross-section, cylindrical 

Terminal: at the end of the branch or stem 

Ternate: in three’s, as a leaf which is divided into three leaflets 

Tetra-: prefix meaning four 

Thallus: a plant body which is not obviously differentiated into stems, roots, 

and leaves 

Theca: a pollen sac or cell of the anther 

Thorn: a short, stiff, sharp-pointed branch 

Three-ranked: in three vertical ranks or rows around an axis 

Throat: in some corollas with fused petals, the point of juncture between the 

tube and limb, a somewhat difficult point to distinguish 

Thryse: a compact, cylindrical, or ovate panicle with an interderminate main 

axis and cymose subaxes 

Tiller: in grasses the young vegetative shoots 

Tomentose: wooly, with long, soft, matted hairs 

Toothed: having small lobes or points along the margin (as on a leaf) 

Transpiration: emission of water vapor from the leaves 

Transverse: at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of a structure 

Tri-: prefix meaning three 

Triad: a cluster of three, as spikelets of Hordeum or Hilaria 

Triandrous: having three stamens 

Trichome: a hair-like outgrowth from the epidermis 

Trichotomous: three-forked 

Trifid: three-cleft to about the middle 

Trifoliate: having three leaves 

Trifoliolate: having three leaflets 

Tripinnate: thrice divided 

Tripinnatifid: thrice pinnately cleft 

Tropism: the turning of a plant part such as a leaf in response to some external 

stimuli 

Truncate: with a base or apex appearing as if cut straight across 

Tube: the lower or narrower portion of a corolla or calyx 

Tuber: a short, thickened underground stem which bears numerous buds 

Tubercle: a knoblike projection 

Tufted: in a dense cluster 

Tumescent: somewhat tumid, swelling 

Turbinate: shaped like a top or inverted cone 

Turgid: swollen, expanded or inflated 

Twining: climbing by coiling around some support 

Two-ranked: in vertical ranks or rows on opposite sides of an axis (compare, 

distichous) 


U 

Umbel: a flat-topped or convex inflorescence with the pedicels arising more 

or less form a common point, like the struts of an umbrella 

Umbellulate: in the form of or having the appearance of an umbel 

Unarmed: lacking thorns or prickles 

Uncinate: hooked near the apex or having the form of a hook 

Unctuous: greasy, oily 

Undulate: wavy 

Uni-: prefix meaning one 

Unilocular: having only a single locule in the ovary 

Uniseriate: arranged in one row or series 

Unisexual: bearing either stamens or pistils but not both 

United: describes petals that are fused together 

Urceolate: urn-shaped or pitcher-like, contracted at the mouth 

Utricle: a small, thin-walled, single-seeded, bladdery-inflated fruit 

Uva: a grape-like berry formed from a superior ovary 

V 

Vaginate: provided with or surrounded by a sheath 

Valvate: opening by valves or provided with valves 

Valve: one of the parts or segments into which a dehiscent fruit splits 

Varicose: swollen or enlarged in places 

Variegated: having a variety of colors 

Vascular: containing both xylem, the principal water and mineral-conducting 

tissue, and phloem, food conducting tissue 

Vein: the vascular portion of a leaf 

Velutinous: velvety 

Venation: the arrangement of veins in a leaf 

Ventral: on the inner or axis side of an organ or the upper surface of a leaf 

Ventricose: inflated or swollen unequally on one side 

Vermicular: worm-shaped or wormlike, or of worm-eaten appearance 

Vernation: the arrangement of leaves within a bud 

Versatile: referring to an anther which attaches at or near its middle and is 

able to turn freely on its support (compare basifixed, dorsifixed) 

Verticil: an arrangement of similar parts around a central axis or point of 

attachment, a whorl 

Verticillate: same as ‘whorled’ 

Vesicle: a bladder or cavity 

Vespertine: opening or functioning in the evening 

Villous: with fine, long, unmatted hairs 

Vine: a plant with the stem not self-supporting, but climbing or trailing on 

some support 

Virgate: wand-like, straight, slender, and erect 

Viscid: sticky or greasy 

Vitreous: transparent 

W 

Wanting: absent, lacking, nonexistent 

Weed: a troublesome or aggressive plant that intrudes where it is not wanted, 

especially a plant that vigorously colonizes disturbed areas 

Whorl: a circle of three or more structures radiating outward from the same 

node 


Glossary

Glossary 

Wing: a thin, paperlike flat margin bordering or extending from a seed capsule, 

stem or flower 

Winter annual: plant with seeds germinating in late summer or fall and 

completing flowering and fruiting in spring or summer (compare summer 

annual) 

Woolly: having soft, woollike hairs 

X 

X: a symbol which when placed before a specific epithet indicates a hybrid of 

two species 

Xeric: pertaining to arid or desert conditions, implying a minimal water supply 

throughout most of the year (compare mesic) 

Xero-: prefix meaning dry 

Xerophytic: adapted to dry or arid conditions, places where fresh water is 

scarce or where water absorption is difficult due to an excess of dissolved salts 

Xylem: the water-conducting tissue of vascular plants 

Xylocarp: a hard, woody fruit such as the coconut 

Z 

Zygomorphic: with inequality in the size or form of similar parts, specifically 

bilaterally symmetric and capable of being bisected into equal mirror-image 

halves along one plane only 


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IX. Family 171. Scrophulariaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical 

Garden 66(2): 173-274. 

Yarborough, S.C. and A.M. Powell. 2002. Ferns and Fern allies of the Trans- 

Pecos and Adjacent Areas. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press. 

296

Notes on the photography 

The photography in this field guide is drawn from a number of different 

sources. The decision to utilize photographs that are under copyright was 

made with the understanding that this guide an educational, non-commercial 

tool for resource managers, educators, researchers, and the public. In the spirit 

of this non-commerical use, the decision to utilize copyrighted material was 

made according to the fair-use provision of United States copyright law. Under 

the fair-use provision, all copyright holders have been notified and permission 

requested where appropriate, permissions are noted with the image. The 

images in this field guide have been scaled to 300 dpi to assure the quality of the 

images for printing. Most of the images are smaller than 500 × 500 pixels. All 

photographs under copyright have been properly attributed with the photo’s 

author and year. Many thanks to the photographers and publishers willing to 

allow reproduction of this work. 

Online sources for photos used in this volume: 

Alexander, Patrick. 2003–2011. Polyploid.net. 

http://www.polyploid.net/plants.html 

Charters, Michael L. 2002–2009. Wildflowers and Other Plants of Southern 

California. http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants 

Kinsey, T. Beth. 2003–2008. Wildflowers of Tucson. 

(Subsequently Wildflowers of Southeastern Arizona) 

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/ 

Western New Mexico University, Zimmerman Herbarium. 2007. 

Vascular plants of the Gila Wilderness. 

http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages2/gilaflora/index.html 

297 

Works Cited

Works Cited 

Web resources 

The single best online resource for collections information in Arizona is the 

Southwest Environmental Information Network. This website is a digital 

archival project of all the herbariums in Arizona with a searchable database, 

plant photos, descriptions, and distribution data. 

http://seinet.asu.edu/seinet/index.php 

SEINet is also an online repository for NPS checklists from this and other 

national parklands in the region. All these lists are associated with all known 

collections found on NPS lands and include photographs and interactive keys 

to help identify plants. Visit the NPS Flora page at: 

http://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/projects/index.php?proj=5 

Plant etymology information is drawn from: 

Charters, Michael L. 2003-2008 California Plant Names. 

http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/index2.html 

Most ethnobotanical information is drawn from: 

Moerman, Daniel. 2003. Native American Ethnobotany. 

http://herb.umd.umich.edu/ 

eFloras is the portal to the online Flora of North America. The site is also a link 

to many other useful floras. 

http://www.efloras.org 

Nomenclature and synonymy come from these sources: 

Tropicos: http://www.tropicos.org 

The Plant List: http://www.theplantlist.org 

Integrated Taxonomic Information System: http://www.itis.gov 

USDA Plants DB: http://plants.usda.gov 

298

A 

Abert’s buckwheat 252 

Abrams’ sandmat 201 

Abutilon mollicomum 221 

Abutilon parvulum 221 

Acacia constricta 103 

Acacia greggii 102 

Acalypha neomexicana 198 

Acalypha ostryifolia 198 

Acourtia nana 138 

Agoseris heterophylla 138 

Ailanthus altissima 112 

alkali sacaton 83 

Allonia incarnata 231 

Alternanthera pungens 126 

Amaranthus palmeri 126 

Ambrosia artemisiifolia 139 

Ambrosia confertiflora 139 

Ambrosia cordifolia 140 

Ambrosia monogyra 95 

Ambrosia psilostachya 141 

Ambrosia trifida 141 

American threefold 167 

American wild carrot 134 

Amoreuxia palmatifida 173 

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia 173 

Androsace occidentalis 256 

Anisacanthus thurberi 89 

annual agoseris 138 

annual monsterwort 161 

annual rabbitsfoot grass 78 

annual ragweed 139 

annual yellow sweetclover 212 

Anoda cristata 222 

Arabian schismus 78 

Argemone polyanthemos 240 

Argythamnia neomexicana 200 

arid throne fleabane 148 

Aristida adscensionis 49 

Aristida purpurea 50 

Aristida purpurea var. nealleyi 50 

Aristida purpurea var. purpurea 50 

Aristida ternipes 51 

Aristida ternipes var. gentilis 51 

Aristolochia watsonii 136 

Arizona blackfoot 160 

Arizona cottontop 62 

Arizona foldwing 123 

Arizona milkvetch 207 

Arizona needle grama 52 

Arizona phacelia 179 

Arizona popcornflower 181 

Arizona poppy 267 

Arizona pussypaws 230 

Arizona signalgrass 85 

Arizona sunflowerweed 166 

Arizona sycamore 107 

Arizona walnut 104 

Arizona wrightwort 123 

Artemisia ludoviciana 142 

Arundo donax 51 

asthmaweed 147 

Astragalus allochrous 207 

Astragalus arizonicus 207 

Astragalus nuttallianus 208 

Atriplex canescens 91 

Atriplex elegans 127 

Atriplex linearis 91 

Atriplex wrightii 127 


B 

baby jump-up 245 

Baccharis salicifolia 95 

Baccharis sarothroides 96 

Baileya multiradiata 143 

bajada lupine 211 

barnyard grass 63 

batamote 95 

Berlandier’s wolfberry 113 

Bermudagrass 60 

Bidens laevis 144 

Bidens leptocephala 144 

Bigelow’s bluegrass 77 

big sacaton 84 

bindweed 191 

birthwort 136 

bitter snakewood 108 

bladder calyx 223 

bluedicks 137 

blue grama 55 

blue milkwort 252 

blue paloverde 101 

blue threeawn 50 

Boerhavia coccinea 232 

Boerhavia coulteri 232 

Boerhavia erecta 233 

Boerhavia purpurascens 233 

Boerhavia scandens 234 

Boerhavia spicata 234 

Boer lovegrass 67 

Bothriochloa barbinodis 52 

bottlebrush squirrel-tail 64 

Bouteloua aristidoides 52 

Bouteloua barbata 53 

Bouteloua chondrosioides 53 

Bouteloua curtipendula 54 

Bouteloua gracilis 55 

Bouteloua repens 56 

Bouteloua rothrockii 56 

Bowlesia incana 133 

bristly nama 177 

bristly scaleseed 135 

Bromus catharticus 57 

Bromus tectorum 57 

browntop signalgrass 86 

buffpetal 223 

burclover 212 

burroweed 97 

bush muhly 75 

C 

Calandrinia ciliata 230 

Calibrachoa parviflora 260 

Index

Index 

California poppy 241 

Californica suncup 236 

Calliandra eriophylla 100 

Calochortus kennedyi 219 

caltrop 267 

Calycoseris wrightii 145 

Camissonia californica 236 

Camissonia chamaenerioides 236 

camphorweed 155 

Canadian horseweed 147 

candy barrelcactus 119 

cane beardstem 52 

cane cholla 118 

canyon grape 266 

canyon morning-glory 193 

Capsella bursa-pastoris 182 

carelessweed 126 

Carlowrightia arizonica 123 

carrizo 51 

Carrizo mountain sandmat 205 

Castilleja exserta 239 

catclaw acacia 102 

catclaw mimosa 100 

caterpillar phacelia 180 

catnip noseburn 205 

Ceanothus greggii 107 

Celtis ehrenbergiana 98 

Celtis pallida 98 

Celtis reticulata 98 

Cenchrus longispinus 58 

Cenchrus spinifex 58 

Chaetopappa ericoides 145 

Chamaecrista nictitans 208 

Chamaesaracha conoides 260 

Chamaesaracha coronopus 261 

Chamaesyce florida 202 

Chamaesyce hirta 203 

Chamaesyce hyssopifolia 204 

Chamaesyce micromera 204 

Chamaesyce pediculifera 205 

cheatgrass 57 

cheeseweed mallow 222 

Chenopodium berlandieri 128 

Chenopodium incanum 128 

Chenopodium pratericola 129 

Chenopodium rubrum 129 

Chilopsis linearis 97 

Chiricahua mountain sandmat 202 

Chloris virgata 59 

Christmas cactus 118 

chuckwalla combseed 178 

chufa flatsedge 47 

chuparosa 89 

Cirsium neomexicanum 146 

Cistanthe parryi 230 

clasping Venus’ looking-glass 188 

cleftleaf wildheliotrope 180 

Clematis drummondii 257 

Clematis ligusticifolia 257 

Cleome lutea var. jonesii 189 

Cleveland’s desert dandelion 158 

climbing wartclub 234 

Cnidoscolus angustidens 199 

coastal sandbur 58 

Cocculus diversifolius 228 

Commelina erecta 190 

common barley 72 

common elderberry 90 

common Mediterranean grass 79 

common plantain 247 

common sowthistle 165 

compass barrel cactus 119 

Condalia correllii 108 

Condalia globosa 108 

Conium maculatum 133 

Convolvulus arvensis 191 

conyza 156 

Conyza bonariensis 147 

Conyza canadensis 147 

copperleaf globemallow 225 

corn poppy 241 

cotta grass 59 

Cottea pappophoroides 59 

Coulter’s spiderling 232 

Coulter’s wrinklefruit 265 

coyote gourd 196 

creeping primrose-willow 237 

creeping spiderling 234 

creeping woodsorrel 240 

creosote bush 115 

crested anoda 222 

crested pricklypoppy 240 

crestrib morning-glory 193 

Crotalaria pumila 209 

Croton pottsii var. pottsii 199 

Croton texensis 200 

crowpoison 132 

Cryptantha angustifolia 174 

Cryptantha micrantha 174 

Cryptantha nevadensis 175 

Cryptantha pterocarya 175 

Cryptantha pusilla 176 

cuchillo 56 

Cucurbita digitata 196 

Cucurbita foetidissima 196 

Cuman ragweed 141 

curly dock 254 

curly-mesquite 70 

curvenut combseed 178 

Cuscuta umbellata 192 

Cyclospermum leptophyllum 134 

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis 118 

Cylindropuntia spinosior 118 

Cynodon dactylon 60 

Cyperus esculentus 47 

Cyperus odoratus 47 


D 

Dactyloctenium aegyptium 60 

dainty desert hideseed 176 

dallis grass 76 

Dasylirion wheeleri 94 

Dasyochloa pulchella 61 

Datura wrightii 262

Daucus pusillus 134 

delicate muhly 74 

Delphinium scaposum 258 

Descurainia pinnata 183 

Descurainia sophia 183 

desert broom 96 

desert broomrape 239 

desert ceanothus 107 

desert evening-primrose 238 

desert goosefoot 129 

desert horsepurslane 125 

desert marigold 143 

desert mariposa lily 219 

desert spoon 94 

desert unicorn-plant 227 

desert willow 97 

desert zinnia 171 

Desmodium neomexicanum 209 

devil’s claw 227 

Diaperia verna var. verna 148 

Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum 137 

Dicliptera resupinata 123 

Digitaria californica 62 

Digitaria sanguinalis 62 

Diodia teres 259 

distant phacelia 180 

Ditaxis neomexicana 200 

dotted smartweed 253 

doubleclaw 227 

Draba cuneifolia var. cunenifolia 184 

Drummond’s clematis 257 

dry-sun fleabane 148 

dwarf cryptantha 174 

dwarf desertpeony 138 

dwarf Indian mallow 221 

E 

Echinochloa colona 63 

Echinochloa crus-galli 63 

Echinopepon wrightii 197 

Egyptian grass 60 

Eleocharis montevidensis 48 

El Paso gilia 250 

Elymus elymoides 64 

Elytraria imbricata 124 

Equisetum laevigatum 44 

Eragrostis barrelieri 65 

Eragrostis cilianensis 66 

Eragrostis curvula 67 

Eragrostis intermedia 67 

Eragrostis lehmanniana 42, 68 

erect spiderling 233 

Eremothera chamaenerioides 236 

Eriastrum diffusum 250 

Ericameria nauseosa 96 

Erigeron arisolius 148 

Erigeron divergens 149 

Eriochloa acuminata 69 

Eriogonum abertianum 252 

Eriogonum polycladon 253 

Eriophyllum lanosum 149 

Erodium cicutarium 217 

Erodium texanum 217 

Erysimum repandum 184 

Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana 241 

Eucrypta micrantha 176 

Euphorbia abramsiana 201 

Euphorbia albomarginata 201 

Euphorbia florida 202 

Euphorbia heterophylla 203 

Euphorbia hirta 203 

Euphorbia hyssopifolia 204 

Euphorbia micromera 204 

Euphorbia pediculifera 205 

Evolvulus arizonicus 192 

exserted Indian paintbrush 239 

eyelash grass 55 


F 

fairyduster 100 

feather fingergrass 59 

Fendler’s desert dandelion 159 

Ferocactus wislizeni 119 

Festuca octoflora 69 

fewflower beggarticks 144 

field sandbur 58 

fingerleaf gourd 196 

flame-leaf sumac 93 

flatglobe dodder 192 

flatspine stickseed 177 

flaxflowered ipomopsis 251 

fluffgrass 61 

foothill deervetch 210 

Fouquieria splendens 103 

fourwing saltbush 91 

fragrant flatsedge 47 

Fraxinus velutina 106 

Fremont cottonwood 110 

fringed redmaids 230 

Funastrum cynanchoides var. hartwegii 135 

G 

Gamochaeta purpurea 150 

Gaura mollis 237 

giant reed 51 

Gilia mexicana 250 

Gilia sinuata 251 

Glandularia goodingii 265 

glandular threadplant 188 

Gnaphalium palustre 150 

Gnaphalium purpureum 150 

Gomphrena sonorae 130 

Goodding’s willow 111 

Gordon’s bladderpod 186 

gray five eyes 260 

great ragweed 141 

green bristlegrass 81 

green carpetweed 229 

green sprangletop 72 

Grisebach’s bristlegrass 79 

Guilleminea densa 130 

Gutierrezia microcephala 151 

Index

Index 

H 

hairy crabgrass 62 

hairy fournwort 125 

halfmoon milkvetch 207 

Hall’s panicgrass 75 

hardstem bulrush 48 

Hartweg’s twinevine 135 

Helianthus annuus 152 

Helianthus petiolaris 153 

Heliomeris longifolia 154 

Heliomeris longifolia var. annua 154 

Heliomeris longifolia var. longifolia 154 

Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora 

154 

henbit deadnettle 218 

herb sophia 183 

Heterotheca subaxillaris 155 

Hilaria belangeri 70 

hoary bowlesia 133 

Hoffmannseggia glauca 210 

hog potato 210 

Hopia obtusa 70 

Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum 71 

Hordeum pusillum 71 

Hordeum vulgare 72 

horehound 218 

hourglass peaseed 216 

Hydrocotle verticillata 137 

hyssopleaf sandmat 204 

I 

Indian piperoot 136 

Indian rushpea 210 

Ipomoea barbatisepala 193 

Ipomoea costellata 193 

Ipomoea cristulata 194 

Ipomoea hederacea 194 

Ipomoea purpurea 195 

Ipomopsis longiflora 251 

Isocoma tenuisecta 97 

ivyleaf morning-glory 194 

J 

Jerusalem thorn 101 

jewels of Opar 264 

Johnsongrass 82 

Jones’ spiderflower 189 

Juglans major 104 

Juncus bufonius 49 

jungle rice 63 

Juniperus coahuilensis 99 

K 

Kallstroemia grandiflora 267 

khakiweed 126 

knotgrass 77 

Krameria erecta 104 

L 

Lactuca serriola 156 

lacy tansyaster 169 

Laennecia coulteri 156 

Laennecia sophiifolia 157 

Lamium amplexicaule 218 

Lappula redowskii var. occidentalis 177 

Larrea tridentata 115 

leafy marshtail 157 

leatherweed 199 

Lehmann lovegrass 42, 68 

lemonade berry 92 

Lepidium lasiocarpum 185 

Lepidium thurberi 185 

Leptochloa dubia 72 

Leptochloa panicea 73 

Lesquerella gordonii 186 

limestone phacelia 179 

Lindley’s silverpuffs 168 

lipstick weed 181 

little barley 71 

littleleaf mulberry 105 

littleleaf ratany 104 

little redstem monkeyflower 243 

littleseed muhly 74 

Loeflingia squarrosa 190 

London rocket 187 

longcapsule suncup 236 

longleaf false goldeneye 154 

longleaf groundcherry 263 

lotebush 109 

Lotus humistratus 210 

low cryptantha 176 

low rattlebox 209 

Ludwigia repens 237 

Lupinus concinnus 211 

Lycium andersonii 113 

Lycium berlandieri 113 

M 

Machaeranthera gracilis 169 

Machaeranthera pinnatifida 169 

Machaeranthera tagetina 157 

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia 158 

Malacothrix clevelandii 158 

Malacothrix fendleri 159 

Malacothrix glabrata 160 

mala mujer 199 

Malva parviflora 222 

Malvella leprosa 223 

Marina calycosa 211 

Marrubium vulgare 218 

marsh parsley 134 

marvel of Peru 235 

mat sandbur 58 

Maurandella antirrhiniflora 245 

mealy goosefoot 128 

Mecardonia procumbens 245 

Medicago polymorpha 212 

Mediterranean lovegrass 65 

Melampodium longicorne 160 


Melilotus indicus 212 

Melilotus officinalis 213 

Mentzelia albicaulis 220 

Mentzelia aspera 220 

Menzies’ common fiddleneck 173 

mesa tansyaster 157 

mesquite mistletoe 259 

Mexican bluewood 108 

Mexican fireplant 203 

Mexican palo verde 101 

Mexican panicgrass 76 

Mexican passion flower 242 

Mexican yellowshow 173 

Mimosa aculeaticarpa 100 

Mimulus guttatus 243 

Mimulus rubellus 243 

miniature woollystar 250 

Mirabilis jalapa 235 

Mirabilis longiflora 235 

Missouri gourd 196 

Mollugo verticillata 229 

Morus microphylla 105 

mucronate sprangletop 73 

Muhlenbergia fragilis 74 

Muhlenbergia microsperma 74 

Muhlenbergia porteri 75 

mule’s fat 95 

muster John Henry 166 

Myosurus minimus 258 

N 

Nama demissa 177 

Nasturtium officinale 186 

neckweed 249 

needle grama 52 

Nemacladus glanduliferus 188 

netleaf hackberry 98 

Nevada cryptantha 175 

New Mexico copperleaf 198 

New Mexico fanpetals 224 

New Mexico plumseed 163 

New Mexico silverbush 200 

New Mexico thistle 146 

New Mexico ticktrefoil 209 

Nicotiana glauca 114 

Nothoscordum bivalve 132 

Nuttallanthus texana 246 

O 

ocotillo 103 

Oenothera curtiflora 237 

Oenothera primiveris 238 

Oenothera rosea 238 

Opuntia leptocaulis 118 

Opuntia macrorhiza 119 

Opuntia phaeacantha 120 

Opuntia santa-rita 120 

orange flameflower 231 

Orobanche cooperi 239 

Oxalis corniculata 240 

P 

painted spurge 203 

pale-seeded plantain 248 

Panamint cryptantha 174 

Panicum hallii 75 

Panicum hirticaule 76 

Panicum obtusum 70 

Papaver rhoeas 241 

Parietaria pensylvanica 264 

Parkinsonia aculeata 101 

Parkinsonia florida 101 

Parry’s beardtongue 246 

Parry’s pussypaws 230 

Parthenice mollis 161 

partridge pea 208 

Paspalum dilatatum 76 

Paspalum distichum 77 

Passiflora mexicana 242 

Pectis prostrata 161 

Pectocarya heterocarpa 178 

Pectocarya recurvata 178 

Pennsylvania pellitory 264 

Penstemon parryi 246 

Persicaria punctata 253 

Peruvian zinnia 171 

Phacelia affinis 179 

Phacelia arizonica 179 

Phacelia crenulata 180 

Phacelia distans 180 

Phaseolus ritensis 214 

Phemeranthus aurantiacus 231 

Phoradendron californicum 259 

Physalis acutifolia 262 

Physalis longifolia 263 

Physaria gordonii 186 

pillpod sandmat 203 

pineleaf threeseed mercury 198 

pink baby breath 264 

pitseed goosefoot 128 

Plagiobothrys arizonicus 181 

Plagiobothrys pringlei 181 

plains lovegrass 67 

Plantago major 247 

Plantago patagonica 247 

Plantago virginica 248 

Platanus wrightii 107 

Poa bigelovii 77 

poison hemlock 133 

Polanisia dodecandra 189 

Polygala barbeyana 252 

Polygonum argyrocoleon 254 

Polygonum punctatum 253 

Polypogon monspeliensis 78 

Populus fremontii 110 

Portulaca oleracea 255 

Portulaca suffrutescens 255 

Portulaca umbraticola 256 

prairie sumac 93 

prairie sunflower 153 

prickly fanpetals 225 

prickly lettuce 156 

Pringle’s popcornflower 181 


Index

Index 

Proboscidea altheifolia 227 

Proboscidea parviflora 227 

Prosopis velutina 102 

Pseudognaphalium canescens ssp.canescens 162 

Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum 162 

puncturevine 267 

purple scalystem 124 

purple spiderling 233 

purple threeawn 50 

R 

Rafinesquia neomexicana 163 

redberry juniper 99 

red goosefoot 129 

redroot cryptantha 174 

redstar 194 

redstem stork’s bill 217 

redwhisker clammyweed 189 

rescuegrass 57 

Rhus aromatica var. trilobata 92 

Rhus lanceolata 93 

Rhynchosia senna var. texana 215 

Rhynchosida physocalyx 223 

Rivina humilis 244 

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum 186 

rose evening-primrose 238 

rose heath 145 

rosy gilia 251 

Rothrock’s grama 56 

rougeplant 244 

rough cocklebur 170 

roving sailor 245 

rubber rabbitbrush 96 

Ruellia nudiflora 124 

Rumex crispus 254 

Russian thistle 131 

S 

sacred thorn–apple 262 

sacred throrn-apple 262 

Salix gooddingii 111 

Salix taxifolia 112 

Salsola kali 131 

salt cedar 114 

Salvia subincisa 219 

Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis 90 

sand dropseed 84 

sand spikerush 48 

San Pedro false prairie-clover 211 

San Pedro matchweed 170 

Santa Rita mountain bean 214 

Santa Rita pricklypear 120 

sawtooth sage 219 

scaly alkali mallow 223 

scarlet lupine 211 

scarlet spiderling 232 

Schismus arabicus 78 

Schismus barbatus 79 

Schoenoplectus acutus 48 

seaside petunia 260 

seep monkeyflower 243 

seep willow 95 

Senecio flaccidus 163 

Senegalia greggii 102 

Senna bauhinioides 215 

Senna hirsuta var. glaberrima 216 

Setaria grisebachii 79 

Setaria leucopila 80 

Setaria pumila 80 

Setaria viridis 81 

shaggyfruit pepperweed 185 

sharpleaf groundcherry 262 

shepherd’s purse 182 

showy goldeneye 154 

shrubby purslane 255 

Sicyosperma gracile 197 

Sida abutifolia 224 

Sida neomexicana 224 

Sida spinosa 225 

sideoats grama 54 

silverleaf nightshade 263 

silversheath knotweed 254 

singlewhorl burrobrush 95 

Sisymbrium irio 187 

sixweeks fescue 69 

sixweeks grama 53 

sixweeks threeawn 49 

skunkbush sumac 92 

slender celery 134 

slender goldenweed 169 

slender grama 56 

slim tridens 85 

smallflowered milkvetch 208 

small matweed 130 

smooth barley 71 

smooth beggartick 144 

smooth desert dandelion 160 

smooth horsetail 44 

snailseed 228 

soaptree yucca 94 

Solanum eleagnifolium 263 

Sonchus asper 164 

Sonchus oleraceus 165 

Sonoran globe amaranth 130 

Sonoran Indian mallow 221 

Sonoran sandmat 204 

sorghum 81 

Sorghum bicolor 81 

Sorghum halepense 82 

sorrel buckwheat 253 

sotol 94 

southwestern mock vervain 265 

Spermolepis echinata 135 

Sphaeralcea angustifolia 225 

Sphaeralcea fendleri 226 

Sphinctospermum constrictum 216 

spidergrass 51 

spike dropseed 83 

spiny hackberry 98 

spiny haplopappus 169 

spiny sowthistle 164 

spoonleaf purple everlasting 150 

Sporobolus airoides 83 


Sporobolus contractus 83 

Sporobolus cryptandrus 84 

Sporobolus wrightii 84 

spreading cinchweed 161 

spreading fanpetals 224 

spreading fleabane 149 

spreading pygmyleaf 190 

spreading wallflower 184 

spring pygmycudweed 148 

sprucetop grama 53 

squaw bush 92 

stinkgrass 66 

streambed bristlegrass 80 

sunflower 152 

sweet four o’clock 235 

T 

Tagetes minuta 166 

Talinum paniculatum 264 

tall morning-glory 195 

tall mountain larkspur 258 

tamarisk 114 

Tamarix ramosissima 114 

tansyleaf tansyaster 158 

tapertip cupgrass 69 

Tetraclea coulteri 265 

Tetramerium nervosum 125 

Texas croton 200 

Texas mulberry 105 

Texas snoutbean 215 

Texas stork’s bill 217 

Texas toadflax 246 

thinleaf saltbush 91 

threadleaf ragwort 163 

threadleaf snakeweed 151 

Thurber’s desert honeysuckle 89 

Thurber’s pepperweed 185 

Tidestromia lanuginosa 132 

tiny mousetail 258 

Tithonia thurberi 166 

toad rush 49 

Tragia nepetifolia 205 

trailing windmills 231 

tree of heaven 112 

tree tobacco 114 

Trianthema portulacastrum 125 

Tribulus terrestris 267 

Tridens muticus 85 

Triodanis perfoliata 188 

Trixis californica 167 

tropical blazingstar 220 

Tucson burr ragweed 140 

tulip pricklypear 120 

twinleaf senna 215 

twist-spine pricklypear 119 

U 

Urochloa arizonica 85 

Urochloa fusca 86 

Uropappus lindleyi 168 

V 

Vachellia constricta 103 

velvet ash 106 

velvet mesquite 102 

velvetweed 237 

Verbesina encelioides 168 

Veronica anagallis-aquatica 248 

Veronica peregrina 249 

vine mesquite 70 

violet wild petunia 124 

Virginia plantain 248 

Vitus arizonica 266 

W 

wait-a-minute bush 100 

walkingstick cactus 118 

watercress 186 

water jacket 113 

water pennywort 137 

water speedwell 248 

Watson’s Dutchman’s pipe 136 

weakleaf burr ragweed 139 

wedgeleaf draba 184 

weeping lovegrass 67 

western bottle-brush 64 

western marsh cudweed 150 

western rockjasmine 256 

western tansymustard 183 

western white clematis 257 

wheelscale saltbush 127 

white cudweed 162 

white easterbonnets 149 

whitemargin sandmat 201 

whitemouth dayflower 190 

white sagebrush 142 

whitestem blazingstar 220 

white tackstem 145 

whitethorn acacia 103 

whorled marshpennywort 137 

wild dwarf morning-glory 192 

willow-herb primrose 236 

wingnut cryptantha 175 

wingpod purslane 256 

wolfberry 113 

woolly plantain 247 

woolly senna 216 

woolly tidestromia 132 

wormwood 142 

Wright’s cudweed 162 

X 

Xanthisma gracile 169 

Xanthisma spinulosum 169 

Xanthium strumarium 170 

Xanthocephalum gymnospermoides 170 

Y 

yellow bristlegrass 80 

yellow nut-grass 47 


Index

Index 

yellow spiderflower 189 

yellow sweetclover 213 

yewleaf willow 112 

Yucca elata 94 

Z 

Zinnia acerosa 171 

Zinnia peruviana 171 

Ziziphus obtusifolia 109 

Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens 109 


Tumacácori NHP Plant Checklist 

This park checklist is part of the Flora of the Sonoran Desert Network, a project of 

the Vegetation Mapping program at the Sonoran Desert Network (http://science. 

nature.nps.gov/im/units/sodn). 

This checklist has been derived from baseline inventory data, herbarium records, 

the phylogenetic and ecological literature, and agency study records. All non-native 

species are in bold. Voucher Status Codes: X = voucher in regional herbaria, O = 

observed in park, U = unconfirmed 

Acanthaceae 

Voucher 

Status 

Anisacanthus thurberi (Torr.) A. Gray Thurber’s desert honeysuckle X 

Carlowrightia arizonica A. Gray Arizona wrightwort X 

Dicliptera resupinata (Vahl) Juss. Arizona foldwing X 

Elytraria imbricata (Vahl) Pers. purple scalystem X 

Ruellia nudiflora (Engelm. & A. Gray) Urban violet wild petunia X 

Tetramerium nervosum Nees hairy fournwort X 

Adoxaceae 

Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea Linnaeus common elderberry X 

Aizoaceae 

Trianthema portulacastrum Linnaeus desert horsepurslane X 

Amaranthaceae 

Alternanthera pungens Kunth khakiweed U 

Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson carelessweed X 

Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. fourwing saltbush U 

Atriplex elegans (Moq.) D. Dietr. wheelscale saltbush X 

Atriplex linearis S. Watson thinleaf fourwing saltbush X 

Atriplex wrightii S. Watson Wright’s saltbush X 

Chenopodium berlandieri Moq. pitseed goosefoot X 

Chenopodium incanum (S. Watson) Heller mealy goosefoot X 

Chenopodium pratericola Rydb. desert goosefoot X 

Chenopodium rubrum Linnaeus red goosefoot X 

Gomphrena sonorae Torr. Sonoran globe amaranth X 

Guilleminea densa (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Moq. small matweed X 

Salsola kali Linnaeus Russian thistle X 

Tidestromia lanuginosa (Nutt.) Standl. woolly tidestromia U 

Amaryllidaceae 

Nothoscordum bivalve (Linnaeus) Britton crowpoison U 

Anacardiaceae 

Rhus aromatica var. trilobata skunkbush sumac U 

(Nutt.) A. Gray ex S. Watson 

Rhus lanceolata (A. Gray) Britt. prairie sumac X 

Schinus molle Linnaeus (not treated) Peruvian peppertree X 

Apiaceae 

Bowlesia incana Ruiz & Pavon hoary bowlesia X 

Conium maculatum Linnaeus poison hemlock X 

Cyclospermum leptophyllum marsh parsley X 

(Pers.) Sprague ex Britt. & Wilson 

Daucus pusillus Michx. American wild carrot X 

Spermolepis echinata (Nutt. ex DC.) Heller bristly scaleseed X 


Tumacácori Checklist

Tumacácori Checklist 

Apocynaceae 

Funastrum cynanchoides var. hartwegii Hartweg’s twinevine X 

(Vail) Krings 

Araliaceae 

Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. whorled marshpennywort X 

Aristolochiaceae 

Aristolochia watsonii Wooton & Standl. Watson’s dutchman’s pipe X 

Asparagaceae 

Dasylirion wheeleri S. Watson common sotol X 

Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum bluedicks X 

(Benth.) Wood 

Yucca elata (Engelm.) Engelm. soaptree yucca X 

Asteraceae 

Acourtia nana (A. Gray) Reveal & King dwarf desertpeony X 

Agoseris heterophylla (Nutt.) Greene annual agoseris X 

Ambrosia artemisiifolia Linnaeus annual ragweed X 

Ambrosia confertiflora DC. weakleaf bur ragweed X 

Ambrosia cordifolia (A. Gray) Payne Tucson burr ragweed U 

Ambrosia monogyra singlewhorl burrobrush X 

(Torr. & A. Gray) Strother & B.G. Baldwin 

Ambrosia psilostachya DC. Cuman ragweed U 

Ambrosia trifida Linnaeus great ragweed X 

Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. white sagebrush X 

Baccharis salicifolia (Ruiz & Pavon) Pers. mule’s fat X 

Baccharis sarothroides A. Gray desertbroom X 

Baileya multiradiata Harvey & A. Gray ex A. Gray desert marigold X 

Bidens laevis (Linnaeus) B.S.P. smooth beggartick X 

Bidens leptocephala Sherff fewflower beggarticks X 

Calycoseris wrightii A. Gray white tackstem X 

Chaetopappa ericoides (Torr.) Nesom rose heath X 

Cirsium neomexicanum A. Gray New Mexico thistle X 

Conyza bonariensis (Linnaeus) Cronq. asthmaweed X 

Conyza canadensis (Linnaeus) Cronq. Canadian horseweed X 

Diaperia verna var. verna Raf. spring pygmycudweed X 

Ericameria nauseosa rubber rabbitbrush U 

(Pallas ex Pursh) Nesom & Baird 

Erigeron arisolius Nesom arid throne fleabane X 

Erigeron divergens Torr. & A. Gray spreading fleabane X 

Eriophyllum lanosum (A. Gray) Rydb. white easterbonnets X 

Gamochaeta purpurea (Linnaeus) Cabrera spoonleaf purple everlasting X 

Gnaphalium palustre Nutt. western marsh cudweed X 

Gutierrezia microcephala (DC.) A. Gray threadleaf snakeweed X 

Helianthus annuus Linnaeus common sunflower X 

Helianthus petiolaris Nutt. prairie sunflower X 

Heliomeris longifolia longleaf false goldeneye X 

(Robins. & Greenm.) Cockerell 

Heliomeris longifolia var. annua longleaf false goldeneye O 

(M.E. Jones) W.F. Yates 

Heliomeris longifolia var. longifolia longleaf false goldeneye X 

Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora Nutt. showy goldeneye X 

Heterotheca subaxillaris (Lam.) Britt. & Rusby camphorweed X 

Isocoma tenuisecta Greene burroweed O 

Lactuca serriola Linnaeus prickly lettuce X 

Laennecia coulteri (A. Gray) Nesom conyza X 

Laennecia sophiifolia (Kunth) Nesom leafy marshtail X 

Machaeranthera tagetina Greene mesa tansyaster X 

Machaeranthera tanacetifolia (Kunth) Nees tansyleaf tansyaster X 

Malacothrix clevelandii A. Gray Cleveland’s desertdandelion X 

Malacothrix fendleri A. Gray Fendler’s desertdandelion X 


Malacothrix glabrata smooth desertdandelion X 

(A. Gray ex D.C. Eat.) A. Gray 

Melampodium longicorne A. Gray Arizona blackfoot X 

Parthenice mollis A. Gray annual monsterwort X 

Pectis prostrata Cav. spreading cinchweed X 

Pseudognaphalium canescens ssp. canescens Wright’s cudweed X 

Pseudognaphalium leucocephalum white cudweed X 

(A. Gray) Anderb. 

Rafinesquia neomexicana A. Gray New Mexico plumeseed X 

Senecio flaccidus Less. threadleaf ragwort X 

Sonchus asper (Linnaeus) Hill spiny sowthistle X 

Sonchus oleraceus Linnaeus common sowthistle X 

Tagetes minuta Linnaeus muster John Henry X 

Tithonia thurberi A. Gray Arizona sunflowerweed X 

Trixis californica Kellogg American threefold X 

Uropappus lindleyi (DC.) Nutt. Lindley’s silverpuffs X 

Verbesina encelioides golden crownbeard X 

(Cav.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex A. Gray 

Xanthisma gracile slender goldenweed X 

(Nuttall) D. R. Morgan & R. Linnaeus Hartman 

Xanthisma spinulosum lacy tansyaster X 

(Pursh) D. R. Morgan & R. Linnaeus Hartman 

Xanthium strumarium Linnaeus rough cockleburr X 

Xanthocephalum gymnospermoides San Pedro matchweed X 

(A. Gray) Benth. & Hook. f. 

Zinnia acerosa (DC.) A. Gray desert zinnia X 

Zinnia peruviana (Linnaeus) Linnaeus Peruvian zinnia X 

Bignoniaceae 

Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet desert willow X 

Bixaceae 

Amoreuxia palmatifida Moc. & Sessé ex DC. Mexican yellowshow O 

Boraginaceae 

Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia common fiddleneck X 

(Lehm.) A. Nelson & J.F. Macbr. 

Cryptantha angustifolia (Torr.) Greene Panamint cryptantha X 

Cryptantha micrantha (Torr.) I.M. Johnston Redroot cryptantha X 

Cryptantha nevadensis A. Nelson & Kennedy Nevada cryptantha X 

Cryptantha pterocarya (Torr.) Greene wingnut cryptantha X 

Cryptantha pusilla (Torr. & A. Gray) Greene low cryptantha X 

Eucrypta micrantha (Torr.) Heller dainty desert hideseed X 

Lappula redowskii var. occidentalis flatspine stickseed X 

(S. Watson) Rydb. 

Nama hispida A. Gray bristly nama X 

Pectocarya heterocarpa chuckwalla combseed X 

(I.M. Johnston) I.M. Johnston 

Pectocarya recurvata I.M. Johnston curvenut combseed X 

Phacelia affinis A. Gray limestone phacelia X 

Phacelia arizonica A. Gray Arizona phacelia X 

Phacelia crenulata Torr. ex S. Watson cleftleaf wildheliotrope X 

Phacelia distans Benth. distant phacelia X 

Plagiobothrys arizonicus Arizona popcornflower X 

(A. Gray) Greene ex A. Gray 

Plagiobothrys pringlei Greene Pringle’s popcornflower X 

Brassicaceae 

Capsella bursa-pastoris (Linnaeus) Medik. shepherd’s purse X 

Descurainia pinnata (Walt.) Britt. western tansymustard X 

Descurainia sophia (Linnaeus) Webb ex Prantl herb sophia X 

Draba cuneifolia var. cuneifolia wedgeleaf draba X 

Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray 




Erysimum repandum Linnaeus spreading wallflower X 

Lepidium lasiocarpum Nutt. shaggyfruit pepperweed X 

Lepidium thurberi Wooton Thurber’s pepperweed X 

Nasturtium officinale R. Br. watercress X 

Physaria gordonii (A. Gray) O’Kane & Al-Shehbaz gordon bladderpod X 

Sisymbrium irio Linnaeus London rocket X 

Cactaceae 

Cylindropuntia leptocaulis (DC.) F.M. Knuth Christmas cactus X 

Cylindropuntia spinosior (Engelm.) F.M. Knuth walkingstick cactus X 

Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britt. & Rose candy barrelcactus X 

Opuntia santa-rita (Griffiths & Hare) Rose Santa Rita pricklypear X 

Opuntia macrorhiza Engelm. twistspine pricklypear X 

Opuntia phaeacantha Engelm. tulip pricklypear X 

Campanulaceae 

Nemacladus glanduliferus Jepson glandular threadplant X 

Triodanis perfoliata (Linnaeus) Nieuwl. clasping Venus’ looking-glass X 

Cannabaceae 

Celtis ehrenbergiana (Klotzsch) Liebm. spiny hackberry X 

Celtis reticulata Torr. netleaf hackberry X 

Caryophyllaceae 

Loeflingia squarrosa Nutt. spreading pygmyleaf X 

Cleomaceae 

Cleome lutea var. jonesii J.F. Macbr Jones spiderflower X 

Polanisia dodecandra (Linnaeus) DC. redwhisker clammyweed O 

Commelinaceae 

Commelina erecta Linnaeus whitemouth dayflower X 


Convolvulus arvensis Linnaeus field bindweed O 

Cuscuta umbellata Kunth flatglobe dodder X 

Evolvulus arizonicus A. Gray wild dwarf morning-glory X 

Ipomoea barbatisepala A. Gray canyon morning-glory O 

Ipomoea costellata Torr. crestrib morning-glory X 

Ipomoea cristulata Hallier f. Trans-Pecos morning-glory X 

Ipomoea hederacea Jacq. ivyleaf morning-glory X 

Ipomoea purpurea (Linnaeus) Roth tall morning-glory U 

Cucurbitaceae 

Cucurbita digitata A. Gray fingerleaf gourd X 

Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth buffalo gourd X 

Echinopepon wrightii (A. Gray) S. Watson Wild balsam apple X 

Sicyosperma gracile A. Gray climbing arrowheads X 

Cupressaceae 

Juniperus coahuilensis 

(Martinez) Gaussen ex R.P. Adams redberry juniper X 

Cyperaceae 

Cyperus esculentus Linnaeus yellow nutsdege O 

Cyperus odoratus Linnaeus fragrant flatsedge X 

Eleocharis montevidensis Kunth sand spikerush X 

Schoenoplectus acutus 

(Muhl. ex Bigelow) A.& D. Löve hardstem bulrush X 

Equisetaceae 

Equisetum laevigatum A. Braun smooth horsetail X 


Euphorbiaceae 

Acalypha neomexicana Muell.-Arg. New Mexico copperleaf O 

Acalypha ostryifolia Riddell pineland threeseed mercury X 

Cnidoscolus angustidens Torr. mala mujer X 

Croton pottsii var. pottsii (Klotzsch) Muell.-Arg. leatherweed X 

Croton texensis (Klotzsch) Muell.-Arg. Texas croton X 

Ditaxis neomexicana Muell.-Arg. New Mexico silverbush X 

Euphorbia abramsiana (L.C. Wheeler) Koutnik Abrams’ sandmat X 

Euphorbia albomarginata (Torr. & A. Gray) Small whitemargin sandmat X 

Euphorbia florida (Engelm.) Millsp. Chiricahua Mountain sandmat X 

Euphorbia heterophylla Linnaeus Mexican fireplant X 

Euphorbia hirta (Linnaeus) Millsp. pillpod sandmat X 

Euphorbia hyssopifolia (Linnaeus) Small hyssopleaf sandmat X 

Euphorbia micromera Sonoran sandmat X 

(Boiss. ex Engelm.) Wooton & Standl. 

Euphorbia pediculifera (Engelm.) Rose & Standl. Carrizo Mountain sandmat X 

Tragia nepetifolia Cav. catnip noseburn X 

Fabaceae 

Acmispon humistratus (Benth.) D.D. Sokoloff foothill deervetch X 

Astragalus allochrous A. Gray halfmoon milkvetch X 

Astragalus arizonicus A. Gray Arizona milkvetch X 

Astragalus nuttallianus DC. smallflowered milkvetch X 

Calliandra eriophylla Benth. fairyduster O 

Chamaecrista nictitans (Linnaeus) Moench partridge pea X 

Crotalaria pumila Ortega low rattlebox X 

Desmodium neomexicanum A. Gray New Mexico ticktrefoil X 

Hoffmannseggia glauca (Ortega) Eifert indian rushpea X 

Lupinus concinnus J.G. Agardh bajada lupine X 

Marina calycosa (A. Gray) Barneby San Pedro false prairie-clover X 

Medicago polymorpha Linnaeus burclover X 

Melilotus indicus (Linnaeus) All. annual yellow sweetclover X 

Melilotus officinalis (Linnaeus) Lam. yellow sweetclover O 

Mimosa aculeaticarpa (Benth.) Barneby catclaw mimosa X 

Parkinsonia aculeata Linnaeus Jerusalem thorn X 

Parkinsonia florida (Benth. ex A. Gray) S. Watson blue paloverde X 

Phaseolus ritensis M.E. Jones Santa Rita Mountain bean X 

Prosopis velutina Wooton velvet mesquite X 

Rhynchosia senna var. texana Texas snoutbean X 

(Torr. & A. Gray) M.C. Johnst. 

Senegalia greggii (A. Gray) Britton & Rose catclaw acacia X 

Senna bauhinioides (A. Gray) Irwin & Barneby twinleaf senna X 

Senna hirsuta var. glaberrima woolly senna X 

(M.E. Jones) H.S. Irwin & Barneby 

Sphinctospermum constrictum (S. Watson) Rose hourglass peaseed U 

Vachellia constricta (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger whitethorn acacia X 

Fouquieriaceae 

Fouquieria splendens Engelm. ocotillo X 

Geraniaceae 

Erodium cicutarium (Linnaeus) L’Hér. ex Ait. redstem stork’s bill X 

Erodium texanum A. Gray Texas stork’s bill X 

Juglandaceae 

Juglans major (Torr.) Heller Arizona walnut X 

Juncaceae 

Juncus bufonius Linnaeus toad rush X 

Krameriaceae 

Krameria erecta Willd. ex J.A. Schultes littleleaf ratany X 




Lamiaceae 

Lamium amplexicaule Linnaeus henbit deadnettle X 

Marrubium vulgare Linnaeus horehound X 

Salvia subincisa Benth. sawtooth sage X 

Liliaceae 

Calochortus kennedyi Porter desert mariposa lily X 

Loasaceae 

Mentzelia albicaulis 

(Dougl. ex Hook.) Dougl. ex Torr. & A. Gray whitestem blazingstar X 

Mentzelia aspera Linnaeus tropical blazingstar X 

Malvaceae 

Abutilon mollicomum (Willd.) Sweet Sonoran Indian mallow X 

Abutilon parvulum A. Gray dwarf Indian mallow X 

Anoda cristata (Linnaeus) Schlecht. crested anoda X 

Malva parviflora Linnaeus cheeseweed mallow X 

Malvella leprosa (Ortega) Krapov. alkali mallow X 

Rhynchosida physocalyx (A. Gray) Fryxell buffpetal X 

Sida abutifolia P. Mill. spreading fanpetals X 

Sida neomexicana A. Gray New Mexico fanpetals X 

Sida spinosa Linnaeus prickly fanpetals X 

Sphaeralcea angustifolia (Cav.) G. Don copper globemallow X 

Sphaeralcea fendleri A. Gray Fendler’s globemallow X 

Martyniaceae 

Proboscidea altheifolia (Benth.) Dcne. Desert unicorn-plant X 

Proboscidea parviflora (Wooton) Wooton & Standl. doubleclaw X 

Menispermaceae 

Cocculus diversifolius DC. snailseed X 

Molluginaceae 

Mollugo verticillata Linnaeus green carpetweed X 

Montiaceae 

Calandrinia ciliata (Ruiz & Pavon) DC. fringed redmaids X 

Cistanthe parryi (A. Gray) Hershkovitz Parry’s pussypaws, Arizona pussypaws X 

Phemeranthus aurantiacus (Engelm.) Kiger orange fameflower X 

Moraceae 

Morus microphylla Buckley Texas mulberry X 

Nyctaginaceae 

Allionia incarnata Linnaeus trailing windmills X 

Boerhavia coccinea P. Mill. scarlet spiderling X 

Boerhavia coulteri (Hook. f.) S. Watson Coulter’s spiderling X 

Boerhavia erecta Linnaeus erect spiderling X 

Boerhavia purpurascens A. Gray purple spiderling X 

Boerhavia scandens Linnaeus climbing wartclub X 

Boerhavia spicata Choisy creeping spiderling X 

Mirabilis jalapa Linnaeus marvel of Peru X 

Mirabilis longiflora Linnaeus sweet four o’clock X 

Oleaceae 

Fraxinus velutina Torr. velvet ash X 

Onagraceae 

Camissonia californica California suncup X 

(Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray) Raven 

Eremothera chamaenerioides longcapsule suncup X 

(A. Gray) W.L. Wagner & Hoch 


Ludwigia repens J.R. Forst. creeping primrose-willow X 

Oenothera curtiflora W.L. Wagner & Hoch velvetweed X 

Oenothera primiveris A. Gray desert evening-primrose X 

Oenothera rosea L’Hér. ex Aiton rose evening-primrose X 

Orobanchaceae 

Castilleja exserta (Heller) Chuang & Heckard exserted Indian paintbrush X 

Orobanche cooperi (A. Gray) Heller desert broomrape X 

Oxalidaceae 

Oxalis corniculata Linnaeus creeping woodsorrel X 

Papaveraceae 

Argemone polyanthemos (Fedde) G.B. Ownbey crested pricklypoppy X 

Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana California poppy X 

(Greene) C. Clark 

Papaver rhoeas Linnaeus corn poppy X 

Passifloraceae 

Passiflora mexicana Juss. Mexican passionflower X 

Phrymaceae 

Mimulus guttatus DC. seep monkeyflower X 

Mimulus rubellus A. Gray little redstem monkeyflower X 

Phytolaccaceae 

Rivina humilis Linnaeus rougeplant X 


Maurandya antirrhiniflora roving sailor O 

Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. 

Mecardonia procumbens (P. Mill.) Small baby jump-up X 

Nuttallanthus texanus (Scheele) D.A. Sutton Texas toadflax X 

Penstemon parryi A. Gray Parry’s beardtongue X 

Plantago major Linnaeus common plantain X 

Plantago patagonica Jacq. woolly plantain X 

Plantago virginica Linnaeus Virginia plantain X 

Veronica anagallis-aquatica Linnaeus water speedwell X 

Veronica peregrina Linnaeus neckweed X 

Platanaceae 

Platanus wrightii S. Watson Arizona sycamore O 

Poaceae 

Aristida adscensionis Linnaeus sixweeks threeawn X 

Aristida purpurea Nutt. purple threeawn O 

Aristida purpurea var. nealleyi (Vasey) Allred blue threeawn X 

Aristida purpurea var. purpurea purple threeawn X 

Aristida ternipes Cav. spidergrass X 

Aristida ternipes var. gentilis (Henrard) Allred hook threeawn X 

Arundo donax Linnaeus giant reed O 

Avena fatua Linnaeus wild oat X 

Bothriochloa barbinodis (Lag.) Herter cane bluestem X 

Bouteloua aristidoides (Kunth) Griseb. needle grama X 

Bouteloua barbata Lag. sixweeks grama O 

Bouteloua chondrosioides sprucetop grama X 

(Kunth) Benth. ex S. Watson 

Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr. sideoats grama X 

Bouteloua gracilis blue grama O 

(Willd. ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths 

Bouteloua repens (Kunth) Scribn. & Merr. slender grama X 

Bouteloua rothrockii Vasey Rothrock’s grama X 

Bromus catharticus Vahl rescuegrass X 




Bromus tectorum Linnaeus cheatgrass U 

Cenchrus longispinus (Hack.) Fern. mat sandbur O 

Cenchrus spinifex Cav. coastal sandbur X 

Chloris virgata Sw. feather fingergrass X 

Cottea pappophoroides Kunth Cotta grass X 

Cynodon dactylon (Linnaeus) Pers. Bermudagrass X 

Dactyloctenium aegyptium (Linnaeus) Willd. Egyptian grass X 

Dasyochloa pulchella (Kunth) Willd. ex Rydb. wow woollygrass X 

Digitaria californica (Benth.) Henr. Arizona cottontop X 

Digitaria sanguinalis (Linnaeus) Scop. hairy crabgrass X 

Echinochloa colona (Linnaeus) Link jungle rice O 

Echinochloa crus-galli (Linnaeus) Beauv. barnyardgrass X 

Elymus elymoides (Raf.) Swezey squirreltail X 

Eragrostis barrelieri Daveau Mediterranean lovegrass X 

Eragrostis cilianensis (All.) Vign. ex Janchen stinkgrass X 

Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees weeping lovegrass X 

Eragrostis intermedia A.S. Hitchc. plains lovegrass O 

Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees Lehmann lovegrass X 

Eriochloa acuminata var. minor(Vasey) R.B. Shaw tapertip cupgrass X 

Festuca octoflora Walter sixweeks fescue X 

Hilaria belangeri (Steud.) Nash curly-mesquite X 

Hopia obtusa (Kunth) Zuloaga & Morrone vine mesquite X 

Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum (Steud.) Tzvelev smooth barley X 

Hordeum pusillum Nutt. little barley X 

Hordeum vulgare Linnaeus common barley X 

Leptochloa dubia (Kunth) Nees green sprangletop X 

Leptochloa panicea ssp. mucronata mucronate sprangeltop X 

(Michx.) Nowack 

Muhlenbergia fragilis Swallen delicate muhly O 

Muhlenbergia microsperma (DC.) Trin. littleseed muhly X 

Muhlenbergia porteri Scribn. ex Beal bush muhly X 

Panicum hallii Vasey Hall’s panicgrass X 

Panicum hirticaule J. Presl Mexican panicgrass X 

Paspalum dilatatum Poir. dallisgrass X 

Paspalum distichum Linnaeus knotgrass X 

Poa bigelovii Vasey & Scribn. Bigelow’s bluegrass X 

Polypogon monspeliensis (Linnaeus) Desf. annual rabbitsfoot grass X 

Schismus arabicus Nees Arabian schismus X 

Schismus barbatus (Loefl. ex Linnaeus) Thellung common Mediterranean grass X 

Setaria grisebachii Fourn. Grisebach’s bristlegrass X 

Setaria leucopila (Scribn. & Merr.) K. Schum. streambed bristlegrass X 

Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roemer & J.A. Schultes yellow bristlegrass X 

Setaria viridis (Linnaeus) Beauv. green bristlegrass X 

Sorghum bicolor (Linnaeus) Moench sorghum X 

Sorghum halepense (Linnaeus) Pers. Johnsongrass X 

Sporobolus airoides (Torr.) Torr. alkali sacaton X 

Sporobolus contractus A.S. Hitchc. spike dropseed X 

Sporobolus cryptandrus (Torr.) A. Gray sand dropseed X 

Sporobolus wrightii Munro ex Scribn. big sacaton X 

Tridens muticus (Torr.) Nash slim tridens X 

Urochloa arizonica Arizona signalgrass X 

(Scribn. & Merr.) O. Morrone & F. Zuloaga 

Urochloa fusca (Sw.) B.F. Hansen & Wunderlin browntop signalgrass X 

Polemoniaceae 

Eriastrum diffusum (A. Gray) Mason miniature woollystar X 

Gilia mexicana A.& V. Grant El Paso gilia X 

Gilia sinuata Dougl. ex Benth. rosy gilia O 

Ipomopsis longiflora (Torr.) V. Grant flaxflowered ipomopsis X 

Polygalaceae 

Polygala barbeyana Chod. blue milkwort X 


Polygonaceae 

Eriogonum abertianum Torr. Abert’s buckwheat X 

Eriogonum polycladon Benth. sorrel buckwheat X 

Persicaria punctata (Elliott) Small dotted smartweed X 

Polygonum argyrocoleon Steud. ex Kunze silversheath knotweed X 

Rumex crispus Linnaeus curly dock X 

Portulacaceae 

Portulaca oleracea Linnaeus little hogweed X 

Portulaca suffrutescens Engelm. shrubby purslane X 

Portulaca umbraticola Kunth wingpod purslane O 

Primulaceae 

Androsace occidentalis Pursh western rockjasmine X 

Ranunculaceae 

Clematis drummondii Torr. & A. Gray Drummond’s clematis O 

Clematis ligusticifolia Nutt. western white clematis X 

Delphinium scaposum Greene tall mountain larkspur X 

Myosurus minimus Linnaeus tiny mousetail X 

Rhamnaceae 

Ceanothus greggii A. Gray desert ceanothus U 

Condalia correllii M.C. Johnston Correll’s snakewood X 

Condalia globosa I.M. Johnston bitter snakewood U 

Ziziphus obtusifolia lotebush X 

(Hook. ex Torr. & A. Gray) A. Gray 

Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens lotebush X 

(A. Gray) M.C. Johnston 

Rubiaceae 

Diodia teres Walt. poorjoe O 

Salicaceae 

Populus fremontii S. Watson Fremont cottonwood X 

Salix gooddingii Ball Goodding’s willow X 

Salix taxifolia Kunth yewleaf willow X 

Santalaceae 

Phoradendron californicum Nutt. mesquite mistletoe X 

Scrophulariaceae 

Leucophyllum frutescens Texas barometer bush X 

(Berl.) I.M. Johnston (not treated) 

Simaroubaceae 

Ailanthus altissima (P. Mill.) Swingle tree of heaven X 

Solanaceae 

Calibrachoa parviflora (Juss.) D’Arcy seaside petunia X 

Chamaesaracha coronopus (Dunal) A. Gray greenleaf five eyes U 

Datura quercifolia Kunth (not treated) Chinese thorn-apple X 

Datura wrightii Regel sacred thorn-apple X 

Lycium andersonii A. Gray water jacket X 

Lycium berlandieri Dunal Berlandier’s wolfberry U 

Nicotiana glauca Graham tree tobacco X 

Physalis acutifolia (Miers) Sandw. sharpleaf groundcherry X 

Physalis longifolia Nutt. longleaf groundcherry X 

Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. silverleaf nightshade X 




Talinaceae 

Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn. jewels of Opar X 

Tamaricaceae 

Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. saltcedar X 

Urticaceae 

Parietaria pensylvanica Muhl. ex Willd. Pennsylvania pellitory X 

Verbenaceae 

Glandularia gooddingii (Briq.) Solbrig southwestern mock vervain X 

Tetraclea coulteri A. Gray Coulter’s wrinklefruit X 

Vitaceae 

Vitis arizonica Engelm. canyon grape X 


Kallstroemia grandiflora Torr. ex A. Gray Arizona poppy X 

Larrea tridentata (Sessé & Moc. ex DC.) Coville creosote bush X 

Tribulus terrestris Linnaeus puncturevine X 




Photo Credits: Clockwise from top center: 1-3, © 2007 Patrick Alexander; 4-6 © 2008 T. Beth Kinsey

H M L - NPS Inventory and Monitoring Program - National Park Service

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