| Brittlebush | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Near Palm Springs, California | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Encelia |
| Species: | E. farinosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Encelia farinosa | |
Encelia farinosa (commonly known as brittlebush, brittlebrush, or incienso), is a common desert shrub of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has a variety of historical uses.
Brittlebush grows up to 30 to 150 centimetres (12 to 59 inches) tall, [1] with fragrant leaves 3–10 cm (1+1⁄4–4 in) long, ovate to deltoid, and silvery tomentose. [2] Arranged in loose panicles above the leafy stems, the capitula are 3–3.5 cm (1+1⁄4–1+1⁄2 in) in diameter. Each has 8–18 orange-yellow ray florets, 6–15 millimetres (1⁄4–9⁄16 in) in length, [2] and yellow or purple-brown disc florets. The fruit measures 3–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) and no pappus is visible. [3] During dry seasons the plant goes drought deciduous, shedding all of its foliage, relying on the water stored in its thick stems. [4]
Encelia californica is similar, but has only one flower head per stalk. [2]
The leaves contain 3-Acetyl-6-methoxybenzaldehyde. [5]
Two varieties of E. farinosa are recognized by Flora of North America . [3]
Varieties formerly included E. f. var. radians, now regarded as a separate species E. radians Brandegee. [6]
The common name "brittlebush" comes from the brittleness of its stems. Other names include hierba del vaso (Spanish) and cotx (Seri). [7] Another Spanish name for it is incienso because the dried sap was burned by early Spanish missions in the New World as incense.
Encelia farinosa is common in the southwestern United States (California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada) and northern Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Hidalgo). [3] [8] [9]
It can be found in a variety of habitats from dry, gravelly slopes to open, sandy washes [2] up to 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) above sea level. It requires a very sunny position in a deep very well-drained soil, and minimal winter frost. [4]
It does well in cultivation often being used for border, erosion control, ground cover and massing. [10] Recently the plant has spread dramatically in areas not natural to its distribution in large part because Caltrans has begun to use it in hydroseeding.[ citation needed ]
Brittlebush has a long history of uses by indigenous and pioneer peoples, including:
In polymer chemistry and materials science, a resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses mainly on naturally occurring resins.
Chuckwallas are lizards found primarily in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Some are found on coastal islands. The five species of chuckwallas are all placed within the genus Sauromalus; they are part of the iguanid family, Iguanidae.
Encelia is a genus of the plant family Asteraceae whose members are frequently called brittlebushes. It consists of shrubs of arid environments in southwestern North America and western South America.
Salvia columbariae is an annual plant that is commonly called chia, chia sage, golden chia, or desert chia, because its seeds are used in the same way as those of Salvia hispanica (chia). It grows in California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, and Baja California, and was an important food for Native Americans. Some native names include pashiiy from Tongva and it'epeš from Ventureño.
Neltuma glandulosa, formerly Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as honey mesquite, is a species of small to medium-sized, thorny shrub or tree in the legume family (Fabaceae).
Commiphora myrrha, called myrrh, African myrrh, herabol myrrh, Somali myrrhor, common myrrh, is a tree in the family Burseraceae. It is one of the primary trees used in the production of myrrh, a resin made from dried tree sap. The tree is native to the Arabian Peninsula and to Africa. It is called 'mur' (المر) in Arabic, meaning bitter. It famously comes from Mecca, so it is called 'Mur Makki'.
Encelia californica is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name California brittlebush. It is also commonly referred to as California coast sunflower and California bush sunflower.
Encelia virginensis is a North American species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Virgin River brittlebush. This shrub is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, particularly the Mojave Desert and the Sonoran Desert. It has been found in Baja California, southern California, Nevada, Arizona, southwestern Utah, and southwestern New Mexico.
Encelia resinifera, the sticky brittlebush, is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Erigeron aphanactis is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name rayless daisy, or rayless shaggy fleabane. This wildflower is native to the western United States, primarily the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau regions.
Condea emoryi, the desert lavender, is a large, multi-stemmed shrub species of flowering plant in Lamiaceae, the mint family.
Grindelia hirsutula is a North American species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names hairy gumplant and hairy gumweed.
Hymenopappus filifolius is a North American species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names fineleaf hymenopappus and Columbia cutleaf. It is native to western and central North America from Alberta and Saskatchewan south as far as Chihuahua and Baja California.
Agoseris glauca is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common names false dandelion, pale agoseris, prairie agoseris, and short-beaked agoseris. It is native to western North America.
Calycadenia truncata is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae known by the common name Oregon western rosinweed. It is native to western North America.
Encelia actoni, also known by the common names Acton brittlebush and Acton encelia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.
Mentzelia multiflora, commonly known as Adonis blazingstar, Adonis stickleaf, desert blazingstar, prairie stickleaf and manyflowered mentzelia is a herbaceous perennial wildflower of the family Loasaceae.
Pulicaria dysenterica, the common fleabane, or, in North America, meadow false fleabane, is a species of fleabane in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and western Asia where it grows in a variety of habitats ranging from semi-arid Mediterranean woodlands to wetter situations. Pulicaria dysenterica is perennial and can form dense clusters of plants, spreading by its roots. It flowers at its maximum height of about 60 centimetres (2.0 ft). Leaves are alternately arranged and clasp the stem, which itself contains a salty-astringent liquid. The yellow inflorescences are typically composed of a prominent centre of 40–100 disc florets surrounded by 20–30 narrow, pistillate ray florets. When setting seed the flower heads reflex.
Apiomerus flaviventris, a bee assassin bug, is an insect that feeds on bees. It is found in arid and semiarid southwestern North America. This bee assassin is known to extract plant resins and apply them as defensive chemicals to its eggs, protecting the eggs from predation, especially by ants, but possibly also other species. Females of A. flaviventris collect resin from brittlebush, Encelia farinosa Gray ex Torr. (Asteraceae).
This is a list of plants used by the indigenous people of North America. For lists pertaining specifically to the Cherokee, Iroquois, Navajo, and Zuni, see Cherokee ethnobotany, Iroquois ethnobotany, Navajo ethnobotany, and Zuni ethnobotany.
Media related to Encelia farinosa at Wikimedia Commons