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desert silverbush
Scientific Name: Argythamnia claryana
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Desert Silverbush
The Desert Silverbush, scientifically known as Argythamnia claryana, is a plant native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Considerations for Pets
- The Desert Silverbush belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) family.
- It is a shrub reaching up to 3 meters in height.
Considerations for Children
- The Desert Silverbush belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) family.
- It is a shrub reaching up to 3 meters in height.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Argythamnia claryana Jeps.
- Common Name: Desert Silverbush
- Nomenclatural Reference: Fl. Calif. Jepson 2(1): 419. 1936 17 Sep 1936 (as 'clariana')
- Family: Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)
- Synonyms:
- Ditaxis lanceolata (Note: While mentioned as "Desert Silverbush, Ditaxis lanceolata," the text doesn't explicitly state it's a synonym, but it is implied.)
- Ditaxis claryana (Based on "Species, Ditaxis aphoroides (Mll. Arg.) Pax – Hill Country silverbush Radcl.- Sm. & Govaerts – Blodgett's silverbush G.L. Webster – desert silverbush.")
- Argythamnia adenophora auct. non A. Gray
- Rank: Species
Distribution and Habitat
- The Desert Silverbush is found in far southwest Arizona near Yuma and southward into Sonora and Baja California, Mexico.
- It is an uncommon component of vegetation communities on rocky soils, particularly in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub life zone).
Morphological Characteristics
- It is a tall, few-branched shrub, growing up to 3 meters in height.
- The leaves are less silvery and more broadly elliptic compared to Argythamnia lanceolata, with entire (smooth) margins.
- The sap is clear, unlike the milky sap found in many Sonoran Desert plants.
Quirky Facts
- The Desert Silverbush is sometimes confused with Bush Morning Glory (Convolvulus cneorum), which is also called Silverbush and has soft, silver foliage. The two plants are unrelated and belong to different families.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- Desert mule deer in central and western Sonora, Mexico, may consume Ditaxis claryana (Desert Silverbush) in their diet.
- Desert tortoises may forage on spurges (Euphorbiaceae), including narrowleaf silverbush (Argythamnia lanceolata).
Further Information
- Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association
- Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
- New Mexico Silverbush. Argythamnia serrata (Torrey) Muller Argoviensis Sonoran Desert National Monument.