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goatbush
Scientific Name: Castela erecta
Family: Simaroubaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Allthorn Goatbush (Castela erecta)
Allthorn Goatbush is known by several common names, including Amargoso, Goat-bush, and Texan Goatbush. This plant is a spiny shrub native to Mexico and the southwestern United States.
Considerations for Pets
- The plant is described as a "spiny shrub," which could pose a physical hazard to pets if they come into contact with it.
Considerations for Children
- The plant is described as a "spiny shrub," which could pose a physical hazard to children if they come into contact with it.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Castela erecta
- Family: Simaroubaceae (Quassia-Wood Family)
- Synonyms: Castela texana, Castela erecta Turp.
- Taxonomic Rank: Subspecies - Castela erecta subsp. texana (C. texana)
Distribution and Habitat
Allthorn Goatbush is native to Mexico and the southwestern U.S., specifically the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.
Morphological Characteristics
- A spiny shrub.
- Leaves are shiny green above and silver-pubescent beneath.
- Flowers are very small, red or orange, and appear in March-May.
Quirky Facts
- The plant is sometimes associated with stories and folktales, including one titled "How a Hunter obtained Money from his Friends the Leopard, Goat, Bush Cat, and Cock, and how he got out of repaying them."
- The common name "Goatbush" can sometimes be confused with other unrelated things, which is why someone joked about "Goat Bush: Not to be confused with Goat Butt".
Further Information
- Discover Life offers a page dedicated to the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Castela erecta.