''Psorothamnus emoryi'', common names dyebush, white dalea, or Emory's indigo bush, is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

legume A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...

shrub or subshrub common to the desert mesas of the southern part of the U.S. states of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

and

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, and regions of the Mexican state of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

Description

The ''Psorothamnus emoryi'' shrub grows to 3-. The leaves are hairy and grayish white, a color helping reflect sunlight. It has terminal clusters of purple and white pea-like flower. It flowers from March to June, and persists until the hottest and driest weather prevails near early or midsummer.

Uses

The plant is fragrant and oily and has been used for

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

s and

stain A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. They are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Accidental staining may make materials app ...

References

Calflora Database: ''Psorothamnus emoryi'' (Emory Dalea, Emory indigobush, Emory's indigo bush, dyebush)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Psorothamnus emoryi''USDA Plants Profile for ''Psorothamnus emoryi'' (dyebush)U.C. CalPhotos gallery —''Psorothamnus emoryi''
emoryi Flora of Arizona Flora of Baja California Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the Colorado Desert Plant dyes Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Faboideae-stub