''Psorothamnus'' is a genus of plants in the
legume family. These are shrubs and small trees. Many are known by the general common name indigo bush. Some are referred to as daleas, as this genus was once included in genus ''
Dalea
''Dalea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as prairie clover or indigo bush. Its name honors English apothecary Samuel Dale (physician), Samuel Dale (1659–1739). They are n ...
''. These are generally thorny, thickly branched, strongly scented bushes. Most species bear
lupin
''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet, is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centres of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centres occur in No ...
like
raceme inflorescences of bright purple legume flowers and gland-rich pods. ''Psorothamnus'' species are native to the
southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...
and northern
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. The genus is
paraphyletic
Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In co ...
and it has been proposed that the genus ''Psorodendron'' be reinstated to accommodate sections ''Xylodalea'', ''Capnodendron'', and ''Winnemucca''.
Species
''Psorothamnus'' comprises the following species:
* ''
Psorothamnus arborescens''
(A. Gray) Barneby—Mojave indigo bush
** var. ''arborescens''
(A. Gray) Barneby
** var. ''minutifolius''
(Parish) Barneby
** var. ''pubescens''
(Parish) Barneby
** var. ''simplicifolius''
(Parish) Barneby
* ''
Psorothamnus emoryi''
(A. Gray) Rydb.—dyebush, Emory's indigo bush
* ''
Psorothamnus fremontii
''Psorodendron fremontii'', the Fremont's dalea or Fremont's indigo bush (after John C. Frémont) is a perennial legume shrub.
Distribution
''Psorodendron fremontii'' is common to the Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico - in the stat ...
''
(A. Gray) Barneby—Fremont's indigo bush
** var. ''attenuatus''
Barneby
** var. ''fremontii''
(A. Gray) Barneby
* ''
Psorothamnus kingii''
(S. Watson) Barneby—King's dalea
* ''
Psorothamnus nummularius''
(M.E. Jones) S.L. Welsh
* ''
Psorothamnus polydenius''
(S. Watson) Rydb.—Nevada dalea
* ''
Psorothamnus schottii''
(Torr.) Barneby—Schott's dalea
* ''
Psorothamnus scoparius''
(A. Gray) Rydb.—broom dalea
* ''
Psorothamnus spinosus
''Psorothamnus spinosus'', or ''Dalea spinosa'', is a perennial legume tree of the deserts in North America. Common names include smokethorn, smoketree, smoke tree, smokethorn dalea, and corona de Cristo.
Distribution
''P. Spinosus'' is native ...
''
(A. Gray) Barneby—smoketree, smokethorn
* ''
Psorothamnus thompsoniae''
(Vail) S.L. Welsh & N.D. Atwood—Thompson's dalea
References
External links
CalFlora Database: ''Psorothamnus''Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Psorothamnus''USDA Plants Profile for ''Psorothamnus''
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5229140
Fabaceae genera
Flora of the California desert regions
Flora of the Great Basin
Natural history of the Mojave Desert