Brittlebush
Encelia farinosa
Range
Mojave and Sonoran deserts of southeastern California, across Nevada to southwestern Utah, western Arizona and northwestern Mexico.
Habitat
Dry slopes and desert washes.
Flowers
Bright yellow flowers bloom March to June. Flower heads grow 2 to 3 inches wide in loosley branched clusters. There are 8 to 18 rays surrounding the yellow center disk.
Description
This member of the sunflower family grows 2 to 5 feet high forming a rounded, leafy bush. Long, ovate, silver-gray leaves are 1 to 4 inches long. Brittle, woody branches contain a fragrant resin. These branches were chewed by Native Americans and burned as incense in California's first churches.
-- A.R Royo
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| THE DESERT ENVIRONMENT | |||
| The North American Deserts | |||
| Chihuahuan Desert | Great Basin Desert | Mojave Desert | Sonoran Desert |
| Glossary of Desert & Geological Terms | |||
The Saguaro Video
The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life. The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet.
Desert Food Chain Video
A food chain constitutes a complex network of organisms, from plants to animals, through which energy, derived from the sun, flows in the form of organic matter and dissipates in the form of waste heat.
Prickly pear cactus Video
Prickly pear cactus are found in all of the deserts of the American Southwest. Most prickly pears have large spines on their stems and vary in height from less than a foot to 6 or 7 feet.
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