Psorothamnus spinosus (smoke tree) ( )

Although leaves are the typical photosynthetic organs for plants, many woody desert shrubs and subshrubs utilize green stems as an important, or even primary photosynthetic organs. These species commonly have small ephemeral leaves, often scale-like that are present for just a few days or weeks in spring. This functionally leafless trait, with stems as the photosynthetic organs, occurs widely in desert plants. One example is the smoke tree. "California Desert Plants, Philip W. Rundel, Robert J. Gustafson, Michael E. Kauffmann."