Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) (jojoba)

Although this desert shrub lacks showy flowers, its floral clusters and waxy fruit still intrigue many people. The plant shape guides wind-dispersed pollen toward female flowers, but bees also steal pollen from male plants. Jojoba prefers rocky slopes with coarse soils, above pockets of cold air drainage. The liquid wax extracted from its seeds is currently marketed as a key ingredient in many cosmetics. Jojoba has a long and variable flowering season. At one site, it has extended from mid-January to late-April in some years, but only February and early March in others. "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988".