Lycium californicum

 

 Lycium californicum ( ) ( )

Solanaceae

  • Shrub very stiff, somewhat thick twigs, each ending in a sharp thorn. Common near the shore. The fruit is bitter and not eaten. "People of the Desert and Sea, Ethnobotany of the Seri Indians".

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Lupinus arizonicus

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Asteraceae

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Asteraceae The most diverse and ecologically significant family of woody and semi-woody shrubs in creosote bush scrub is the sunflower family. Globally Asteraceae is second only to the Orchidaceae in number of species. Memers of the Asteraceae family are challenging to identify until one becomes familiar with flower structures. The essential feature defining the Asteraceae is the presence of composite flower heads that typically include numerous tiny flowers joined in what, at first, resembles a single large flower-as seen in a familiar sunflower. The typical composite flower head is composed of two types of flowers, although either one of these types may be absent in some genera. The outer whorl of flowers in a typical composite head has three petals fused to form what appears to be a single large petal, while the other two petals are absent. These fused petals of the ray flowers, or ligules, are the attractive structures for pollinators. Ray flowers are almost always female. The inne...
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Geraea canescens

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