From the Greek menos, “force,” and doron, “gift”; Jepson: “perhaps half-moon spear from appearance of fruit on stiff pedicel” (doro in Greek can also mean “spear”). David Hollombe provides the following which seems to confirm the former derivation: “Menodora is explained in the original description as ‘giving force’ or vigor to the cattle, sheep and mules that ate the young shoots of Menodora helianthemoides”
Spiny menodora is native to the southwestern United States, especially the
Mojave desert.
It prefers arid mountain slopes, dry mesas, and canyons, at elevations of
3500-6500′ (1-2.0 km).
Plants: Densely branched shrubs are 8-20″ (20-50 cm) tall.
Branches are round and green or gray, and puberulent (covered in fine hairs). They taper to sharp
spines.
Flowers: Red to pink buds open to white flowers with yellow
centers. Each flower usually has 5-6 lobes, and is less than ⅜″ (1 cm) around. Flowers
appear from Aprill to May.
Fruits: Round, shiny brownish capsules usually contain two
seeds.