Psorothamnus spinosus (Smoke tree)

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Psorothamnus spinosus (A. Gray) Barneby

Smoke tree, smokethorn, smokethorn dalea, Corona de Cristo

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Psorothamnus	From the Greek psoros, “mangy, scabby,” and thamnos, “bush,” thus “scabshrub”
Species	spinosus	From Latin for “thorny”

About plant names...

The smoke tree is native to western North America.

Identification: This is a large shrub or small tree, heavily branched and irregular in shape, spiny, up to 20' (6.1 m) tall. The tree is nearly leafless, but has small bluish-gray wedge-shaped leaves that are widest near the top, ¼" (8.5 mm) long. Flowers are dark purple to deep blue, pea-shaped, ¼-⁵/₁₆" (6.3-8.3 mm) across, in loose clusters. Fruits are roughly egg-shaped, ¼" (8.3 mm) long, one end pointed, with dark red glands.

5/4/2007 · Death Valley Area · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

These similar species are most easily distinguished by leaf shape:

	You are here Psorothamnus spinosus	*Psorothamnus schottii*
Common Name	smoke tree	indigo bush
Plant	Large shrub or small tree, heavily branched, irregular in shape, spiny, up to 20' (6.1 m) tall.	Large, densely branched spiny shrub, reaching 10' (3 m).
Flowers	Dark purple to deep blue, pea-shaped flowers, ¼-⁵/₁₆" (6.3-8.3 mm) across, in loose clusters.	Deep purple-blue, pea-shaped flowers, ¼-⁵/₁₆" (6.3-8.3 mm) across, in loose 4-inch-long clusters.
Leaves	Nearly leafless, but has small bluish-gray wedge-shaped leaves that are widest near the top, ¼" (8.5 mm) long.	Needle-shaped, ½-1" (1.3-2.5 cm) long and only ¹/₁₆" (1.6 mm) wide, blue-gray or green.
Fruit	Roughly egg-shaped, ¼" (8.3 mm) long, one end pointed, with dark red spots.	Fruits are roughly egg-shaped, ¼" (8.3 mm) long, with raised dark red spots.
Range/ Zones
Habitats		Creosote bush scrub
Type	Wild	Wild

Online References:

CalPhotos

The Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Arid Zone Trees

Wikipedia

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

5/4/2007 · Death Valley Area · By Rhonda Tatiana Schorer ID is uncertain

Dalea spinosa A. Gray

Psorothamnus spinosus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Range:

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