Purshia glandulosa
| Purshia glandulosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Dryadoideae |
| Genus: | Purshia |
| Species: | P. glandulosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Purshia glandulosa Curran | |
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Purshia glandulosa. |
Purshia glandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names desert bitterbrush and Mojave antelope brush. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it occurs in California, Arizona, southern Nevada, and Utah.[1]
This species arose via hybridization between Stansbury cliffrose (Purshia stansburyana) and antelope bitterbrush (P. tridentata). It is sometimes considered a variety of the latter species. It can hybridize with both of its parent species.[1]
This plant is an evergreen shrub growing up to 4.5 meters tall, but often remaining smaller depending on environmental conditions. It has a deep taproot which may extend nearly 5 meters deep in the soil, an adaptation to drought. At times, the plant produces root nodules where it can fix nitrogen. It reproduces by seed, by layering, and by resprouting from its root crown. It can also regenerate from root bits that are severed several feet below ground. Regeneration from seed is relatively uncommon, because its seeds have low rates of germination and they do not easily yield seedlings that will survive. The seeds have a very hard coat and germinate better if they are stratified. Also, the plant does not produce seed until it is approximately 10 years old.[1]
This plant can grow on many types of soils, mainly those that are well-drained. It can grow on sites that have little soil, such as rock outcrops, and it is a pioneer species of eroded rock habitat. It does not tolerate large amounts of water, especially in the summer, and it favors areas that have an annual precipitation around 10 inches. It is tolerant of fire, layering and resprouting easily after its aboveground parts burn.[1]
This plant is a good forage for wild ungulates such as pronghorn, as well as livestock. It is not deciduous, so its foliage is available to animals in the winter.[1]