Ambrosia salsola (Torr. & A. Gray) Strother & B.G. Baldw. var. salsola
Hymenoclea salsola Torr. & A. Gray var. salsola
Cheesebush, burrobrush
Cheesebush is native to the Sonoran, Mojave, and Colorado Deserts of Baja California, southern California, southern Nevada, the southwestern corner of Utah, Arizona, and northwest Mexico. It is an early colonizer of disturbed sites, being replaced in time by plants such as creosotebush.
Plants: A rounded, often disheveled shrub 3–8′ high ⨉ 6–24′ around (91–243 cm ⨉ 1.8–7.3 m). It is a perennial, but it drops its leaves during periods of drought.
Leaves: Thin branches have needle-like leaves ¾–3″ (1.9–7.6 cm) long, but only 1/32–1/16″ (1–2 mm) wide. The name comes from a disagreeable cheeselike odor given off when the leaves are crushed.
Flowers: Multiple white male flowers about ¼″ (8.3 mm) in diameter.
Fruits: Pearly, winged fruits are white, yellow, or pink.
Habitats: Sandy desert flats and desert dry washes, growing in sandy and gravelly soil, and sometimes on lava formations, at elevations of 656–5906′ (200–1800 m).
Online References:
References:
Ambrosia salsola (Torr. & A. Gray) Strother & B.G. Baldw.
Ambrosia salsola (Torr. & A. Gray) Strother & B.G. Baldw. var. salsola
Ambrosia salsola (Torr. & A. Gray) Strother & B.G. Baldw. var. salsola
4/30/2018 · Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve, California · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm) 
4/30/2018 · ≈ 6 × 4½″ (15 × 12 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm) 
4/29/2018 · Red Spring Calico Basin, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
4/30/2018 · Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve, California · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
4/30/2018 · Kelbaker Road, Mojave National Preserve, California · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
5/3/2018 · Park Blvd., Joshua Tree National Park · ≈ 4 × 5″ (10 × 13 cm) 
5/4/2018 · Hidden Valley, Joshua Tree National Park, California · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm) 
2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| 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 | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Asterales | Flowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies |
| Family | Asteraceae | The aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers |
| Genus | Hymenoclea | From Greek hymen, “membrane,” and kleio, “to enclose” |
| Species | salsola | From the Latin salsus for “salty” |
| var. | salsola | From the Latin salsus for “salty” |
Hymenoclea salsola var. salsola description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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