Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association
Sonoran Desert Plants

Disclaimer and Explanation

This list is approximately one fourth of the total of 473 entries in the list of plants. You may limit the list to plants that have specific characteristics by using the Plant Identificaton Form. Use the Key Word Search Form to generate a list of plants who's database record contain your search phrase.

List plants by scientific name: [A-C] | [D-H] | [I-P] | [Q-Z] | [A-Z]

• Ipomoea hederacea (Morning glory, trompillo morado) -
• Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia (Alkali goldenbush (non-lobed leaves)) - low shrub,medium shrub *
• Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia (Alkali goldenbush (lobed leaves)) - low shrub,medium shrub *
• Jacobinia ovata (Jacobinia) - medium shrub *
• Jacobinia ovata (Jacobinia) - medium shrub *
• Janusia gracilis (Janusia) - woody vine *
• Jatropha cardiophylla (Sangre-de-Cristo) - low shrub *
• Jatropha cinerea (Ashy limberbush) - medium shrub *
• Jatropha cuneata (Limberbush) - medium shrub *
• Juniperus coahuilensis (Roseberry juniper) - Tree, Shrub *
• Justicia californica (Chuparosa) - medium shrub *
• Kallstroemia californica (California caltrop, mal de ojo) - annual forb
• Kallstroemia grandiflora (Orange caltrop, baiborin, mal de ojo) - annual forb
• Krameria erecta (Krameria parviflora) (Range ratany) - low shrub
• Krameria grayi (White ratany) - low shrub *
• Langloisia setosissimum (Bristly calico) - annual forb *
• Lappula redowskii (Stickseed) - annual forb
• Larrea divaricata subsp. tridentata (Larrea tridentata) (Creosote bush) - medium shrub *
• Lepidium lasiocarpum (Sand peppergrass) - annual forb *
• Lepidium lasiocarpum (Sand peppergrass) - annual forb *
• Leptochloa mucronata (L. filiformis) (Red sprangletop, zacate salado, desparramo rojo) - annual grass *
• Leptochloa viscida (Sticky sprangletop, zacate salado pegajoso) - annual grass *
• Lesquerella gordonii (Gordon's bladderpod) - annual forb *
• Lesquerella tenella (Delicate bladderpod) - annual forb
• Linanthus bigelovii (Bigelow linanthus) - annual forb
• Linanthus bigelovii (Bigelow linanthus) - annual forb
• Linanthus demissus (Desert snow) - annual forb *
• Loeflingia squarrosa ssp. Cactorum (Loeflingia) - annual forb
• Lophocereus schottii (Senita cactus) - tall columnar cactus *
• Lotus humistratus (Foothill bird's-foot trefoil) - annual forb *
• Lotus rigidus (Wiry lotus) - annual forb *
• Lotus salsuginosus var. brevivexillus (Lotus salsuginosus) - annual forb
• Lotus strigosus (Hairy lotus, desert bird's-foot trfoil, desert lotus) - annual forb *
• Lupinus arizonica (Arizona lupine) - annual forb *
• Lupinus concinnus (Elegant lupine) - annual forb *
• Lupinus sparsiflorus (Arroyo lupine, Coulter's lupine) - annual forb *
• Lycium andersonii (Desert wolfberry, salicieso) - medium shrub
• Lycium berlandieri (Wolfberry, bachata, salicieso) - medium shrub *
• Lycium cooperi (Wolfberry, bachata, salicieso) - medium shrub *
• Lycium fremontii (Fremont wolfberry) - medium shrub *
• Lycium macrodon (Desert thorn, wolfberry) - medium shrub *
• Lycium parishii (Parish wolfberry) - medium shrub *
• Lyrocarpa coulteri (Lyre-pod) - perennial forb *
• Machaeranthera coulteri var. arida (Psilactis) - annual forb *
• Machaeranthera pinnatifida var. gooddingii (Spiny goldenweed) - perennial forb *
• Malacothrix fendleri (Fendler's desert dandelion) - annual forb *
• Malacothrix glabrata (Smooth desert dandelion) - annual forb *
• Malvella leprosa (Dollarweed, alkali mallow) - perennial forb
• Malvella sagittifolia (Malvella) - perennial forb *
• Mammillaria grahamii (Mammillaria microcarpa) (Fishhook pincushion cactus) - pincushion cactus *
• Mammillaria tetrancistra (Corkseed fishhook cactus) - pincushion cactus
• Mammillaria thornberi (Thornber fishhook cactus, cabeza de viejo) - short pincushion cactus
• Marina parryi (Parry's false prairie-clover) - perennial forb *
• Marsilea vestita (Hairy water-clover) - fern
• Matelea parvifolia (Angle pod) - perennial vine
• Maurandya antirrhinum (Snapdragon vine) - non-woody vine *
• Menodora scabra (Twinberry, rough menodora) - perennial forb
• Mentzelia affinis (Triangle-seed blazing-star, pega pega) - annual forb *
• Mentzelia albicaulis (White-stem blazing star) - annual forb
• Mentzelia involucrata var. megacantha (Stickleaf, silver blazing-star, pega pega) - annual forb *
• Mentzelia multiflora (Blazing star) - perennial forb
• Mentzelia oreophila (Mentzelia puberula) (Mentzelia oreophila) - shrub *
• Mimosa dysocarpa (Velvetpod mimosa) - medium shrub *
• Mirabilis bigelovii var bigelovii (Desert four o'clock, desert wishbone bush) - perennial forb *
• Monolepis nuttalliana (Poverty weed, patata) - annual forb
• Monoptilon bellioides (Mojave desert star) - annual forb *
• Muhlenbergia microsperma (Littleseed muhly, liendrilla chica) - annual grass *
• Muhlenbergia porteri (Bush muhly, zacate aparejo) - perennial grass *
• Nama demissum (Purplemat) - annual forb *
• Nama hispidum (Bristly nama, morada, sandbells) - annual forb
• Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis (Woolly heads) - annual forb
• Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis (Woolly heads) - annual forb
• Nemacladus glanduliferus var. orientalis (Threadstem) - annual forb
• Nicotiana clevelandii (Desert tobacco, tobaco del coyote) - annual forb *
• Nicotiana obtusifolia (Nicotiana trigonophylla) (Desert tobacco) - perennial forb *
• Nolina bigelovii (Desert tree-beargrass) - low shrub *
• Nolina microcarpa (Beargrass, sacahuista, basket grass) - low shrub *
• Notholaena californica ssp. Californica (Indian fern, california cloak fern) - fern
• Notholaena standleyi (Star cloak fern) - fern *
• Oenothera arizonica (Arizona evening primrose) - annual forb
• Oenothera deltoides subsp. deltoides (Dune primrose, White desert primrose) - annual forb *
• Oenothera primiveris (Yellow desert primrose) - annual forb *
• Oligomeris linifolia (Desert cambess, slender-leaf cambess) - annual forb
• Olneya tesota (Ironwood) - medium tree *
• Opuntia acanthocarpa (Buckhorn cholla) - low arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia arbuscula (Pencil cholla) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia basilaris (Beaver tail cactus) - pad cactus *
• Opuntia bigelovii (Teddy bear cholla) - low arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia chlorotica (Pancake prickly-pear) - pad cactus *
• Opuntia echinocarpa (Silver cholla) - low arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii (Engelmann prickly pear) - pad cactus *
• Opuntia engelmannii var.flavispina (Engelmann prickly pear) - sprawling pad cactus *
• Opuntia fulgida var. fulgida (Chain-fruit cholla) - tall arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia fulgida var. mammillata (Spineless chain-fruit cholla) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia leptocaulis (Desert Christmas cholla, Tasajillo) - sprawling cactus *
• Opuntia leptocaulis (Desert Christmas cholla, Tasajillo) - sprawling cactus *
• Opuntia ramosissima (Diamond cholla) - sprawling cactus *
• Opuntia spinosior (Cane cholla) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia spinosior (Cane cholla) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia spinosior (Cane cholla) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Opuntia versicolor (Staghorn cholla) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Orobanche cooperi (Desert broomrape, flor de tierra) - perennial forb *
• Palafoxia arida var. arida (Spanish needles) - annual forb *
• Panicum alatum var. alatum (Panicum) - grass
• Panicum hirticaule var. hirticaule (Mexican panicgrass) - grass *
• Parietaria floridana (Parietaria hespera) (Desert pellitory) - annual forb
• Parkinsonia florida (Cercidium floridum) (Blue Palo Verde) - medium tree *
• Parkinsonia microphyllum (Cercidium microphyllum) (Foothill paloverde) - medium tree *
• Pectis papposa var. papposa (Desert chinchweed, Manzanilla del coyote) - annual forb *
• Pectocarya heterocarpa (Mixed-nut comb-bur) - annual forb
• Pectocarya platycarpa (Broad-wing comb-bur) - annual forb
• Pectocarya recurvata (Arched comb-bur) - annual forb *
• Peniocereus greggii var. transmontanus (Cereus greggii) (Cereus, Reina de la noche, Night-blooming cereus) - sprawling cactus *
• Peniocereus striatus (Wilcoxia) - sprawling cactus *
• Pennisetum ciliare (Cenchrus ciliaris) (Buffelgrass, zacate buffel) - introduced,invasive perennial grass
• Pennisetum setaceum (P. ruppelii) (Fountain grass) - introduced, invasive perennial grass *
• Penstemon parryi (Parry penstemon) - perennial forb *
• Penstemon pseudospectabilis var. pseudospectabilis (Mojave beard tongue) - perennial forb
• Penstemon subulatus (Arizona scarlet-bugler) - perennial forb *
• Perityle emoryi (Desert rockdaisy) - annual forb *
• Petalonyx thurberi subsp. thurberi (Sandpaper plant) - medium shrub
• Peucephyllum schottii (Desert fir, Pygmy cedar) - low shrub *
• Phacelia ambigua (Phacelia crenulata) (Scorpionweed) - annual forb *
• Phacelia distans (Blue-eyed scorpion-weed) - annual forb *
• Phacelia neglecta (Brittle phacelia) - annual forb *
• Phalaris minor (Little-seed canary grass, alpisillo, alpiste silvestre) - annual grass *
• Phaseolus filiformis (Slim-Jim bean, desert bean) - annual forb *
• Phlox tenuifolia (Phlox) - perennial forb *
• Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum (Arizona fiesta flower) - annual forb *
• Phoradendron californicum (Desert mistletoe, Toji) - parasite on trees *
• Physalis crassifolia var. versicolor (Desert groundcherry, tomatillo del desierto) - subshrub,edible fruits *
• Physalis lobata (Ground cherry) - perennial forb *
• Plantago ovata (Plantago insularis var. fastigiata) (Woolly plantain, Indian wheat, pastora) - annual forb
• Plantago patagonica (Plantain) - annual forb *
• Pleuraphis rigida (Hilaria rigida) (Big galleta, galleta grande, tobosa) - large perennial grass *
• Pleurocoronis pluriseta (Arrow-leaf) - small shrub
• Pleurocoronis pluriseta (Arrow-leaf) - small shrub
• Pluchea purpurascens var. purpurascens (P. sericea) (Arrow weed) - tall shrub *
• Poa bigelovii (Bigelow bluegrass, zacate azul nativo) - annual grass *
• Polygonum argyrocoleon (Silversheath) - annual forb
• Porophyllum gracile (Odora, hierba del venado) - perennial forbs,strongly scented foliage *
• Portulaca halimoides (Portulaca) - annual forb
• Prenanthella exigua (Lygodesmia exigua) (No Common Name) -
• Proboscidea altheaefolia (Devil's claw, gato, una de gato, torito) - annual forb
• Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana (Western honey mesquite) - medium tree *
• Prosopis pubescens (Screwbean mesquite) - medium tree *
• Prosopis velutina (Velvet mesquite) - medium tree *
• Psathyrotes ramosissima (Desert velvet) - annual forb *
• Psilostrophe cooperi (Paper flower) - low shrub *
• Psorothamnus emoryi var. emoryi (Emory indigo-bush) - medium shrub
• Psorothamnus spinosus (Smoke tree) - small tree *

The scope of this page is to provide links to information and images of most or all of the plant species native to the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. Currently, not all the species in this region are on the list, but more will be added from time to time. Information and images for species already on the list are continually being added and updated. Because of this, be sure to check back occasionally.

The plant identification page and the plant images are meant to be only a first step in the identification process. In spite of our best efforts, it is not possible to insure that 100% accuracy in identifying unknown plants can be obtained by using search keys and photographs. When it is of critical importance to be absolutely sure of the identification of a plant, a specimen must be examined by a professional botanist and verified at a recognized herbarium.

* Specie page has photos.

Questions and comments are encouraged. If you have any of these or are in disagreement with any information or images being presented, please contact us at, content_mgr@cabezaprieta.org Feedback is necessary to enable us to correct incorrect information and to further fine-tune the identification process.

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