Creosote
Larrea tridentata
Larrea tridentata, known as Creosote Bush is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae. It is a prominent species in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts of western North America, including portions of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and western Texas in the United States, and northern Chihuahua in Mexico. In California it is found from Inyo County southward in desert areas only.
It is an evergreen shrub growing to 1-3 meter tall, rarely 4 meter. The stems of the plant bear resinous, dark green leaves with two leaflets joined at the base, each leaflet 7-18 millimeter long and 4-8.5 millimeter broad. The yellow flowers are up to 25 millimeter diameter, with five yellow petals. The plant is extraordinarily tolerant of drought, saline or alkaline soils, and adapted to desert conditions.
It reproduces by seed and also by sending up new shoots from the roots. The latter results in the creation of clonal rings, some of which are among the oldest known plants at around 11,000 years. Galls may form by the activity of the creosote gall midge. The whole plant exhibits a characteristic odor of creosote (especially when wet), from which the common name derives. Native people use the plant for medicinal purposes.
Calscape
https://calscape.org/Larrea-tridentata-(Creosote-Bush)
