''Crossosoma bigelovii'', known by the common name ragged rockflower, is one of only a few species in the flowering plant family

Crossosomataceae Crossosomataceae is a small plant family, consisting of four genera of shrubs found only in the dry parts of the American southwest and Mexico. This family has included up to ten species in the past, although as of 2021 six species are still ...

. It is native to the Mojave, Chihuahuan, and

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Ariz ...

s of North America. It has been reported from the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Sonora.

Description

The species is a shrub that grows up to tall. It is intricately divided into thorn-tipped branches lined with clusters of small,

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

, gray-green leaves no longer than about 1.5 centimeters. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...

bears a single flower, which has 5 white to purple-tinged petals about a centimeter long and narrowing to claws at their bases.Mason, C.T. Crossosomataceae, Crossosome Family. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 26:7-9.

Uses

Ragged rockflower is occasionally used as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

habitat garden A wildlife garden (or wild garden) is an environment created by a gardener that serves as a sustainable haven for surrounding wildlife. Wildlife gardens contain a variety of habitats that cater to native and local plants, birds, amphibians, ...

s and

natural landscaping Natural landscaping, also called native gardening, is the use of native plants and adapted species, including trees, shrubs, groundcover, and grasses which are local to the geographic area of the garden. Benefits Maintenance Natural land ...

. It can be grown from seed in well-drained soil for a desert

butterfly garden Butterfly gardening is a way to create, improve, and maintain habitat for lepidopterans including butterflies, skippers, and moths. Butterflies have four distinct life stages—egg, larva, chrysalis, and adult. In order to support and sustain ...

. It is a difficult plant for the average homeowner to grow, as over-watering will kill it.Soule, J.A. 2012. Butterfly Gardening in Southern Arizona. Tierra del Sol Press. Tucson, AZ.

References

External links

Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto galleryLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Research Center
Crossosomataceae Flora of California Flora of Arizona Flora of Nevada North American desert flora Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Natural history of the Mojave Desert ~ Garden plants of North America Drought-tolerant plants Butterfly food plants Flora of Baja California Flora of Chihuahua (state) Flora of Sonora Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Rosid-stub