''Larrea'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the caltrop family,

Zygophyllaceae Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and caltrop. The family includes around 285 species in 22 genera. Plants in the family Zygophyllaceae may be trees, shrubs, or herbs. They are often found in dry habit ...

. It contains five species of

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

shrubs that are native to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. The generic name honours Bishop

Juan Antonio Hernández Pérez de Larrea Juan Antonio Hernández Pérez de Larrea (September 30, 1730 – April 21, 1803) was a Spanish botanist, director of the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País, and Bishop of Valladolid.Hormingo, A. S., Juan Antonio Hernández y Pérez de ...

, a patron of science."Larrea" is itself a Basque surname, where ''larrea'' stands for a village in

Álava Álava ( in Spanish) or Araba (), officially Araba/Álava, is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Álava, former medieval Catholic bishopric and now Latin titular see. Its c ...

(Spain), ultimatel
meaning 'meadow'
(plus article -a). South American members of this genus are known as ''jarillas'' and can produce fertile interspecific hybrids. One of the more notable species is the creosote bush ('' L. tridentata'') of the southwestern United States and northwestern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The

King Clone King Clone is thought to be the oldest Larrea tridentata, creosote bush ring in the Mojave Desert. The ring is estimated to be 11,700 years old, making it one of the List of long-living organisms, oldest living organisms on Earth. This single c ...

ring in the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert ( ; mov, Hayikwiir Mat'aar; es, Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Southwestern United States. It is named for the indigenous Mojave people. It is located primarily ...

is a creosote bush clonal colony estimated to be about 11,700 years old.

Species

*'' Larrea ameghinoi'' *''

Larrea cuneifolia ''Larrea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the caltrop family, Zygophyllaceae. It contains five species of evergreen shrubs that are native to the Americas. The generic name honours Bishop Juan Antonio Hernández Pérez de Larrea, a patron of ...

'' *'' Larrea divaricata'' Cav. *''

Larrea nitida ''Larrea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the caltrop family, Zygophyllaceae. It contains five species of evergreen shrubs that are native to the Americas. The generic name honours Bishop Juan Antonio Hernández Pérez de Larrea, a patron o ...

'' *''

Larrea tridentata ''Larrea tridentata'', called creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb, and ''gobernadora'' (Spanish for "governess") in Mexico, due to its ability to secure more water by inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. In S ...

'' (DC.) Coville – creosote bush

References

* T. J. Mabry, J. H. Hunziker, and D. R. Di Feo, D. R. (Eds.). ''Creosote Bush: Biology and Chemistry of ''Larrea'' in New World Deserts'' US/IBP Synthesis Series N° 6 (Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Inc. PA, 1977) * Juan H. Hunziker and Cecilia Comas, "''Larrea'' interspecific hybrids revisited (Zygophyllaceae)" ''

Darwiniana ''Darwiniana: Essays and Reviews Pertaining to Darwinism'' is a collection of essays by botanist Asa Gray, first published in 1876. These widely read essays both defended the theory of evolution from the standpoint of botany and sought reconciliat ...

'', 40(1-4): pp. 33–38 (2002)

External links

Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles {{rosid-stub