Common Name:

General Information

Psorothamnus emoryi is a perennial plant, sometimes herbaceous when young, with stems that become more or less woody as the plant ages. The plant usually eventually becomes a rounded shrub around 30 - 100cm tall and up to twice as wide[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southwestern N. America - southern California, southern Arizona, Mexico (Baja Norte, Baja Sur, Sonora)

Habitat

Dunes, sandy flats, washes; usually at elevations up to 350 metres, occasionally to 700 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The petals quickly stain fingers or paper with their yellow juice[].
A saffron-like dye is obtained from the calyces[].

The stems are used in basket making[].

Propagation

Like many species within the family Fabaceae, once they have ripened and dried the seeds of this species may benefit from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[].