List of flora of the Mojave Desert region

This list of flora of the Mojave Desert region catalogs the particular plants (flora) of the Mojave Desert and of the mountains that encircle the Mojave Desert, including the Little San Bernardino Mountains that divide the Mojave Desert from the Colorado Desert. Some flora grows well above the elevational limit of Yucca brevifolia (Joshua tree). The elevational limit of the Joshua tree delimits (marks the boundary of) the Mojave Desert.

The flora herein is arranged in several sublists to accommodate the various interests among readers; the sublists are arranged a) alphabetically by scientific name; b) alphabetically by plant family and then by scientific name; c) by growth pattern (e.g., tree, shrub, perennial) and then alphabetically by scientific name; d) by flower color (with duplicate entries when flower colors vary for a single species); and e) alphabetically by common name.

Each entry in the alphabetical list by scientific name is followed by the common name(s) (in bold and in parentheses), plant family, growth form(s), flower color(s), and a brief note on the etymology of the components of the scientific name.

List by scientific name

A Abronia nana S. Watson var. covillei; (Coville's dwarf abronia); Nyctaginaceae; perennial herb; white, lavender, pink flowers; June–August bloom; "Abronia" from Greek "abros" = "graceful or delicate" re bracts below flowers, "nana" = "small" from the Greek "nannos" = "dwarf" Abronia pogonanthaMojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd ed., 2013, (Mojave sand-verbena), Nyctaginaceae; "Abronia" from Greek "abros" = "graceful or delicate" (re bracts below flowers), Greek "pogon" = "beard" & "anthus" = "flowered" -> "pogonantha" = "bearded flowers" Abronia villosa var. villosa (desert sand-verbena), Nyctaginaceae four o'clock family; "Abronia" from Greek "abros" = "graceful or delicate" (re bracts below flowers), "villosa" = "hairy" Acacia greggii (renamed to Senegalia greggii) Acamptopappus shockleyi (Shockley's goldenhead); Asteraceae; Greek "a-kamptos" = "not-bent" & "pappos" = "pappus" (bristly sepals in Asteraceae flowers) -> "acamptopappus" = "unbent pappus", "shockleyi" = William Hillman Shockley - first to collect plants in the White Mountains Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus (rayless goldenhead); Asteraceae; Greek "a-kamptos" = "not-bent" & "pappos" = "pappus" (bristly sepals in Asteraceae flowers) -> "acamptopappus" = "unbent pappus", Greek "sphaero" = "sphere", "cephalis" = "Head" -> or "round-headed" (flower heads) Achyronychia cooperi (frost mat onyx flower), Caryophyllaceae Acmispon americanus (), Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit, "americanus" = "of America" Acmispon argophyllus (), Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit of genus type, "argos" "shining, bright, silver" -> "argophyllus" = "silver leaved" Acmispon brachycarpus (), Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit of genus type, "brachy" = "short", "karpos" = "fruit" -> "brachycarpus" = "short-bodied (fruit)" Acmispon glaber (), Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit of genus type, -> "glaber" = "without hairs", glabrous Acmispon tomentosus var. glabriusculus (syn. Acmispon heermanniii, Heermann's lotus) Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit of genus type Acmispon rigidus (desert rock-pea, Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit of genus type, Acmispon strigosus (stiff-haired lotus), Fabaceae; Greek "acme" = "point or edge" for hook-tipped fruit of genus type, Adenophyllum cooperi (Cooper's dyssodia, Cooper's glandweed), Asteraceae Aliciella latifolia (broad-leaved gilia), Polemoniaceae Allenrolfea occidentalis (iodine bush), Chenopodiaceae Allionia incarnata (windmills), Nyctaginaceae Alnus rhombifolia (white alder), Betulaceae Amaranthus fimbriatus (fringed amaranth), Amaranthaceae Ambrosia acanthicarpa (western sand-bur, annual bur-sage), Asteraceae Ambrosia dumosa (white bur-sage, burrobush), Asteraceae Ambrosia salsola (cheesebush, winged ragweed), Asteraceae Amsinckia tessellata (devil's lettuce, checker fiddleneck), Boraginaceae Amsonia tomentosa, Apocynaceae Anemopsis californica (yerba mansa), Saururaceae Anisocoma acaulis (scalebud), Asteraceae Arabis dispar (See Boechera dispar) Arabis pulchra var. gracilis (See Boechera pulchra) Argemone corymbosa (prickly poppy), Papaveraceae Arctostaphylos glauca (Ericaceae), big berry manzanita Argemone munita (chicalote), Papaveraceae Arida arizonica (Silver Lakes daisy), Asteraceae Artemisia douglasiana (Douglas' mugwort), Asteraceae Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon, wormwood), Asteraceae Artemisia ludoviciana (western mugwort), Asteraceae Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush, Great Basin sagebrush), Asteraceae Asclepias albicans, (wax milkweed), Apocynaceae Asclepias erosa (desert milkweed), Apocynaceae Asclepias fascicularis (narrow-leaf milkweed, Mexican whorled milkweed), Apocynaceae Aster subulatus (name changed to Symphyotrichum subulatum) Astragalus coccineus (scarlet milkvetch, scarlet locoweed), Fabaceae, perennial herb, red, "astragalos" = "ankle bone" for the shape of the seed, "coccineus" = "scarlet" Astragalus douglasii (Douglas' milkvetch), Fabaceae Astragalus jaegerianus (Lane Mountain milkvetch), Fabaceae Astragalus layneae (Layne milkvetch), Fabaceae Astragalus lentiginosus (Freckled milkvetch), Fabaceae Astragalus newberryi var. newberryi (Newberry milkvetch), Fabaceae Atrichoseris platyphylla (gravel ghost, parachute plant), Asteraceae Atriplex canescens (four-winged saltbrush), Chenopodiaceae, "canescens" = "covered with short white hairs" Atriplex confertifolia (shadscale), Chenopodiaceae Atriplex covillei (arrow-scale, Coville's orach), Chenopodiaceae Atriplex elegans (wheel-scale, Mecca orach), Chenopodiaceae Atriplex hymenelytra (desert holly), Chenopodiaceae Atriplex polycarpa (all-scale, cattle spinach), Chenopodiaceae Atriplex serenana (bractscale), Chenopodiaceae Atriplex spinifera (spiny saltbrush), Chenopodiaceae

B Baccharis salicifolia (mule fat), Asteraceae Baccharis salicina (Emory baccharis), Asteraceae Baccharis sergiloides (Squaw waterweed, desert baccharis), Asteraceae Baileya multiradiata (desert marigold), Asteraceae) Baileya pauciradiata (lax-flower, Colorado desert marigold), Asteraceae Baileya pleniradiata (wooly marigold), Asteraceae Bebbia juncea var. aspera (sweetbush), Asteraceae Boechera dispar (, Brassicaceae Boechera pulchra (beautiful rock-cress, Prince's rock cress), Brassicaceae Boerhavia triquetra (spiderling), Nyctaginaceae Bouteloua aristidoides (needle gramma), Poaceae Bouteloua barbata (six-week gramma), Poaceae Brandegea bigelovii (brandegea), Cucurbitaceae Brassica tournefortii (Sahara mustard), Brassicaceae Brickellia californica (brickellia), Asteraceae Brickellia desertorum (desert brickelbush), Asteraceae Brickellia incana (wooly brickellia), Asteraceae Brickellia longifolia (long-leaved brickellia), Asteraceae Brickellia oblongifolia var. linifolia (pinyon brickellia), Asteraceae Bromus madritensis (red brome, foxtail chess), Poaceae Buddleja utahensis (Panamint butterfly bush), Scrophulariaceae

C Calochortus kennedyi var. kennedyi (Mariposa lily), Liliaceae Calochortus striatus (alkali Mariposa lily), Liliaceae Calycoseris parryi (yellow tack-stem), Asteraceae Calycoseris wrightii (white tack-stem), Asteraceae Calyptridium monandrum (sand-cress), Montiaceae Camissonia campestris (Mojave sun cup, field primrose), Onagraceae Camissoniopsis pallida subsp. hallii (pale primrose), Hall's suncupCalflora, Camissoniopsis pallida (Abrams) W.L. Wagner & Hoch ssp. hallii (Davidson) W.L. Wagner & HochHall's sun cup,, Onagraceae Camissoniopsis pallida ssp. pallida (pale suncupCamissoniopsis pallida (Abrams) W.L. Wagner & Hoch ssp. pallida, Pale sun cup, ), Onagraceae Canbya candida (pygmy poppy), Papaveraceae Castela emoryi (crucifixion thorn), Simaroubaceae Castilleja chromosa (desert paintbrush), Orobanchaceae Castilleja exserta ssp. venusta (purple owl's clover), Orobanchaceae Castilleja plagiotoma (Mojave paintbrush), Orobanchaceae Caulanthus inflatus (desert candle), Brassicaceae Centrostegia thurberi (red triangles), Polygonaceae Chaenactis fremontii (Fremont pincushion, desert pincushion), Asteraceae Chaenactis macrantha (Mojave pincushion), Asteraceae Chaenactis stevioides (Steve's pincushion), Asteraceae Chamomilla suaveolens (common pineapple weed), Asteraceae Chamaesyce albomarginata (renamed to Euphorbia albomarginata) Chamaesyce setiloba (renamed to Euphorbia setiloba) Chrysothamnus nauseosus (See Ericameria nauseosa var. mohavensis Chrysothamnus paniculatus (See Ericameria paniculata Cheilanthes covillei (Coville's lip fern), Pteridaceae, Greek "cheilos" ="lip", "anthos" = "flower" for lip-like membrane (indusium) covering spore-bearing parts, "coillei" for botanist Frederick Vernon Coville Chenopodium californicum (pigweed), Chenopodiaceae Chilopsis linearis (desert willow), Bignoniaceae Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu (brittle spineflower), Polygonaceae, "chorizo" = "divided", "anthos" = "flower" (divided calyx in the flower), "brevi" = "short", "cornu" = "horn" Chorizanthe rigida (spiny-herb), Polygonaceae, "chorizo" = "divided", "anthos" = "flower" (divided calyx in the flower), rigida = stiff or rigid leaves Chylismia brevipes (golden evening primrose), Onagraceae Chylismia claviformis (brown-eyed primrose), Onagraceae Cirsium mohavense (Mojave thistle), Asteraceae Cirsium neomexicanum (desert thistle, Asteraceae Cirsium occidentale (western thistle), Asteraceae Cleomella obtusifolia (Mojave stinkweed), Cleomaceae Coleogyne ramosissima (blackbrush), Rosaceae Collinsia bartsiifolia var. davidsonii (Chinese houses), Plantaginaceae Cordylanthus eremicus (desert bird's-beak), Asteraceae Coreopsis bigelovii (See Leptosyne bigelovii Coryphantha chlorantha (fringe-flowered cactus), Cactaceae, Greek "koryphe" = "apex", "anthos" = "flower" Coryphantha alversonii (foxtail cactus), Cactaceae Coryphantha vivipara (viviparous foxtail cactus), Cactaceae Croton californicus (California croton), Euphorbiaceae Cryptantha circumscissa (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha angustifolia (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha intermedia (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha maritima (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha micrantha (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha nevadensis (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha pterocarva (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cryptantha spp. (forget-me-not), Boraginaceae Cucurbita palmata (coyote melon), Cucurbitaceae Cuscuta denticulata (small-toothed dodder), Convolvulaceae Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. coloradensis (buckhorn cholla, staghorn cholla), Cactaceae Cylindropuntia echinocarpa (silver cholla), Cactaceae Cylindropuntia ramosissima (pencil cholla), Cactaceae Cymopterus deserticola (desert cymopterus), Apiaceae Cymopterus terebinthinus, (turpentine cymopterus), Apiaceae Cynanchum utahense (synonym of Funastrum utahense)

D Dalea mollissima (silk dalea), Fabaceae Dasyochloa pulchella (desert fluff-grass), Poaceae Datura wrightii (jimson weed, thorn-apple, sacred datura), Solanaceae Dedeckera eurekensis (July gold), Polygonaceae Deinandra arida (Red Rock tarplant), Asteraceae Delphinium parishii (desert larkspur), Ranunculaceae Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. pauciflorus (desert hyacinth), Themidaceae Dicoria canescens (bugseed), Asteraceae, "canescens" = "covered with short white hairs" Dieteria canescens (hoary aster), Asteraceae, "canescens" = "covered with short white hairs" Distichlis spicata (saltgrass), Poaceae Dithyrea californica (spectacle-pod), Brassicaceae Dudleya saxosa ssp. aliodes (desert live-forever), Crassulaceae Dudleya saxosa ssp. saxosa (Panamint dudleya), Crassulaceae

E Echinocactus polycephalus (cotton-top), synonym of Homalocephala polycephala, Cactaceae Echinocereus engelmannii (hedge-hog cactus, calico cactus), Cactaceae