Castela emoryi

Emory's crucifixion-thorn, Emory's Crucifixion-Thorn

Family: Simaroubaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Emory's crucifixion-thorn is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native shrub found in the southern Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert in dry, gravelly washes, slopes, and plains at elevations around 650 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces small flowers approximately 6 to 8 millimeters in diameter, nestled in stiff, much-branched panicles. Growing as an intricately branched shrub often less than 1 meter tall but occasionally reaching up to 4 meters, it features dense puberulent young branches that create a complex, intricate form. Its leaves are ephemeral and rarely seen, making the plant's structural architecture its most distinctive feature. The fruit is approximately 6 millimeters wide with a flat top and rounded base, sometimes persisting for several years.

Habitat: Dry, gravelly washes, slopes, plains

Bloom period: Jun-Jul

Elevation: +- 650 m.

Bioregions: s DMoj (exc DMtns), DSon

California counties: San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Inyo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.