| Pseudoziziphus parryi | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rhamnaceae |
| Genus: | Pseudoziziphus |
| Species: | P. parryi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudoziziphus parryi (Torr.) Hauenschild (2016)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Pseudoziziphus parryi, synonym Ziziphus parryi, is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family known by the common names Parry's jujube, California crucillo, Parry Abrojo, and lotebush.[2][3][4]
Description[edit]
Pseudoziziphus parryi is a bushy shrub with many intricate branches forming a thorny tangle which may approach 4 metres (13 ft) in height.
The leaves are deciduous and are absent for much of the year, leaving the shrub a naked thicket of brown or grayish twigs. The ends of the twigs taper into sharp-tipped thorns. The membranous olive green leaves are up to 2.5 centimeters long.
The inflorescence is a cluster of a few several yellowish or green-tinged, star-shaped flowers with five petals. The fruit is a dry drupe containing one seed.
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The plant is native to the Colorado Desert and southern Mojave Desert, and to the eastern slopes of the Peninsular Ranges in southern California and Baja California, Mexico.[2][5]
It can be found in chaparral and Sonoran Desert habitats.[2]