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Jojoba
(Simmondsia chinesis)
WEST OF OLD MAIN'S SOUTHWEST CORNER
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Jojoba |
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(Simmondsia chinesis) |
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WEST OF OLD MAIN'S SOUTHWEST CORNER |
| 26 | This compact shrub - at one time thought to be a desert relative of boxwood - produces a nut rich in oils and waxes which rivals the valuable sperm whale oil in quality. Much work is now being done to grow this plant commercially, and perhaps save the whale from predation. |
| In Depth | Simmondsia chinesis, Jojoba |
| Location: WEST OF OLD MAIN'S SOUTHWEST CORNER | |
| Family: Simmondsiaceae | |
| Distribution: SW US, NW Mexico; abundant. | |
| Habitat: rocky slopes and hillsides, along washes | |
| Habit: dense shrub | |
| Flowering: Feb - Apr | |
| Natural History Notes: Jojoba is an abundant and distinctive resident of the Sonoran desert. The jojoba plant is so distinct that it is alone in its genus and family, and its closest relatives are unclear. The plant is dioecious, so individual plants are either male or female. It is more common, in flowering plants, to have both the male and female parts together in one flower, rather than on separate individual plants. Male plants produce flowers with copious amounts of pollen which is carried by the wind to nearby female plants. A jojoba's gender can easily be told by the structure of the inflorescence; male flowers are produced in clusters whereas female flowers are produced singly. |