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Psorothamnus schottii (Torr.) Barneby

Indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderFabalesLegumes (pea and bean families)
FamilyFabaceaeLegume family (peas and beans)
GenusPsorothamnusFrom the Greek psoros, “mangy, scabby,” and thamnos, “bush,” thus “scabshrub”
SpeciesschottiiAfter Arthur Carl Victor Schott (1814-1875), one of the naturalists of the Mexican Boundary Survey

About plant names...

Schott’s delea is native to western North America. They prefer gravelly to sandy slopes, benches, and washes, at elevations below 1969′ (600 m).

Plants: Large, densely branched spiny shrubs, reaching 10′ (3 m). Branches are dotted with glands.

Leaves: ½-1″ (1.3-2.5 cm) long and only 1/16″ (1.6 mm) wide, essentially needles, blue-gray or green, covered with very minute hairs that make them appear whitish. Some­times they are in groups of two or three.

Flowers: Deep purple-blue, pea-shaped, ¼-⅜″ (7-10 mm) across, in groups of 5-20 flowers.

Fruits: Roughly egg-shaped, ¼-⅜″ (7-10 mm) long, with raised dark red spots.

Online References:

CalPhotos

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Www.worldbotanical.com (Psorothamnus)

The Jepson Manual

 

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Ocotillo Patch, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

These similar species are most easily distinguished by leaf shape:

 
Psorothamnus spinosus
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Psorothamnus schottii
Common Name

smoke tree

indigo bush
Plant Large shrub or small tree, heavily branched, irregular in shape, spiny, up to 20′ (6.1 m) tall. Large, densely branched spiny shrub, reaching 10′ (3 m).
Flowers Dark purple to deep blue, pea-shaped flowers, ¼-5/16″ (6.3-8.3 mm) across, in loose clusters. Deep purple-blue, pea-shaped flowers, ¼-5/16″ (6.3-8.3 mm) across, in loose 4-inch-long clusters.
Leaves Nearly leafless, but has small bluish-gray wedge-shaped leaves that are widest near the top, ¼″ (8.5 mm) long. Needle-shaped, ½-1″ (1.3-2.5 cm) long and only 1/16″ (1.6 mm) wide, blue-gray or green.
Fruit Roughly egg-shaped, ¼″ (8.3 mm) long, one end pointed, with dark red spots. Fruits are roughly egg-shaped, ¼″ (8.3 mm) long, with raised dark red spots.
Range/ Zones

Habitats   Creosote bush scrub
Type Wild Wild

 

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Ocotillo Patch, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Dalea schottii Torr.

Dalea schottii Torr. var. puberula (Parish) Munz

 

Psorothamnus schottii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 13 Oct 2021.

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Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 4 × 6″ (11 × 16 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Ocotillo Patch, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Ocotillo Patch, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

5/2/2018 · Ocotillo Patch, Joshua Tree National Park, Cali­fornia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Psorothamnus schottii (indigo bush, Schott indigobush, Schott's dalea, Schott’s dalea)

2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Cali­fornia

Range:

About this map...