Cabeza Prieta Natural History Association
Sonoran Desert Plants

Disclaimer and Explanation

This list is approximately one fourth of the total of 473 entries in the list of plants. You may limit the list to plants that have specific characteristics by using the Plant Identificaton Form. Use the Key Word Search Form to generate a list of plants who's database record contain your search phrase.

List plants by common name: [A-C] | [D-G] | [H-R] | [S-Z] | [A-Z]

• Sacred datura, thornapple, western jimson (Datura discolor (Datura wrightii)) - perennial forb,halucinogenic and poisonous *
• Saguaro, Sahuara, Giant Cactus (Carnegia gigantea) - tall columnar cactus *
• Sahara mustard, wild turnip, mostaza (Brassica tournefortii) - annual forb,introduced,extremely invasive *
• Sahara mustard, wild turnip, mostaza (Brassica tournefortii) - annual forb,introduced,extremely invasive *
• Salt-cedar, tamarisk, salado, pino salado (Tamarix ramosissima) - medium tree,introduced,invasive
• Sand dropseed, zacate de arena (Sporobolus cryptandrus) - grass *
• Sand evening primrose (Camissonia arenaria) - annual forb
• Sand locoweed (Astragalus insularis var. harwoodii ) - annual forb *
• Sand peppergrass (Lepidium lasiocarpum) - annual forb *
• Sand peppergrass (Lepidium lasiocarpum) - annual forb *
• Sand Verbena (Abronia villosa) - perennial forb *
• Sandpaper plant (Petalonyx thurberi subsp. thurberi) - medium shrub
• Sangre-de-Cristo (Jatropha cardiophylla) - low shrub *
• Scale seed (Spermolepis echinata) - annual forb
• Scaly star fern (Astrolepis cochisensis ssp. Cochisensis) - fern
• Schott's wire-lettuce (Stephanomeria schottii) - annual forb
• Scorpionweed (Phacelia ambigua (Phacelia crenulata)) - annual forb *
• Screwbean mesquite (Prosopis pubescens) - medium tree *
• Seep willow, batamote (Baccharis salicifolia (B. glutinosa)) - tall shrub *
• Senita cactus (Lophocereus schottii) - tall columnar cactus *
• Serrate ditaxis (Ditaxis serrata var. serrata) - perennial forb
• Silky dalea (Dalea mollis) - perennial forb *
• Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa) - low arborescent cactus *
• Silver puffs (Uropappus lindleyi ) - annual forb *
• Silver puffs (Uropappus lindleyi ) - annual forb *
• Silver-leaf nightshade, white horse-nettle (Solanum eleagnifolium) - perennial forb
• Silversheath (Polygonum argyrocoleon) - annual forb
• Sixweeks fescue, eight-flowered fescue, fescua (Festuca octoflora (Vulpia octoflora)) - annual grass *
• Six-weeks grama, navajita, zacate liebrero (Bouteloua barbata) - annual grass *
• Six-weeks needle grama, aceitilla, navajita (Bouteloua aristidoides) - annual grass *
• Six-weeks three-awn, zacate tres barbas (Aristida adscensionis) - annual grass *
• Skeleton Weed (Eriogonum deflexum) - annual forb *
• Skeleton Weed (Eriogonum deflexum) - annual forb *
• Sleepy catchfly (Silene antirrhina) - annual forb
• Slender burrobrush (Hymenoclea monogyra) - low shrub
• Slim tridens (Tridens muticus var. muticus) - perennial grass *
• Slim-Jim bean, desert bean (Phaseolus filiformis) - annual forb *
• Slim-leaf ragweed, Estafiate (Ambrosia confertiflora) - perennial forb
• Small-flowered milkvetch (Astragalus nuttallianus var. imperfectus) - annual forb *
• Smoke tree (Psorothamnus spinosus) - small tree *
• Smooth desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata) - annual forb *
• Snapdragon vine (Maurandya antirrhinum) - non-woody vine *
• Sonora croton (Croton sonorae) - medium shrub *
• Sonoran silverbush (Ditaxis brandegeei var. intonsa) - low shrub
• Spanish needles (Palafoxia arida var. arida) - annual forb *
• Spectacle-pod (Dithyrea californica) - annual forb *
• Spidergrass, zacate arana (Aristida ternipes var. ternipes) - perennial grass *
• Spiderling (Boerhavia erecta var. erecta) - annual forb
• Spiderling (Boerhavia erecta var. intermedia) - annual forb
• Spiderling (Boerhavia spicata) - annual forb
• Spiderling (Boerhavia wrightii) - annual forb
• Spike pappusgrass, zacate lobero (Enneopogon desvauxii) - perennial grass *
• Spineless chain-fruit cholla (Opuntia fulgida var. mammillata) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Spiny goldenweed (Machaeranthera pinnatifida var. gooddingii) - perennial forb *
• Staghorn cholla (Opuntia versicolor) - medium arborescent cactus *
• Star cloak fern (Notholaena standleyi) - fern *
• Star gilia (Gilia stellata) - annual forb *
• Starry bedstraw (Galium stellatum var. eremicum) - low shrub *
• Stickleaf, silver blazing-star, pega pega (Mentzelia involucrata var. megacantha) - annual forb *
• Stickseed (Lappula redowskii) - annual forb
• Sticky sprangletop, zacate salado pegajoso (Leptochloa viscida) - annual grass *
• Stillingia (Stillingia linearifolia) - perennial forb *
• Stinking lovegrass, zacate apestoso (Eragrostis cilianensis) - introduced annual grass *
• Strawberry hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) - low columnar cactus *
• Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea var. aspera) - low shrub *
• Tanglehead, zacate colorado (Heteropogon contortus) - perennial grass *
• Tansy mustard (Descurainia pinnata) - annual forb *
• Tansy mustard (Descurainia pinnata) - annual forb *
• Teddy bear cholla (Opuntia bigelovii) - low arborescent cactus *
• Texas virgin bower (Clematis drummondii) - woody vine
• Thomas buckwheat (Eriogonum thomasii) - annual forb *
• Thornber fishhook cactus, cabeza de viejo (Mammillaria thornberi) - short pincushion cactus
• Threadstem (Nemacladus glanduliferus var. orientalis) - annual forb
• Thurber buckwheat (Eriogonum thurberi) - annual forb
• Thurber's Desert Honeysuckle, Chuparosa (Anisacanthus thurberi) - medium shrub *
• Trailing four-o'clock (Allionia incarnata) - annual forb *
• Triangle-leaf bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea) - low shrub *
• Triangle-leaf bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea) - low shrub *
• Triangle-seed blazing-star, pega pega (Mentzelia affinis) - annual forb *
• Trixis (Trixis californica) - low shrub *
• Trixis (Trixis californica) - low shrub *
• Turpentine broom (Thamnosma montana) - shrub
• Turpentine bush (Ericamera laricifolia) - low shrub *
• Twinberry, rough menodora (Menodora scabra) - perennial forb
• Velcro plant (Eucnide rupestris) -
• Velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina) - medium tree *
• Velvetpod mimosa (Mimosa dysocarpa) - medium shrub *
• Vervain (Verbena officinalis ssp. halei) - perennial forb
• Wavy cloak fern (Astrolepis sinuata) - fern *
• Wedge-leaf draba (Draba cuneifolia var. integrifolia) - annual forb *
• Western honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana) - medium tree *
• Wheel-scale orach, chamiso cenizo (Atriplex elegans ssp fasciculata) - annual forb
• Wheel-scale orach, chamiso cenizo (Atriplex elegans ssp. elegans) - annual forb
• White burro-bush (Hymenoclea salsola var. pentalepis) - low shrub *
• White bursage (Ambrosia dumosa) - low shrub *
• White easter bonnets, woolly daisy (Eriophyllum lanosum) - annual forb *
• White easter bonnets, woolly daisy (opposite leaves) (Eriophyllum lanosum) - annual forb *
• White ratany (Krameria grayi) - low shrub *
• White tackstem (Calycoseris wrightii) - annual forb *
• White-ball acacia, fern acacia (Acacia angustissima) - medium shrub *
• White-haired bristlegrass, zacate temprano (Setaria leucopila) - grass *
• White-haired cryptantha (Cryptantha maritima var. maritima) - annual forb
• White-haired cryptantha (Cryptantha maritima var.pilosa) - annual forb
• White-stem blazing star (Mentzelia albicaulis) - annual forb
• White-stem milkweed, yamate (Asclepias albicans) - medium shrub *
• Whitethorn acacia (with spines) (Acacia constricta) - tall shrub *
• Whitethorn acacia (without spines) (Acacia constricta) - tall shrub *
• Wilcoxia (Peniocereus striatus) - sprawling cactus *
• Wild barley, cebadilla silvestre (Hordeum murinum ssp. Glaucum) - introduced annual grass *
• Wild buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) - low shrub *
• Wild carrot, Zanahoria silvestre (Daucus pusillus) - annual forb *
• Willow-herb evening primrose (Camissonia chamaenerioides) - annual forb
• Winged cryptantha (Cryptantha holoptera) - annual forb
• Wing-nut cryptantha (Cryptantha pterocarya var. cycloptera) - annual forb *
• Wiry lotus (Lotus rigidus) - annual forb *
• Wolfberry, bachata, salicieso (Lycium berlandieri) - medium shrub *
• Wolfberry, bachata, salicieso (Lycium cooperi) - medium shrub *
• Woody bottle-washer (Camissonia boothii ssp. Condensata) - annual forb *
• Woolly desert-marigold, Tecomblate (Baileya pleniradiata) - perennial forb *
• Woolly desert-marigold, Tecomblate (Baileya pleniradiata) - perennial forb
• Woolly heads (Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis) - annual forb
• Woolly heads (Nemacaulis denudata var. gracilis) - annual forb
• Woolly plantain, Indian wheat, pastora (Plantago ovata (Plantago insularis var. fastigiata)) - annual forb
• Wooly crinklemat, oreja del perro (Tiquilia canescens) - low shrub *
• Wooly crinklemat, oreja del perro (Tiquilia canescens) - low shrub *
• Wright buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii var. pringlei) - subshrub
• Wright buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii var. pringlei) - subshrub
• Wrinkled spine-flower (Chorizanthe corrugata) - annual forb
• Yellow desert primrose (Oenothera primiveris) - annual forb *
• Yellow head, yellowdome (Trichoptilium incisum) - annual forb *
• Yellow Indian-mallow (Abutilon malacum) - perennial forb
• Yellow nutgrass, coquillo, amarillo, cebollin (Cyperus esculentus var. esculentus) - sedge
• Yellow thimblehead (Hymenothrix wislizeni) - forb
• Yellow thimblehead (Hymenothrix wislizenii) - forb
• Yucca (Yucca arizonica) - succulent *

The scope of this page is to provide links to information and images of most or all of the plant species native to the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona. Currently, not all the species in this region are on the list, but more will be added from time to time. Information and images for species already on the list are continually being added and updated. Because of this, be sure to check back occasionally.

The plant identification page and the plant images are meant to be only a first step in the identification process. In spite of our best efforts, it is not possible to insure that 100% accuracy in identifying unknown plants can be obtained by using search keys and photographs. When it is of critical importance to be absolutely sure of the identification of a plant, a specimen must be examined by a professional botanist and verified at a recognized herbarium.

* Specie page has photos.

Questions and comments are encouraged. If you have any of these or are in disagreement with any information or images being presented, please contact us at, content_mgr@cabezaprieta.org Feedback is necessary to enable us to correct incorrect information and to further fine-tune the identification process.

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