FloraFinder.org
Home   About Us   FAQ  
Searching   Image Use Plant Books
x
FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet ssp. arcuata (Fosberg) Henrickson

Desert willow

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
SubclassAsteridaeA large class that encompasses asters
OrderLamialesAromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
FamilyBignoniaceaeAfter the Abbe Jean Paul Bignon (1662-1743)
GenusChilopsisFrom the Greek cheilos, “a lip,” and -opsis, “resemblance,” and thus referring to the distinctly lip-like shape of the calyx
SpecieslinearisLinear or lined
ssp.arcuataArched or bent like a bow

About plant names...

Desert willow is native to parts of the American southwest and Mexico. It prefers desert washes and water courses.

Plants: Shrubs or small trees, 5-30′ (1.5-9 m) in height. Bark is brown and rough, rarely more than 5″ (12 cm) around at the base.

Leaves: Smooth-edged, pale green, usually alternate, shaped like a grass blade, 4-10″ (10-26 cm) long.

Flowers: Soft and hairy, with two lips, purple, lavendar, pink, or white, or some combination thereof, with yellow and purple markings in the throat. Margins are jagged and wavy. Flowers are fragrant, and up to 1½″ (4 cm) around. Flowers appear from May to September.

Fruits: Brown tubular seed pods are less than 1′ (35 cm) long. Seeds are ⅛-⅜″ (6-12 mm) in size, winged, and are hairy on both ends.

Online References:

Wikimedia Commons (photos)

The Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association

Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert

CalPhotos

The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

The Jepson Manual

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet var. arcuata Fosberg

 

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm)

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia

Chilopsis linearis (desert willow)

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, Cali­fornia · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)

Range:

About this map...