Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata (Desert willow)

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

Desert willow

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Bignoniaceae	After the Abbe Jean Paul Bignon (1662-1743)
Genus	Chilopsis	From the Greek cheilos, “a lip,” and -opsis, “resemblance,” and thus referring to the distinctly lip-like shape of the calyx
Species	linearis	Linear or lined
ssp.	arcuata	Arched 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 14" (35 cm) long. Seeds are ⅛-⅜" (6-12 mm) in size, winged, and are hairy on both ends.

Online References:

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata on Wikimedia Commons (photos)

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata at the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata at Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata on CalPhotos

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network

Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata from the Jepson Manual

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

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

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.

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

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

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

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

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

4/30/2018 · Kelso Depot Visitor Center, Mojave National Preserve, California
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

Range:

About this map...