Psorothamnus scoparius (Broom dalea)

Plants: Rounded perennial shrubs are up to 2′ (60 cm) in size. Leaves fall off early, leaving tangled branches whitish with fine hairs, and amber-colored glands.

Leaves: When present, leaves are simple (rarely 3-foliate), linear, and 2½–4″ long ⨉ ~1/32″ wide (7–11 cm ⨉ 0.8–1.2 mm). Glands appear in two rows along leaf margins.

Flowers: Purple flowers appear after rains, along with a few leaves, in June to September. They form small clusters on branch tips. Each flower is ¼–⅜″ (8–10 mm) in size, with one upright “banner” petal with a white spot. There are two side wings and two center keel-shaped petals, and five sepals.

Fruits: Pods are ⅛–¾″ long ⨉ 1/16″ wide (5–20 ⨉ 2 mm), hairy and glandular.

Habitats: Sandy washes, flats, hills; desert grasslands and scrub, At elevations of 3000–6000′ (914–1828 m)

8/27/2014 · Petroglyph National Monument, New Mexico · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
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	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Psorothamnus	From the Greek psoros, “mangy, scabby,” and thamnos, “bush,” thus “scabshrub”
Species	scoparius	Broom-like, alluding to the plant structure

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