Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba)

Simmondsia chinensis (Link) C.K. Schneid.

Buxus chinensis Link

Simmondsia californica Nutt.

Jojoba, pignut, goat nut, deer nut, wild hazel, quinine nut, coffeeberry

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	Caryophyllidae	Cacti, many other succulents, carnivorous plants, and leadworts
Order	Caryophyllales	Includes cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, and many carnivorous plants
Family	Simmondsiaceae
Genus	Simmondsia	After Thomas William Simmonds (1767-1804), an English botanist and physician who died exploring Trinidad
Species	chinensis	Of or referring to China

About plant names...

Jojoba (pronounced “huh-HO-buh”) is native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts in the American southwest and Mexico. Plants live for 100-200 years. It contains a liquid wax that is extracted commercially for its high stability and high tolerance of heat.

Identification: Jojoba is a dense shrub reaching 3-6½' (1-2 m). Leaves are gray-green or blue-green in color, and ¾-1¾" (2-5 cm) long × ½-1" (1.5-3 cm) wide. Flowers are greenish yellow, and lack true petals (though the leafy bracts look like green petals). Fruits are berries up to 1" (2.5 cm) in diameter.

Medical: Jojoba, which is apparently an emetic, was used as a folk medicine by Baja California indians for a wide range of ailments ranging from colds and head sores to cancer.

Edibility: Jojoba nuts are edible when roasted; they can also be used to make coffee. Recipes here.

Online References:

Simmondsia chinensis at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Center for Sonoran Desert Studies

Simmondsia chinensis on cals.arizona.edu

Simmondsia chinensis on hort.purdue.edu

Simmondsia chinensis on Desert-tropicals.com

Simmondsia chinensis on Wikipedia

5/2/2018 · Pinto Basin Road, Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

5/2/2018 · Forty-nine Palms Canyon Trail, Forty-nine Palms Oasis, Joshua Tree, California
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Spring, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

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

5/2/2018 · Forty-nine Palms Canyon Trail, Forty-nine Palms Oasis, Joshua Tree, California
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

Simmondsia chinensis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

5/2/2018 · Cottonwood Spring, Joshua Tree National Park, California

Female. · 2/28/2010 · Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California
≈ 3½ × 2½' (1.2 × 0.8 m)

5/2/2018 · Bajada Trail, Joshua Tree National Park, California
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 8.7 cm)

5/2/2018 · Pinto Basin Road, Joshua Tree National Park
≈ 10 × 6" (24 × 16 cm)

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

Range:

About this map...