Holloman AFB Naturalist Guide
Research-grade observations from Holloman AFB, NM.
fourwing saltbush
Atriplex canescens, chamiso, chamiza, four wing saltbush, four-wing saltbush, and fourwing saltbush, is a species of evergreen shrub in the Amaranthaceae family, which is native to the western and mid-western United States.
Indian rushpea
Hoffmannseggia glauca is a dicot found in the legume family, Fabaceae. Its common names include Indian rushpea, hog potato, and pig nut.
King Ranch bluestem
Bothriochloa ischaemum is a species of perennial grass in the family Poaceae, found throughout much of the world. It is commonly known as yellow bluestem. Two varieties are recognized, of which Bothriochloa ischaemum var. ischaemum is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa and naturalized elsewhere, and var. songarica is native to Asia and naturalized ...more ↓
Lilac chaste tree
Vitex agnus-castus, also called vitex, chaste tree, chasteberry, Abraham's balm, lilac chastetree, or monk's pepper, is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and sub-tropical flowering plants. Theophrastus mentioned the shrub several ...more ↓
Christmas cholla
Cylindropuntia leptocaulis, the desert Christmas cactus, desert Christmas cholla, or tasajillo, is a cactus.
prostrate sandmat
Euphorbia prostrata is a species of spurge known by the common name prostrate spurge or prostrate sandmat.
Iodinebush
Allenrolfea occidentalis, the iodine bush, is a low-lying shrub of the Southwestern United States, California, Idaho, and northern Mexico....
parralena
Thymophylla pentachaeta, also known as fiveneedle pricklyleaf, golden dyssodia or dogweed, is a perennial or subshrub in the Asteraceae family. The species is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico.
honey mesquite
Prosopis glandulosa, commonly known as honey mesquite, is a species of small to medium-sized, thorny shrub or tree in the legume family (Fabaceae).
spotted spurge
Euphorbia maculata, variously called spotted spurge or prostrate spurge, the latter name not to be confused with Euphorbia prostrata, is a fast-growing annual plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, native to North America. It is a common garden and lawn weed in the United States.
trailing windmills
Allionia, commonly known as windmills or trailing four o'clock, is a genus of two species widespread in the western hemisphere. They are unusual in their blooms, which actually consist of three separate flowers appearing to be a single flower.
harmel
Peganum harmala, commonly called esfand, wild rue, Syrian rue, African rue, harmel, or aspand (among other similar pronunciations and spellings), is a plant of the family Nitrariaceae. Its common English-language name came about because of a resemblance to rue (which is not related). The plant's seeds are especially noteworthy because ...more ↓
alkali heliotrope
Heliotropium curassavicum is a species of heliotrope that is native to much of the Americas, from Canada to Argentina, and can be found on other continents as an introduced species. It is known by several common names, such as seaside heliotrope, salt heliotrope, monkey tail, quail plant and "Chinese parsley" (although this last name is also used for coriander). in ...more ↓
Mexican palo verde
Parkinsonia aculeata is a species of perennial flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include palo verde, Mexican palo verde, Parkinsonia, Jerusalem thorn, and jelly bean tree.
silverleaf nightshade
Solanum elaeagnifolium, the silverleaf nightshade or silver-leaved nightshade, is a common weed of western North America and also found in South America. Other common names include prairie berry, silverleaf nettle, white horsenettle or silver nightshade. In South Africa it is known as silver-leaf bitter-apple or ...more ↓
cane bluestem
Bothriochloa barbinodis is a species of grass known by the common name cane bluestem. It is native to the Americas, including most of South and Central America, Mexico, and the southernmost continental United States from California to Florida.
Fluffgrass
Dasyochloa is a monotypic genus containing the single species Dasyochloa pulchella (formerly Erioneuron pulchellum), known as desert fluff-grass or low woollygrass, a densely tufted perennial grass found in the deserts of the southwestern United States.
tree cholla
The cane cholla (or walking stick cholla, tree cholla, chainlink cactus, etc.) (Cylindropuntia imbricata) is a cactus found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, including some cooler regions in comparison to many other cacti. It occurs primarily in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States in the states of Oklahoma, Texas, ...more ↓
crown of thorns
Koeberlinia spinosa is a species of flowering plant native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico known by several common names, including crown of thorns, allthorn, and crucifixion thorn. It is one of two species of the genus Koeberlinia, which is sometimes considered to be the only genus in the plant family Koeberliniaceae. ...more ↓
purple prickly pear
Opuntia macrocentra, the long-spined purplish prickly pear or purple pricklypear, is a cactus found in the lower Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. A member of the prickly pear genus, this species of Opuntia is most notable as one of a few cacti that produce a purple pigmentation in the stem. Other common names for this plant include ...more ↓
Salt Grass
Distichlis spicata is a species of grass known by several common names, including seashore saltgrass, inland saltgrass, and desert saltgrass. This grass is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It can be found on other continents as well, where it is naturalized. It is extremely salt tolerant.
henbit deadnettle
Lamium amplexicaule, commonly known as henbit dead-nettle, common henbit, or greater henbit, is a species of Lamium native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa.
London rocket
Sisymbrium irio, known as London rocket, is a plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual herb exceeding three feet in height with open, slender stem branches. The flowers are small with four pale yellow petals. The basal leaves are broad and often lobed, while the upper leaves are linear in shape and up to four inches long. The fruit is a long narrow cylindrical ...more ↓
purple three-awn
Aristida purpurea is a species of grass native to North America which is known by the common name purple three-awn. This grass is fairly widespread and can be found across the western two thirds of the United States, much of southern Canada and parts of northern Mexico. It is most abundant on the plains.
mat sandbur
Cenchrus longispinus is a species of grass, also known as spiny burr grass or gentle Annie. Its fruits are clumped into "burrs" with sharp, barbed spines that can penetrate the hides and mouth of grazing animals. They can also become lodged in human clothing, causing some discomfort.
cowpen daisy
Verbesina encelioides is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. The species is native to many parts of the United States and Mexico. It is naturalized in other parts of North America, the Middle East, Spain, Argentina, Australia and the Pacific islands. Common names include golden crownbeard, cowpen daisy, butter daisy, crown-beard, American ...more ↓
desert willow
Chilopsis is a monotypic genus of flowering plants containing the single species Chilopsis linearis.
Tahoka daisy
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names tansyleaf tansyaster and Tahoka daisy. It is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern and central United States, where it grows in several types of habitat. It is an annual or biennial herb growing one or more branching stems up to about 70 centimetres ...more ↓
woolly tidestromia
Tidestromia lanuginosa is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name woolly tidestromia.
horsetail milkweed
Asclepias subverticillata, also known as whorled milkweed, is a plant found in the United States.
