Forbs of Chiricahua National Monument (Part 1)

Trianthema portulacastrum is a species of flowering plant in the ice plant family known by the common names desert horse purslane, black pigweed, and giant pigweed. It is native to areas of several continents, including Africa and North and South America, and present as an introduced species in many other areas. It grows in a wide variety of habitat types and it can easily take hold in disturbed areas and cultivated land as a weed. It... less ↑

Alternanthera caracasana is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common names khakiweed, washerwoman and mat chaff flower. It is native to Central and South America but is well-known elsewhere as a noxious weed. It is naturalized in some areas and invasive in others and can be found across the southern half of the United States, Australia (where many people are unaware it is not native) and in Spain and parts... less ↑

Amaranthus palmeri is a species of edible flowering plant in the amaranth genus. It has several common names, including Palmer's amaranth, Palmer amaranth, Palmer's pigweed, and carelessweed. It is native to most of the southern half of North America. Populations in the eastern United States are probably naturalized. It has also been introduced to Europe, Australia, and other areas. The plant is fast-growing and highly competitive. less ↑

Amaranthus powellii is a species of amaranth known by the common names Powell's amaranth and green amaranth. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, but it is common throughout most of the rest of the temperate Americas as a naturalized species. It has also been introduced to other continents, including Australia and Europe. This is an erect annual herb growing to a maximum height near two meters. It has leaves up to... less ↑

Blitum nuttallianum, (Syn. Monolepis nuttalliana) is a species of flowering plant in the amaranth family known by the common name Nuttall's povertyweed. It is native to North America, where it is widespread and common from Alaska to Mexico to New England. It can be found in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas, often favoring wet places. It is a fleshy annual herb producing two or more erect, reddish, hairless stems up to about 40 centimeters... less ↑

Cymopterus multinervatus is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name purplenerve springparsley. It is a perennial herb native to the southwestern United States, including the desert regions. It is stemless, producing leaves and inflorescence at ground level from a taproot. The leaves are erect on petioles of a few centimeters in length, with a fleshy blade dissected into waxy multilobed leaflets. The inflorescence arises on a stout purple or... less ↑

Lomatium nevadense is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common name Nevada biscuitroot. It is native to the western United States and northern Mexico, where it is known from several different habitat types, including sagebrush and woodlands. It is a perennial herb growing up to about 45 centimeters tall from a taproot. The leaves are up to about 16centimeters long, their blades divided into many oblong pointed segments. The inflorescence... less ↑

The monotypic genus Yabea contains the single species Yabea microcarpa, which is known by the common names California hedge parsley and false carrot. It is similar in appearance to other species of wild carrot and relatives. It is native to western North America, including the western United States, British Columbia and Baja California. It grows in many types of habitat. less ↑

Apocynum cannabinum (Dogbane, Amy Root, Hemp Dogbane, Indian Hemp, Rheumatism Root, or Wild Cotton) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America - in the southern half of Canada and throughout the United States. It is a poisonous plant: Apocynum means "poisonous to dogs". All parts of the plant are poisonous and can cause cardiac arrest if ingested. The cannabinum in the scientific name and the common names Hemp Dogbane and Indian... less ↑

Asclepias linaria is a species of milkweed known by the common name pineneedle milkweed. It is native to the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of northern Mexico and the US states of California and Arizona. This is a large erect perennial herb or shrub coated in hairs and many narrow, green leaves which resemble pine needles. The inflorescence is an umbel-like cluster of flowers, each with pink-tinted rounded hoods at the center and greenish reflexed corollas. The... less ↑

Asclepias nyctaginifolia is a species of milkweed known by the common name Mojave milkweed. It is native to the southwestern United States from California to New Mexico, where it grows mainly in desert habitat. This is a perennial herb growing up to about half a meter in maximum height when erect, but often bending or drooping. The thick leaves are oval to lance-shaped and arranged in opposite pairs about the stem. The leaves and stem are... less ↑

Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennial plant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and asparagus in the Asparagaceae. Asparagus officinalis is native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, and is widely cultivated as a vegetable crop. less ↑

Maianthemum stellatum (star-flowered, starry, or little false Solomon's seal, or simply false Solomon's seal; starry false lily-of-the-valley; syn. Smilacina stellata) is a species of flowering plant, native across North America generally from Alaska to California in the west and from Newfoundland to the central Appalachian Mountains in the east. An everchanging seasonal plant with little white buds in the spring, followed by delicate starry flowers, then green-and-black striped berries (see image gallery) and finally deep red... less ↑

Milla biflora, Mexican star, is a species of flowering plant native to Arizona, New Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, where it grows at 1,000–2,700 m (3,300–8,900 ft) elevation. It is perennial, growing from a 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) corm, and flowering in summer. Inflorescences of 1–9 white flowers are borne on scapes 4–55 cm (1.6–21.7 in) long. The 2–10 leaves are each 1 mm (0.04 in) wide and half to equally as long as the scape. The fruits are ovoid capsules, 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) long. less ↑

Ageratina herbacea is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names fragrant snakeroot and Apache snakeroot. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in several habitat types. This is a perennial herb growing a green, fuzzy stem from a woody caudex to heights between about 50 and 70 centimeters. The leaves are yellow to green or grayish and are triangular to heart-shaped. The... less ↑

Tarragon, (Artemisia dracunculus) is a species of perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. One sub-species, Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, is cultivated for use of the leaves as an aromatic culinary herb. In some other sub-species, the characteristic aroma is largely absent. The species is polymorphic. Informal names for distinguishing the variations include "French tarragon" (best for culinary use), "Russian tarragon" (typically better than wild tarragon but not as good as so-called French tarragon for culinary use),... less ↑

Centaurea melitensis (called Maltese star thistle in Europe, tocalote or tocolote in western North America) is an annual plant of the Asteraceae, 1- 11 dm high, with resin-dotted leaves and spine-tipped phyllaries. This plant is native to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Africa. It was introduced to North America in the 18th Century; the first documented occurrence in California is in the adobe of a building constructed in San Fernando in 1797. It is also... less ↑

Chaetopappa ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names rose heath and heath-leaved chaetopappa. It is native to the southwestern and much of the midwestern United States and northern Mexico. This is a petite perennial herb reaching heights between 5 and 15 centimeters. The hairy, glandular stem grows from a woody caudex and branches several times. The green leaves are up to about a centimeter long and are... less ↑

Cirsium neomexicanum is a species of thistle known by the common names New Mexico thistle, powderpuff thistle, lavender thistle, foss thistle and desert thistle. This plant is native to the southwestern United States, particularly the Mojave Desert. It is a tall plant, routinely exceeding 2 meters in height. It erects a stem which may have webby fibers and long, stiff spines. The sparse leaves are greenish-gray, hairy, and very spiny. Atop the mainly naked stems are... less ↑

Cirsium ochrocentrum is a species of thistle known by the common name yellowspine thistle. It is native to the central United States, but its distribution is somewhat wider, reaching to California and into Mexico where the plant has been introduced. It is a weed which grows in disturbed areas such as roadsides. This is a perennial herb growing up to a meter tall with one to twenty white woolly stems per plant. The leaves are generally... less ↑

Cirsium undulatum is a species of thistle known by the common names wavyleaf thistle and gray thistle. It is native to much of central and western North America from Canada to Mexico, and present outside of its native range as an introduced species. It is widespread and found in many habitat types. It is a perennial herb exceeding two meters in maximum height. The stem branches a few times toward the top of the plant if... less ↑

Cosmos parviflorus (Jacq.) Pers. is a plant species in the family Asteraceae. Common names include "Southwestern Cosmos" in the US and "juve" or "aceitilla blanca" in Mexico. In many places it is a common weed in agricultural fields, although it also grows in grassy meadows in forested areas. The species appears to be native in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Collections have also been made from Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Rhode Island, although it... less ↑

Machaeranthera canescens (syn. Dieteria canescens) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names hoary tansyaster and hoary-aster. It is native to western and central North America, where it is a common plant in many regions and habitat types. It is a woolly-haired, glandular annual or perennial herb with one or more branching stems sometimes exceeding a meter in height. The linear to oblong leaves may reach 10 centimeters long... less ↑

Ericameria laricifolia is a species of flowering shrub in the daisy family known by the common name turpentine bush, or turpentine-brush. This plant is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in desert scrub and woodland. This shrub reaches one half to one meter in height, is generally hairless, somewhat glandular, and aromatic. It sometimes has naked stems at the base but the upper branches are densely foliated in needlelike, pointed... less ↑