Aloysia wrightii
Encyclopedia
Aloysia wrightii is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family
known by the common names Wright's beebrush and oreganillo. It is native to the Sonoran Desert of southwestern United States
and northern Mexico
, where it can be found in moist desert canyons, scrub, and woodland habitat. This is a thickly branching shrub
which reaches nearly two meters in maximum height and is generally rounded in form. It has small, oval-shaped to nearly round leaves each no more than two centimeters long. The leaves have lightly toothed edges and hairy undersides. The inflorescence
is a narrow, woolly spike up to 6 centimeters long, with small, widely spaced white flowers. It is a valuable nectar source for native solitary bees.
Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...
known by the common names Wright's beebrush and oreganillo. It is native to the Sonoran Desert of southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where it can be found in moist desert canyons, scrub, and woodland habitat. This is a thickly branching shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which reaches nearly two meters in maximum height and is generally rounded in form. It has small, oval-shaped to nearly round leaves each no more than two centimeters long. The leaves have lightly toothed edges and hairy undersides. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a narrow, woolly spike up to 6 centimeters long, with small, widely spaced white flowers. It is a valuable nectar source for native solitary bees.