Jan 28, 2018
Male flowers of the dioecious Simmondsia chinensis, the jojoba shrub. "Chinensis," you ask? Isn't jojoba native the US southwest? Yes, yes it is. Johann Link named the species after misreading a collection label of "Calif" as "China," calling it Buxus chinensis. Thomas Nuttall described the new genus and species in 1844, naming it Simmondsia californica, but rules are rules, and the original specific epithet is used. #Simmondsiaceae #SimmondsiaChinensis #jojoba #science #taxonomy #DesertBotanicalGarden #botanicalgarden #nature #museum #naturemuseum #science #livingmuseum #horticulture #botanize #botany #plants #naturephotography #flowers (at Desert Botanical Garden)