The Scientific Name has been updated by Don Rideout from the 1993 Jepson Manual system to the names used in the Jepson eflora as of 10 January 2023.
The 172 Most Common Species of the Borrego Desert Sorted by Abundance
# #S H JM Family Scientific Name (*)Common Name 1 24 S Asteraceae Ambrosia dumosa burroweed 2 24 S Zygophyllaceae Larrea tridentata creosote bush 3 23 S Fabaceae Psorothamnus schottii indigo bush 4 22 S Asteraceae Encelia farinosa brittlebush 5 22 P Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia polycarpa small-seeded spurge 6 22 S Fouquieriaceae Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens ocotillo 7 21 S Asteraceae Ambrosia salsola var. salsola cheesebush 8 21 A Brassicaceae Brassica tournefortii *Asian mustard 9 21 A Onagraceae Eulobus californicus California suncup 10 21 P Poaceae Hilaria rigida big galleta 11 19 S Asteraceae Bebbia juncea var. aspera sweetbush 12 19 P Asteraceae Stephanomeria pauciflora var. pauciflora wire-lettuce 13 19 S Fabaceae Senegalia greggii catclaw 14 19 S Lamiaceae Condea emoryi desert-lavender 15 18 S Krameriaceae Krameria bicolor white rhatany 16 17 C Cactaceae Cylindropuntia ganderi Gander's cholla 17 17 C Cactaceae Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris beavertail cactus 18 17 A Plantaginaceae Plantago ovata desert plantain 19 17 P Polygonaceae Eriogonum inflatum desert trumpet 20 16 C Cactaceae Ferocactus cylindraceus California barrel cactus 21 15 A Asteraceae Perityle emoryi Emory's rock-daisy 22 14 A Onagraceae Eremothera boothii ssp. condensata Booth's evening primrose 23 14 A Polygonaceae Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu brittle spineflower 24 14 P Viscaceae Phoradendron californicum desert mistletoe 25 13 T Fabaceae Psorothamnus spinosus smoke tree 26 13 A Onagraceae Chylismia claviformis ssp. peirsonii brown-eyed primrose 27 13 A Poaceae Schismus barbatus *Mediterranean schismus 28 12 A Brassicaceae Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum hairy-podded pepper-grass 29 12 C Cactaceae Cylindropuntia echinocarpa silver cholla 30 12 A Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia distans common phacelia 31 12 S Zygophyllaceae Fagonia laevis California fagonia 32 11 A Asteraceae Rafinesquia neomexicana desert chicory 33 11 C Cactaceae Cylindropuntia bigelovii teddy-bear cholla 34 11 P Euphorbiaceae Ditaxis lanceolata narrowleaf ditaxis 35 11 A Fabaceae Lupinus arizonicus Arizona lupine 36 11 A Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia crenulata var. ambigua heliotrope phacelia 37 11 A Loasaceae Mentzelia involucrata bracted blazing star 38 11 S Loasaceae Petalonyx thurberi ssp. thurberi Thurber's sandpaper-plant 39 11 P Malvaceae Hibiscus denudatus rock hibiscus 40 11 P Nyctaginaceae Mirabilis laevis var. retrorsa wishbone plant 41 10 C Cactaceae Cylindropuntia ramosissima pencil cholla 42 10 A Fabaceae Lupinus concinnus bajada lupine 43 10 S Fabaceae Psorothamnus emoryi Emory's indigo-bush 44 10 A Geraniaceae Erodium cicutarium *redstem filaree 45 10 A Lamiaceae Salvia columbariae chia 46 9 A Asteraceae Senecio mohavensis Mojave ragwort 47 9 S Asteraceae Trixis californica var. californica California trixis 48 9 S Boraginaceae Tiquilia palmeri Palmer's coldenia 49 9 S Chenopodiaceae Atriplex hymenelytra desert holly 50 9 S Chenopodiaceae Atriplex polycarpa cattle saltbush 51 9 F Pteridaceae Myriopteris parryi woolly lipfern 52 8 S Acanthaceae Justicia californica chuparosa 53 8 P Asteraceae Adenophyllum porophylloides San Felipe dogweed 54 8 A Asteraceae Chaenactis fremontii Fremont pincushion 55 8 A Boraginaceae Cryptantha barbigera bearded cryptantha 56 8 S Chenopodiaceae Atriplex canescens ssp. canescens four-wing saltbush 57 8 T Fabaceae Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana honey mesquite 58 8 A Hydrophyllaceae Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora whispering bells 59 8 S Krameriaceae Krameria erecta Pima rhatany 60 8 S Liliaceae Agave deserti desert agave 61 8 A Papaveraceae Eschscholzia minutiflora ssp. minutiflora small-flowered poppy 62 8 A Polygonaceae Chorizanthe rigida devil's spineflower 63 8 A Polygonaceae Eriogonum thomasii Thomas' buckwheat 64 8 A Solanaceae Datura discolor desert thornapple 65 7 S Asteraceae Encelia frutescens button encelia 66 7 A Asteraceae Malacothrix glabrata desert dandelion 67 7 A Asteraceae Palafoxia arida var. arida desert needle 68 7 A Boraginaceae Cryptantha maritima Guadalupe cryptantha 69 7 C Cactaceae Mammillaria dioica California fish-hook cactus 70 7 A Fabaceae Acmispon strigosus strigose lotus 71 7 S Lamiaceae Salvia vaseyi Vasey's sage 72 7 P Liliaceae Hesperocallis undulata desert lily 73 7 P Malvaceae Horsfordia newberryi Newberry's velvet mallow 74 7 P Nyctaginaceae Allionia incarnata trailing four o'clock 75 7 A Onagraceae Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides dune primrose 76 7 A Papaveraceae Eschscholzia parishii Parish's poppy 77 7 A Poaceae Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens *red brome 78 7 A Polemoniaceae Gilia stellata star gilia 79 7 A Polygonaceae Pterostegia drymarioides threadstem 80 7 A Solanaceae Physalis crassifolia thick-leaved ground cherry 83 6 S Asteraceae Bahiopsis parishii Parish's viguiera 81 6 A Asteraceae Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia pebble pincushion 82 6 S Asteraceae Pleurocoronis pluriseta arrow-leaf 84 6 A Brassicaceae Sisymbrium irio *London rocket 85 6 A Crassulaceae Crassula connata pygmy-weed 86 6 A Hydrophyllaceae Pholistoma membranaceum white fiesta flower 87 6 P Malvaceae Sphaeralcea ambigua var. ambigua apricot mallow 88 6 A Polemoniaceae Loeseliastrum schottii Schott's calico 89 6 S Polygonaceae Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium California buckwheat 90 5 A Asteraceae Dicoria canescens desert dicoria 91 5 S Asteraceae Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia alkali goldenbush 92 5 A Boraginaceae Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia common fiddleneck 93 5 A Boraginaceae Johnstonella angustifolia narrow-leaved cryptantha 94 5 A Brassicaceae Caulanthus lasiophyllus California mustard 95 5 C Cactaceae Echinocereus engelmannii Engelmann's hedgehog cactus 96 5 P Euphorbiaceae Croton californicus California croton 98 5 A Fabaceae Acmispon maritimus var. brevivexillus short-bannered coastal lotus 97 5 P Fabaceae Dalea mollissima downy dalea 99 5 A Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia minor wild canterbury bells 100 5 P Poaceae Pennisetum setaceum *fountain grass 101 5 A Portulacaceae Calyptridium monandrum sand cress 102 5 P Ranunculaceae Delphinium parishii ssp. subglobosum intermediate larkspur 103 5 A Scrophulariaceae Diplacus bigelovii var. bigelovii Bigelow's monkeyflower 104 5 S Simmondsiaceae Simmondsia chinensis jojoba 105 5 P Solanaceae Nicotiana obtusifolia desert tobacco 106 5 A Urticaceae Parietaria hespera var. hespera pellitory 107 4 P Amaranthaceae Tidestromia oblongifolia Arizona honeysweet 108 4 P Asclepiadaceae Asclepias subulata rush milkweed 109 4 P Asclepiadaceae Funastrum cynanchoides ssp. hartwegii climbing milkweed 110 4 S Asteraceae Brickellia desertorum desert brickellia 111 4 S Asteraceae Ericameria brachylepis boundary goldenbush 112 4 S Asteraceae Pluchea sericea arrow-weed 113 4 A Asteraceae Sonchus oleraceus *sow thistle 114 4 S Bignoniaceae Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata desert-willow 115 4 A Boraginaceae Pectocarya heterocarpa chuckwalla pectocarya 116 4 A Boraginaceae Pectocarya recurvata curvenut combseed 117 4 P Boraginaceae Tiquilia plicata plicate coldenia 118 4 A Brassicaceae Descurainia pinnata ssp. glabra smooth western tansy-mustard 119 4 A Brassicaceae Sisymbrium orientale *Oriental mustard 120 4 A Chenopodiaceae Chenopodium murale *nettle-leaved goosefoot 121 4 A Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia eriantha beetle spurge 124 4 P Fabaceae Acmispon glaber var. brevialatus short-winged deerweed 123 4 P Fabaceae Acmispon rigidus desert lotus 122 4 T Fabaceae Parkinsonia florida blue palo verde 125 4 A Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia intermedia fivewing spiderling 126 4 A Onagraceae Camissonia cardiophylla heartleaf sun-cup 127 4 A Poaceae Aristida adscensionis six-weeks three-awn 128 4 P Poaceae Aristida purpurea purple three-awn 129 4 P Poaceae Cynodon dactylon *Bermuda grass 130 4 S Polygonaceae Eriogonum wrightii var. nodosum Wright's buckwheat 131 4 S Rubiaceae Galium stellatum var. eremicum star-flowered bedstraw 132 4 T Salicaceae Salix exigua narrowleaf willow 133 4 F Selaginellaceae Selaginella eremophila desert spike-moss 134 4 P Solanaceae Datura wrightii sacred datura 135 4 P Sterculiaceae Ayenia compacta ayenia 136 3 A Amaranthaceae Amaranthus fimbriatus fringed amaranth 137 3 T Arecaceae Washingtonia filifera California fan palm 138 3 P Asclepiadaceae Funastrum hirtellum rambling milkweed 139 3 S Asteraceae Baccharis salicifolia mule fat 142 3 A Asteraceae Lactuca serriola *prickly lettuce 140 3 A Asteraceae Logfia filaginoides California filago 143 3 A Asteraceae Monoptilon bellioides desert star 144 3 A Asteraceae Pectis papposa var. papposa chinch-weed 145 3 S Asteraceae Peucephyllum schottii pygmy-cedar 141 3 A Asteraceae Pseudognaphalium luteo-album *common cudweed 146 3 A Asteraceae Uropappus lindleyi silver puffs 147 3 S Asteraceae Xylorhiza orcuttii Orcutt's woody-aster 148 3 P Brassicaceae Lyrocarpa coulteri var. palmeri Coulter's lyrepod 149 3 A Caryophyllaceae Achyronychia cooperi frost mat 150 3 S Chenopodiaceae Suaeda nigra bush seepweed 151 3 S Ephedraceae Ephedra californica desert tea 152 3 S Ephedraceae Ephedra nevadensis Nevada ephedra 153 3 P Euphorbiaceae Stillingia linearifolia linear-leaved stillingia 154 3 A Geraniaceae Erodium texanum Texas filaree 155 3 A Hydrophyllaceae Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. bipinnatifida eucrypta 156 3 A Hydrophyllaceae Nama demissa var. demissa purple mat 157 3 A Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida caterpillar phacelia 158 3 P Juncaceae Juncus xiphioides iris-leaved rush 159 3 P Liliaceae Muilla maritima muilla 160 3 A Onagraceae Camissoniopsis pallida ssp. pallida pale sun-cup 161 3 P Poaceae Aristida purpurea var. nealleyi Nealley three-awn 162 3 A Poaceae Bouteloua aristidoides var. aristidoides needle grama 164 3 A Poaceae Festuca bromoides *brome fescue 163 3 A Poaceae Polypogon monspeliensis *rabbits-foot grass 165 3 A Polemoniaceae Eriastrum eremicum ssp. eremicum desert woolly-star 166 3 A Polygonaceae Eriogonum deflexum var. deflexum flat-topped buckwheat 167 3 A Polygonaceae Eriogonum trichopes little desert trumpet 168 3 F Pteridaceae Notholaena californica California cloak fern 169 3 P Rafflesiaceae Pilostyles thurberi Thurber's pilostyles 170 3 A Scrophulariaceae Antirrhinum filipes desert twining snapdragon 171 3 A Scrophulariaceae Mohavea confertiflora ghost flower 172 3 P Scrophulariaceae Veronica anagallis-aquatica *water speedwell Commercial rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce any or all of this page for individual or non-profit institutional internal use as long as credit is given to me at this source:
http://tchester.org/bd/flora/top_172_species.html
Last update: 1 January 2009. Scientific names updated 10 January 2023 by Don Rideout.