Apacheria chiricahuensis is a species of flowering plant in the family Crossosomataceae. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Apacheria.[2] It is known by the common names Chiricahua rock flower, cliff brittlebush, and Apache bush.[3] The genus is named in honor of the Apache people who inhabit the region; the specific epithet refers to the Chiricahua Mountains in Cochise County, Arizona.[4][5]
| Apacheria chiricahuensis | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Crossosomatales |
| Family: | Crossosomataceae |
| Genus: | Apacheria C.T.Mason |
| Species: | A. chiricahuensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Apacheria chiricahuensis C.T.Mason[1]
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This plant is a shrub up to half a meter tall and one meter wide. The hard, spine-like twigs are lined with opposite clusters of leaves each a few millimeters long. The solitary flowers have four white to cream-colored, or occasionally pink, petals 5 to 6 millimeters long. The fruit is a follicle with 1 or 2 brown seeds.[3]
Apacheria is similar to Crossosoma species, which can be differentiated by their alternate leaves and five-parted flowers.[3]
This plant grows in many types of rocky desert habitat, such as cliffs, riparian woodlands, and chaparral.[3]
References
edit- ^ Mason, C. T. (1975). Apacheria chiricahuensis: a new genus and species from Arizona. Madroño 23(3):105-108.
- ^ NatureServe. 2014. Apacheria chiricahuensis. NatureServe Explorer.
- ^ a b c d Apacheria chiricahuensis. Archived 2014-09-16 at the Wayback Machine Plant Abstracts. Arizona Game and Fish Department.
- ^ Mason, C. T. 1992. Crossomataceae, Crossosoma Family. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 26:7-9.
- ^ Apacheria chiricahuensis. New Mexico Rare Plants Technical Council.