Bebbia juncea – “Sweetbush”

Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
Bloom Period: Apr-Jul
Form: Perennial shrub
Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes, desert plains, washes
Leaves: Linear, entire or with a few, sharp, pinnate lobes; drought-deciduous; alternate
Translation: “Bebbia” is named for Michael Schuck Bebb (1833-1895), amateur systematic botanist and the preeminent authority on willows in his time; “juncea” is Latin for “rush-like” which characterizes this plant’s often leafless stems; possibly derived from verb, “jungere” which is “to join or bind” because rush stems were used like cordage to bind things.
Notes: Flowers lack ray petals. Seeds have tufts for wind dispersal.
Animal relationships: Host plant for Wright’s Metalmark butterfly.