crown of thorns
Koeberlinia spinosa Zucc.
Koeberlinia spinosa is a flowering plant native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is a member of the genus Koeberlinia and is sometimes classified in the family Koeberliniaceae or the caper family. The plant is a shrub that can grow over 4 m tall, with green, branching stems ending in sharp spines. Leaves are small and deciduous, while photosynthesis occurs primarily in the stems. It produces white to greenish-white flowers and shiny black berries.
Description
Koeberlinia spinosa is a shrub found in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Mexico. The plant is characterized by its sprawling growth habit and green, spiny stems. Leaves are reduced to small, deciduous scales, and the plant relies on its stems for photosynthesis. It blooms with white to greenish-white flowers and produces small, black berries that are consumed by birds. The plant is also known by common names such as allthorn, smokebush, and crucifixion thorn. It was first described in 1832 by Zucc.
Other common names
crown of thorns
Distribution
Global · Arizona · California · Mexico Central · Mexico Gulf · Mexico Northeast · Mexico Northwest · New Mexico · Texas