[Horsebrush: The Genus Tetradymia East of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Catclaw Horsebrush, Cottonthorn Horsebrush, Cotton-thorn Horsebrush

Tetradymia spinosa

Synonyms: Tetradymia spinosa var. longispina, Tetradymia spinosa var. spinosa 

Catclaw Horsebrush, Cottonthorn Horsebrush, Cotton-thorn Horsebrush: Tetradymia spinosa (Synonyms: Tetradymia spinosa var. longispina, Tetradymia spinosa var. spinosa)

The photo above shows catclaw horsebrush (variety spinosa) as found on slopes directly above Cottonwood Creek, Pueblo Mts., SE Oregon.....May 27, 2000.

Catclaw Horsebrush, Cottonthorn Horsebrush, Cotton-thorn Horsebrush: Tetradymia spinosa (Synonyms: Tetradymia spinosa var. longispina, Tetradymia spinosa var. spinosa)The photo at right of the leaves and tomentose stem of catclaw horsebrush found in the Alvord Desert, SE Oregon.....May 28, 2000.
Characteristics:

Catclaw horsebrush is a much-branched shrub from 50 -120 cm tall. The twigs are densely white-tomentose. The primary leaves are transformed into spreading or recurved spines frokm 0.5-5 cm long. These subtend clusters of linear, green and glabrous leaves up to 1 cm long (See photo at right.).

The flower heads are borne from leaf axils either singly or in pairs along the stems, with 5-9 flowers in each head. The flowers are all disk flowers. No ray flowers are present. The involucre consists of 4-6 glabrous to loosely tomentose bracts from 7-10 mm long.


Varieties:

variety spinosa: Spines 0.5-1.5 cm long, reecurved. The variety found in southeastern Oregon.

variety longispina: Spines 1.5-5 cm in length, nearly straight. Found at the southern extent of the range of the species.


Habitat:

Catclaw horsebrush may be found in open, dry places in the foothills and plains between the elevations of 800-2000 meters.


Range:

Catclaw horsebrush is found from southeastern Oregon south to southern California and east to southwestern Montana, Wyoming, western Colorado, southern Utah, northwestern New Mexico, and southern Nevada,


Catclaw Horsebrush, Cottonthorn Horsebrush, Cotton-thorn Horsebrush: Tetradymia spinosa (Synonyms: Tetradymia spinosa var. longispina, Tetradymia spinosa var. spinosa)

The photo above shows a close-up of the flower heads of of Catclaw Horsebrush found in the Alvord Desert, SE Oregon.....May 28, 2000.

Paul Slichter