Brittlebush grows up to 30 to 150 centimetres (12 to 59 inches) tall,[1] with fragrant leaves 3–10 cm (1+1⁄4–4 in) long, ovate to deltoid, and silvery tomentose.[2] Arranged in loose panicles above the leafy stems, the capitula are 3–3.5 cm (1+1⁄4–1+1⁄2in) in diameter. Each has 8–18 orange-yellow ray florets, 6–15 millimetres (1⁄4–9⁄16in) in length,[2] and yellow or purple-brown disc florets. The fruit measures 3–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4in) and no pappus is visible.[3] During dry seasons the plant goes drought deciduous, shedding all of its foliage, relying on the water stored in its thick stems.[4]
The common name "brittlebush" comes from the brittleness of its stems. Other names include hierba del vaso (Spanish) and cotx (Seri).[7] Another Spanish name for it is incienso because the dried sap was burned by early Spanish missions in the New World as incense.
It can be found in a variety of habitats from dry, gravelly slopes to open, sandy washes[2] up to 1,000 metres (3,300 feet) above sea level. It requires a very sunny position in a deep very well-drained soil, and minimal winter frost.[4]
It does well in cultivation often being used for border, erosion control, ground cover and massing.[10] Recently the plant has spread dramatically in areas not natural to its distribution in large part because Caltrans has begun to use it in hydroseeding.[citation needed]
Brittlebush has a long history of uses by indigenous and pioneer peoples, including:
Glue: The resin collected from the base of the plant, yellowish to brown, can be heated and used as a glue. The O'odham and Seri use it for hafting, to hold points on arrows and harpoons.[7]
Sealer: A different sort of resin collected from the upper stems is more gummy and generally a clear yellow. The Seri use this to seal pottery vessels.[7]
Incense: Early Spanish friars learned that the resin made a highly fragrant incense, akin to frankincense in odor.[11]
Toothbrush: Oldtime cowboys used brittlebush stem as a fine toothbrush.[12]
Medicinal: Seri use brittlebush to treat toothache; the bark is removed, the branch heated in ashes, and then placed in the mouth to "harden" a loose tooth.[7] The Cahuilla used brittlebush to treat toothaches as well,[13] and used it as a chest pain reliever by heating the gum and applying it to the chest.[13][14]
Waterproofing: It has been used to waterproof containers.[10]
Varnish: It has been melted then used as a varnish.[10]
^ abGacsi/Morgan, April/Steve (January 1992). Deserts of the Southwest Self Guided Tour. Riverside, California: University of California, Riverside Botanic Gardens. p. 10.
^Gray, Reed; Bonner, James (19 March 1948). "Structure Determination and Synthesis of a Plant Growth Inhibitor, 3-Acetyl-6-methoxybenzaldehyde, Found in the Leaves of Encelia Farinosa". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 70 (3): 1249–1253. doi:10.1021/ja01183a114. PMID18909201.
^Bohm, Bruce A. (2009). The Geography of Phytochemical Races. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 112. ISBN9781402090523.
^Dunmire, William W. (2004). Gardens of New Spain: How Mediterranean Plants and Foods Changed America. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN978-0-292-70564-7.
^ abSoule, Jacqueline A. (2012). Father Kinos's Herbs: Growing & Using Them Today. Tucson: Tierra del Sol Institute Press. ISBN978-0-9758554-2-3.
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