About Fagonia laevis Standl.
Fagonia laevis Standl., commonly known as California fagonbush, is a spreading, ground-hugging subshrub. It is a relative of the creosote bush, and shares the trait of having waxy leaves, an adaptation to desert temperatures. Its leaves are opposite, dark green, narrow, up to 1/2 inch long, trifoliate (composed of three leaflets), with spinescent stipules. The plant has an open, spreading growth habit and forms mounds up to 18 inches (5 decimeters) tall. It grows as ground cover over rocks and hillsides, and can conceal the surface beneath it. California fagonbush occurs in the Creosote Bush scrub plant community, found in the southern Mojave Desert, the northwestern and western Sonoran Desert, and the deserts of the Baja Peninsula. Its flowers are solitary, star-shaped, and have 5 petals; flower abundance can vary between individual plants. The flowers are purple-lavender in color, with white coloring near their center, and have a pink corolla. This species produces smooth fruits.
