Tidestromia suffruticosa explained

Tidestromia suffruticosa, the shrubby honeysweet, is a perennial plant in the family Amaranthaceae of the southwestern United States and northeastern Mexican deserts. It has one of the highest rates of photosynthesis ever recorded.^[1] It flowers from April to December.^[1] It can survive very high temperatures, growing successfully in extreme environments such as Death Valley,^[2] and the genetic basis for this is being studied with a view to making hardier crop plants to better cope with climate change.^[3]

Subtaxa

The following varieties are accepted:^[4]

• Tidestromia suffruticosa var. oblongifolia (S.Watson) Sánch.Pino & Flores Olv.
• Tidestromia suffruticosa var. suffruticosa

Notes and References

1. Book: MacKay P . Green and Brown Flowers . Mojave desert wildflowers: a field guide to wildflowers, trees, and shrubs of the Mojave Desert, including the Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park . . 2013 . 260 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-0-7627-9388-4 .
2. Björkman O, Pearcy RW, Harrison AT, Mooney H . Photosynthetic adaptation to high temperatures: a field study in death valley, california . Science . New York, N.Y. . 175 . 4023 . 786–789 . February 1972 . 17836139 . 10.1126/science.175.4023.786 . 1972Sci...175..786B . 20986880 .
3. Web site: Flower that thrives in Death Valley may hold secret to heat adaptation. . Klein A . New Scientist . 3 August 2023 .
4. Web site: Tidestromia suffruticosa (Torr.) Standl. . . Plants of the World Online . Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . 21 April 2021 .