Description
Hymenoclea monogyra is a large upright bush reaching 3-12 feet in height. The alternating thread-like leaves, which are elongated and 1-3 inches long, are delicate in appearance. Contrastingly, they are borne on vertical, grayish, stout branches. Both male and female flowers develop on the same plant and typically form in intermingled clusters on the branch ends. The developed fruit is surrounded by a whorl of winged bracts; this fan shape makes wind and water highly successful at seed dispersal. H. salsola is a smaller, more mound-forming plant. Its flowers are slightly larger and tend to be more densely arranged.
Distribution
Both Hymenoclea species are found primarily in wash beds where soil is sandy and loose. Also, look to the edges of these areas where the ground is slightly higher, banked, and equally exposed to rainwater. Hymenoclea monogyra is mostly found in drainages throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts. From central-eastern Arizona, the plant is found eastward to the Rio Grande Drainage, to southern Texas. H. salsola practically starts where H. monogyra leaves off. From western Arizona’s Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, the plant is found further north into Mineral County, Nevada and through much of inland California.
Medicinal Uses
Chemically, Burrobrush and Canyon bursage are closely allied and contain many of the same constituents. Medicinally there is not a great difference between the two. Traditional use in Mexico indicates the plant is used in reducing sensitivity and pain in joint inflammations. Use Burrobrush as you would Canyon bursage leaf. See Canyon bursage for a full discussion.
Collection
Prune the upper new leaf growth from the plant and wrap using string or rubber bands into small bundles or dry loosely in a flat out of direct sunlight.
Preparations and Dosage
FPT/DPT (60% alcohol): 20-60 drops 3 times daily
Leaf infusion: 2-4 ounces 3 times daily