Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
common dunebroom
Family Name:
Fabaceae
Botanical Name:
Parryella filifolia
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Parryella filifolia is a perennial shrub, with a wispy branching habit that gives it a broom-like appearance (1,2,3,4,6). This plant can grow to 4.5ft tall (1,6,9). The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound (1,2,9). The leaves are 1-5” long with 8-40 leaflets per leaf, and the leaflets are linear, measuring 0.2-0.6” long and 0.04” wide (1,4,9). The leaflets are involute, with the margins rolled slightly upward (1,6,9). The leaflets are inconspicuously strigose (1,9). The stems and leaves have a pleasant fragrance (1,6,8,10). Flowers are born on a terminal raceme, measuring 0.8-5.0” long (1,9). The flowers imperfect, lacking petals, but contain both female and male reproductive structures (1,6,8,9,10). There is a prominent bell-shaped calyx that is a yellow-green color, measuring 0.12” long (1,9). The calyx is 10-ribbed at its base, with its apex being divided into 5 toothed lobes, each possessing a ciliate margin (1,9). The stamens are long and showy, having a bright yellow color, with about 10 stamens protruding from each flower (1,6,9). The fruits are oblong/ovoid pods, measuring 0.2-0.24” long and 0.08-0.12” wide (1,9). The fruits are glabrous (1,9). Fruits are a yellow-green hue and are speckled with dark glands, giving the appearance of polka-dots (1,9). Each seed pod contains one singular seed (1,9).
Compound:
Par fil
Geographic Origin:
Desert Southwest
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Natural History:
Parryella filifolia is endemic to southern Colorado, northeast Arizona, northwest New Mexico, and southeastern Utah (1,2,3,4,5,7,9). This plant is considered critically imperiled in Utah where it has seen wide habitat loss from the inundation of riparian areas (7). Common dunebroom is often found growing in stabilized sand dunes and riparian areas alongside other brush plants (1,7,9). In its native range this plant is only found at elevations of 4,000-7,000ft, with the exception of the Grand Canyon, where it has been found as low as 1,900ft (1,7,9). The genus name “Parryella” is derived from name of renowned British-American botanist, Charles Christopher Parry (1823-1890), while the specific epithet “filifolia” comes from its filiform, or “thread-like” leaves (1,5). It is the only member of the genus “Parryella” (5,9).
Cultivation Notes:
Common dunebroom will thrive in full sun, although it can tolerate part shade (8,10). This plant prefers a moderate watering regimen (8,10). Common dune broom prefers sandy and well-draining soil, but loamy and clay soils are also suitable (8,10). This plant can tolerate a range of soil pH, from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline (8,10). Common dunebroom will flower from June to September (1,9).
Ethnobotany:
Common dunebroom has been ethnobotanically valuable to many Indigenous cultures in north America, with the ashes having been used by members of the Hopi tribe in the nixtamalization processing of maize, as well as helping to retain the blue color of cornmeal used to make “piki” bread (5). The Hopi tribe also valued this plant medicinally, using the beans for toothaches (1,5,8). Due to the pleasant aromatic properties of this plant’s stems, it has also been widely used by the Hopi and Ramah Navajo in basketmaking (1,8,10). The Hopi also used this plant to make Kachina masks (1).
Height:
0 - 5 feet
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Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Accent
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Invasive:
Toxicity:
Hardy:
Water Use:
Moderate Water Use
