Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon angustifolium
Drawn from specimen found at Roosevelt, Gila Co., Arizona, USA. 6 July 1993.
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FLOWERS: Small, pale white or bluish flowers in a curling spike. Flowers have four or five lobes.
SHRUB: Woody shrub, 1 to 2
meters tall. Older twigs and stems have stringy, shredding bark.
RANGE: This is really a plant of chaparral in Arizona, but in the upper
elevations in transition to chaparral along the northern boundary of the
Sonoran Desert, Yerba Santa occurs sporadically.
LEAVES: Almost linear leaves are shiny green and resinous on top
surface, and whitish underneath. The leaves emit strong herbal aroma when
crushed.
FRUIT: Dry capsules with several seeds.
UNARMED.
In Spanish, Yerba Santa means "sacred herb". This and related species have been used in various herbal remedies.