Креозотовий кущ

Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) is an evergreen shrub growing to 1 to 3 m tall, rarely 4 m. It is a prominent species in the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of western North America. It belongs to the family Zygophyllaceae. Its range takes in parts of southeastern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the United States, and Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Zacatecas, Durango and San Luis Potosí in Mexico.

The leaves are resinous and dark green, with two opposite leaflets joined at the base. The flowers have five yellow petals, and the fruit is a brown-burgundy spherical, fuzzy capsule.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a classic lignan and a natural compound found in the creosote bush. The resins of the plant have been reported to contain a rich set of volatile organic compounds. Field measurements recorded emissions of aromatic compounds including benzene and a broad range of phenolics. Dimethyl sulfide emissions from the plant are higher than reported from any previously studied plant.

As the creosote bush grows older, its oldest branches eventually die and its crown splits into separate crowns. The old crown eventually dies, and the new crowns form a clonal colony of separate stems that all grew from the same seed. Cloned individuals sometimes form a ring around the original plant.

Creosote bush is host to the insect Tachardiella larreae, which produces lac and deposits it on the stems. Lac is plastic when heated but hardens again on cooling, forming a strong bond like commercial sealing wax.

The plant may cause dermatitis in humans and animals. Renal toxicity and hepatotoxicity are reported for chronic internal use of creosote bush and NDGA.

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