About Parthenium argentatum A.Gray
Guayule, Parthenium argentatum A.Gray, grows in rocky, limestone desert areas in full sun. Its outer branches and leaves are covered in fine silvery hairs called trichomes. Yellow-white flowers grow from stems at the top of the plant. The densely haired leaves are also covered with white wax, which helps prevent drying out. This plant has an extensive root system that gives it drought resistance. One taproot grows downward, and lateral roots extend outward from the taproot. In some guayule plants, lateral roots are longer than the taproot, while in other plants the taproot is longer than the lateral roots. Native populations of guayule in the United States are found in the Trans Pecos region of southwestern Texas. It also occurs naturally in the low desert regions of Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Southern California, and in the Mexican states of Zacatecas, Coahuila, Chihuahua, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Guayule can be cultivated in similar climates around the world.
