About Purshia mexicana (D.Don) S.L.Welsh
Purshia mexicana, commonly known as Mexican cliffrose, is a species of perennial flowering small tree in the rose family. It is native to western-northern Mexico, specifically within the region of the Sierra Madre Occidental cordillera. Purshia stansburyana, a species native to the southwestern United States, has sometimes been classified as part of P. mexicana. It grows at mostly mountainous, higher elevation habitats, including woodlands, desert, and plateau environments. The tannin stenophyllanin A can be found in this species. The full range of Mexican cliffrose extends from the western Mexican Plateau in the south and the southern Sierra Madre Occidental cordillera north to a small region of northwest Sonora. It has a continuous distribution along the cordillera from Chihuahua south through Durango and Zacatecas, most of which is located north of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, though a small number of scattered populations do occur within the belt. Deer, cattle, and sheep browse on the plant, and it is particularly important to these animals during the winter. Native Americans used its bark to make ropes and clothing, and shaped its stems into arrow shafts.
