Alhagi maurorum (=A. pseudalhagi) (camelthorn)

Alhagi maurorum (=A. pseudalhagi)

Photo courtesy Joe DiTomaso

Alhagi maurorum (=A. pseudalhagi)(camelthorn) is an herbaceous perennial or shrub (family Fabaceae) found in the central valley, southeastern Sierra Nevada and portions of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of California. It favors arid agricultural areas, grasslands, meadows and desert riparian areas. One camelthorn plant can spread rapidly (about 10 m per year in all directions) by developing many new plants from its large creeping root system. Plants may resprout from roots left behind after mechanical removal, and the roots are stimulated to resprout by fire. Camelthorn seeds are also known to disperse over long distances.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Limited

Cal-IPC Resources on Alhagi maurorum (=A. pseudalhagi)

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. (None for this species).
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium.List of articles on Alhagi maurorum.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• None for this species.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• O'Connell, R. A. (1997). Hydrilla: A case study: The state of California's noxious weed eradication programs. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '97. Concord, CA.

Other Resources on Alhagi maurorum (=A. pseudalhagi)

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora -Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• Natural Resource Projects Inventory - State database with information on resource management projects throughout California. Query by the species of interest.

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