Region: southwestern United States, northern Mexico
English: Crown of Thorns; Allthorn; Crucifixion Thorn.
Genus: 1 species
Botany: shrub; entirely green; stems tangling straight, branch many times; tip of each rigid stem branch tapers into a long, sharp spine; leaves rudimentary, taking the form of tiny deciduous scales; flowers abundant, white to greenish-white; fruits shiny, black berries, few millimeters long, attractive to birds.