Jojoba—A North American desert shrub; its ecology, possible commercialization, and potential as an introduction into other arid regions

Abstract

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link.) Schneid.), a North American desert shrub, is the only plant known to produce a liquid wax in its seed. This substance is chemically similar to the oil from the Sperm whale. Industrial and agronomic uses are described as well as currently known economic factors regarding agronomic production. The plants’ present distribution is linked with the winter-spring rains of a Mediterranean type of climate in the Sonoran Desert regions of the United States and Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. It is suggested that other arid regions may be quite suitable to its introduction, particularly portions of the Asir Province in western Saudi Arabia.