Creosote bush

Description

Several types of aromatic shrubs from the species Larrea (especially L. tridentata and L. divaricata) that grow in the deserts of southwestern United States and Mexico. These evergreen bushes have yellow flowers and can live for 100 years. Creosote bushes may contain a lac scale insect that secretes a resin similar to shellac. The thermoplastic resin is hard and brittle when cool but workable when warmed. It has been used as an adhesive and waterproofing agent in native baskets and pottery.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Larrea tridentata; Larrea divaricata; creosote lac wax; cresosote bush gum

Authority

• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 664

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998