Jojoba

A single species of evergreen shrub makes up this genus, which is native to southwestern USA and northern Mexico. Simmondsia chinensis is cultivated on a large scale in Arizona, Mexico, Israel, Argentina, and Australia for its seeds, which yield up to 55 percent jojoba oil. Seeds are borne only on female plants, and it takes three years from seed before male and female bushed reach flowering size and can be told apart. Though deep rooted and slow growing, jojoba tolerates saline conditions and severe drought, making a lucrative crop where little else will succeed. Jojoba oil has long been used by native N Americans for cosmetic purposes and leather softening. It is unusual in being a liquid wax and has exceptional lubricant qualities that have many different applications in the engineering, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Cultivation of jojoba increased greatly following scientific research in the 1970s that showed jojoba is an excellent substitute for sperm whale oil. Tissure culture of female plants further increased production. Jojoba plants are also useful in erosion control and desert reclamation. Simmondsia is named after T. W. Simmonds (d. 1805), a botanist; jojoba (pronounced "hohoba") is the Mexican-Spanish word for the plant.

Multi-stemmed shrub with leathery, gray-green, oblong-ovate leaves, to 4cm (1½in) long. Small, petal-less flowers appear in spring: males yellow, in clusters; females green, solitary, pendent, followed by ovoid capsules, usually containing a single seed, about 1cm (½in) long.

Common Name:	Jojoba
Other Names:	Goat Nut
Botanical Name:	Simmonsia chinensis syn. S. californica
Genus:	Simmondsia
Family:	Simmondsiaceae
Native Location:	Native to the Sonoran Desert (southwestern USA, NW Mexico).
Cultivation:	Deep, well-drained to dry, sandy or gravelly, slightly acid soil in full sun. Tolerates drought.
Propagation:	By seed sown in spring; by nodal cuttings in spring; by heel cuttings in autumn.
Harvest:	Seeds are collected when ripe and crushed to extract oil.
Height:	2m (6ft)
Width:	1-2m (3-6ft)
Hardiness:	Z9-10
Parts Used:	Oil (from seeds)
Properties:	An odorless, soothing herb with exceptional skin-softening effects.
Medicinal Uses:	Externally for dry skin and hair, psoriasis, acne, and sunburn.
Economic Uses:	Oil is added to shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, soaps, massage oils, sunscreens, pharmaceutical creams; in coatings for candy, food, and tablets. Jojoba oil has numerous industrial applications as a lubricant, surfuctant, stabilizer, emulsifier, and solubilizer.
Bibliography:	Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited Pg 369