bitter condalia Rhamnaceae Condalia globosa I.M. Johnst. symbol: COGL Leaf: Alternate, simple but appearing whorled at the spur shoot tips, evergreen, 1/2 inch, obovate, margins entire, with a round tip, light green above, paler and fine hairy below. Flower: Inconspicuous, usually paired, in leaf angles, yellow-white, lacking petals but with 5 sepals, appearing in spring. Fruit: Usually paired, round drupe, fleshy, to 1/4 inch in diameter, ripening to almost black, bitter to but otherwise edible, midsummer. Twig: Slender, stiff and thorn tipped, bearing spur shoots that protrude at (nearly) 90 degree angles, gray-brown. Bark: Gray-brown or red-brown, initially smooth, developing diamond-shaped furrows with scaly-topped ridges. Form: A large shrub to 20 feet, often with several wide-spreading trunks, becoming gnarled. Looks like: Anderson boxthorn - Baja desert-thorn - Fremont's desert-thorn Additional Range Information: Condalia globosa is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting bitter condalia. External Links: USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson