Simmondsia chinensis, or jojoba, is native to the southwest desert and is best known for jojoba oil, a very long, straight chain wax that has more in common with whale oil than with more traditional vegetable oils. This wax is used in cosmetics and has potential for use as biodiesel fuel for automobiles as well as in a biodegradable lubricant. To reduce the harvest of sperm whales, large plantations of jojoba have been planted in arid and semiarid regions in North and South America, the Middle East, and Australia.

Jojoba is an atttractive shrub, with densely set branches covered with small gray-green leaves. The yellow-green flowers, though small, are abundant and more conspicuous on male plants. The shrubs are wind-pollinated, with the flowers bearing no nectar or fragrance.