Habitat
dry gravelly slopes to open sandy washes.
Flowers
the flower head (capitulum) are about 1 1/2" in diameter and composed of orangish-yellow ray florets and yellow or purplish-brown disc florets on leafy stems.
Description
large shrub, grows to 3' tall. brittle stems give it its name. the leaves are silvery tomentose (matty, woolly hairy)

COMMENTS: Brittlebush was/is widely used by native people. The upper stems exude a yellowish gum or resin that can be chewed. The gum was also burned as incense (hence the Spanish name incienso).
The fragrance is due to terpenes or terpenoids which are components of essential oils. Vitamin A is a terpene.

You can sample the fragrance by crushing the green leaves. It smells like strong tea.
Tea made from the dried leaves is used to treat bronchitis and arthritis. The gum was also used to seal pots.
Yellowish-brown resin collected from the base of the plant can be heated and used as glue. Native people used this to glue arrowheads to the shaft, for instance.

Interesting if you have this in your yard: Brittlebush is very drought tolerant and will go dormant and look dead. The leaves will turn very brittle and eventually fall off. The plant can also be cut back nearly to the ground and revive the next season.