The Californian equivalent to the sclerophyllous (hard leaf) vegetation of the Mediterranean is called chaparral. In the California room are some representatives of the chaparral, but the room is dominated by plants from the Californian and Mexican deserts having a much drier climate.
East of the mountain ranges of California are the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. The latter extends far into Mexico. Both the Mojave and Sonoran desert have very rich floras. The landscape displayed in the Californian room contains many of the characteristic species such as saguaro, agaves, jojoba, and mother-in-law's cushion.
Mother-in-law cushion.
Pachycereus pringlei