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Gensitidium dumosum, a monotypic genus known from only 3 populations in Brewster County, Texas, is a small shrub. Leaves are trifoliate, but they are drought-deciduous, and appear only after a rain. Plants generally appear as if they are dying, with old, dead stems mixed in with green ones. Flowers are small yellow pea-type blossoms 1-4 mm long borne in axils, and fruits are pods approximately 2 cm long.
Plants grow on rocky southwest-facing hillsides. Two of the populations are located on private land, and have not yet been accessible. The third population consists of sixteen plants growing next to a highway, and is being monitored by Texas Parks and Wildlife staff. Plants are not legally protected at the federal or the state level. Possible threats to the only site that has been visited include potential widening of the highway, small population number, and inability of plants and seedlings to withstand extended periods of severe drought
Seven seeds collected from this population in 1991 were scarified and planted. Only three of the seeds appeared to be fully mature, and two of the three germinated. Cuttings were made in 1990, and rooted, but later died during transplant attempts. In 1994, cuttings were again made, rooted, and plants flowered. Fruits formed, but failed to develop, dropping off before reaching half their length. The cuttings failed to emerge from dormancy in 1995 and finally died. It is possible that the number of plants in this population is too small for sexual reproduction.
To date, Desert Botanical Garden has 59 seeds of G. dumosum.
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