Purshia mexicana

{{short description|Species of plant in Mexico}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Purshia mexicana (7612613108).jpg

| image_caption =

| genus = Purshia

| species = mexicana

| authority = (D.Don) S.L.Welsh

| synonyms = Cowania mexicana D.Don

| synonyms_ref = {{citation |url=http://www.ipni.org/index.html |title=The International Plant Names Index |accessdate=19 June 2016}}

}}

Purshia mexicana is a species of perennial flowering small tree in the rose family known by the common name Mexican cliffrose. It is native to western-northern Mexico, the region of the Sierra Madre Occidental cordillera.

Purshia stansburyana, native to the southwestern United States, has sometimes been included within P. mexicana.{{cite book|first=Elbert L.|last=Little Jr.|title=Atlas of United States Trees|volume=3 (Minor Western Hardwoods)|year=1976|publisher=US Government Printing Office|lccn=79-653298|oclc=4053799|entry-url=https://archive.org/details/atlasofunitedsta1314litt/page/n109/mode/2up|entry=Map 55, Cowania mexicana}}

In its mostly mountainous, or higher elevation habitat, it grows in woodlands, desert, and plateau habitat.

Stenophyllanin A, a tannin, can be found in P. mexicana.{{cite journal |vauthors=Ito H, Miyake M, Nishitani E, Mori K, Hatano T, Okuda T, Konoshima T, Takasaki M, Kozuka M, Mukainaka T, Tokuda H, Nishino H, Yoshida T |title=Anti-tumor promoting activity of polyphenols from Cowania mexicana and Coleogyne ramosissima |journal=Cancer Lett. |volume=143 |issue=1 |pages=5–13 |date=August 1999 |pmid=10465331 |doi=10.1016/S0304-3835(99)00160-3 }}