[2] Common names include candelilla and wax plant, but the latter is more often applied to members of the unrelated genus Hoya.

It is shrubby and has densely clustered, erect, essentially leafless stems that are covered in wax to prevent transpiration.

[citation needed] Commercial harvesting of candelilla wax began at the start of the twentieth century, with demand greatly increasing during World War I and II.

This industry largely disappeared following the end of World War II due to diminished candelilla populations and the availability of cheaper petroleum-based waxes.

[4] Later on however, new uses were found for the wax mainly in the cosmetic and food industries, and it is still being produced in northern Mexico and exported to other countries.