A succulent plant from mexico with numerous grooved, narrow, spiny stems and eventually bearing numerous, very attractive red flowers. Ocotillos can grow over 15 feet in height and as wide. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Ocotillo fouquieria splendens care sheet plants for. This is one of the iconic plants of the american deserts as grows in the chihuahuan, sonoran, and mohave deserts. What are those plants on desert hillsides that look like bunches of spiny crooked dead sticks. It has spiny, sharp, polelike stems and light to dark green, oval, twoinch leaflets. Mechanical seed harvest is with a seed stripper or combine.
They have semisucculent stems with thinner spikes projecting from them, with leaves on the bases spikes. The other species of fouquieria of which no materials are available at present seem so similar that f. Ocotillo, a perennial shrub of sonoran and chihuahuan deserts, produces its red tubular flowers in spring. It produces tall ascending canes that are topped with tight clusters of bright orange, tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds and orioles. Fouquieria splendens ocotillo jepson manual eflora tjm2 treatment of fouquiera splendens uc calphotos gallery of. Development of seinet, symbiota, and several of the specimen databases have been supported by national science foundation grants dbi 99832, brc 0237418, dbi 0743827, dbi 0847966 symbiota, and several of the specimen databases have been supported by national science foundation grants dbi.
Orange to red flowers 1 long in clusters at top of canes. They are unrelated to cacti and do not look much like them. Members of this family are oddlooking plants, some even bizarre. Fouquieria splendens in the germplasm resources information network grin, u. Each spring, and after summer rains, the whips suddenly sprout small green leaves along their whole length. Suitable for gardens no nursery unknown compost no size at acquisition unknown garden location unknown garden notes fouquieria splendens is a good hummingbird feeder. This is a relative of the renowned boojum tree fouquieria columnaris of baja california. Plant database entry for ocotillo fouquieria splendens with 43 images, one comment, and 23 data details. This upright thorny shrub occurs from southern california east to west texas and ranges south into. Fouquieria splendens in the sonoran desert researchgate. These seedlings are very sturdy and have branched early so you get a plant that does not just look like a whip stuck in the ground. Michael moore writes the tincture is taken in a little warm water every three or four hours, usually in doses of 2535 drops.
Department of agriculture agricultural research service. Branch length mediates flower production and inflorescence. Ocotillo fouquieria splendens is a unique native desert plant with lowbranching, spiny, canes. This photo was taken in the cactus garden at sul ross state university. Ocotillo brief notesfouquieria splendens an amazing lymphatic plant medicine that probably could benefit 60% of the people who are reading this.
Ocotillos fouquieria splendens are among the most exotic and lovely of the plants from the western sonoran desert and baja california, with snaky cactuslike limbs whips and blazing scarlet flowers. This plants thorns may be a deterrent for the not so adventurous gardener. Closeup view of the plant fouquieriaceae, ocotillo, fouquieria splendens. Leaves are narrow and create a bristly look to the branches sort of like a pine tree, though there are long, sharp spines hidden in these branches. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. They are characterized by spiny stems with bundles of seasonal leaves at each spine. Fouquieriaceae, the ocotillo family of the order ericales, composed of 11 species in the genus fouquieria. Medicinal plants of the american southwest 200620092011, herbal medicine. This tall, graceful deciduous shrub with long canes grows slowly to twenty feet tall with a fifteenfoot spread. Fouquieria macdougali is an excellent plant for native gardens where its bright red, nectarfilled blooms will attract hummingbirds. Project materials include tumbled travertine, handcarved cantera stone pots, fountains, house trim, and. The ocotillo is a bajada resident that can be relied upon to bloom annually, even without leafing in particularly dry springs. This data was interpolated to estimate average julyaugustseptember precipitation for the latitude and longitude of each plant occurrence location provided by the consortium of california herbaria. This timing coincides with northward migration of hummingbirds through desert areas.
However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. Mature plants usually grow to 1520 feet tall by 1012 feet wide. It requires dry, sunny sites and is well suited for rock gardens and xeriscape developments where there is little water, this shrub is a striking specimen plant in dry. In our fieldwork throughout mexico, weve come across all of the species of the family fouquieriaceae.
Join our friendly community that shares tips and ideas for gardens, along with seeds and plants. Ocotillo is a droughtdeciduous shrub with 6 to 100 wandlike branches that arise from the root crown. Fouquieria splendens is a plant indigenous to the sonoran desert and chihuahuan desert in. Pollinator availability as a determinant of flowering time. Ocotillo, devils walking stick, candlewood fouquieriaceae ocotillo family synonyms.
The selection of the boulders used on the project was. Fouquieria splendens general botanical characteristics. Rocky soils and upslopes and uplands of the sonoran and chihuahuan deserts from southeastern california to southwest texas and northern mexico. Ocotillo secret to longevity always keep the lymph.
Morphology and angiosperm systematics in the molecular era. Mixed regression was used to investigate the relation between branch length, a proxy for plant resources, and floral display of fouquieria splendens ocotillo, a woody. Observations of visitors, pollen collections, and seed set reductions following exclusion of different flower visitors indicate that both hummingbirds and solitary. Leaves on some plants are borne close together, while. Fouquieria splendens ocotillo mountain states wholesale. The only genus in the family, fouquieria, has some 11 species, and we offer photographs of them here. Data source and references for fouquieria splendens.
The capacity of individual branches to store water and fix carbon can have profound effects on inflorescence size and architecture, thus on floral display, pollination, and fecundity. The plant produces showy, dense spikes of orangeyred tubular blossoms on. Rocky soils and upslopes and uplands of the sonoran and chihuahuan deserts from southeastern california to southwest texas and northern mexico pronounciation. Fouquieriaceae, ocotillo, fouquieria splendens, detail. A xerophytic shrub with many whiplike gray, furrowed basal stems. Kiva rose submitted an herbal overview of ocotillo fouquieria splendens using her poetic. Pdf the distribution of cirio fouquieria columnaris. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and uptodate information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in. Fouquieria splendens, or occotillo is a large shrub growing 10 feet tall or more. A taxonomic revision of the fouquieriaceae semantic scholar. Data source and references for fouquieria splendens ocotillo from the usda plants database. View picture of fouquieria species, candlewood, ocotillo fouquieria splendens at daves garden.
Pdf a continuum of juvenile to reproductively mature ocotillos fouquieria splendens was studied to determine changes in dry mass partitioning and. Fouquieria splendens is an odd, slender, cactuslike, spiny shrub or small tree 2,5 to 610 m high with little branched or unbranched stems and differentiated short and long shoots. Desert globemallow sphaeralcea ambigua the plants database. Chemistry and taxonomy of fouquieria splendens engelm. Media in category fouquieria splendens the following 9 files are in this category, out of 9 total. See a study of idria columnaris and fouquieria splendens by r. A very distinctive, upright, droughtdeciduous shrub, to 20 ft 6 m high, vaseshaped, many 6100 twisted, unbranched, wandlike gray stems arise from the root crown, with spines to. Itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. It is the most northern species of the large family of.
Chemistry and taxonomy of fouquieria splendens engelm 625 sugars bacon and edelman7, aucubin giving a dark spot with pink fluorescence and catalpol an orange spot with very strong yellow fluorescence, whilst asperuloside gives no reaction. Desert lifestyle the private gardens of paradise valley. Fouquieria splendens ocotillo mountain states wholesale nursery. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. Fouquieria splendens commonly known as ocotillo american spanish. This upright thorny succulent occurs from southern california east to texas and ranges south into northern mexico. It is an inverted, funnelshaped desert plant with several woody, spiny, whiplike, straight branches angling outward from the base and rising as high as 20 feet. This upright thorny shrub occurs from southern california east to west texas and ranges south into northern mexico. Fouquieria splendens fouquieriaceae ocotillo, coachwhip. Read on to find the many reasons for joining our fb. Native to the deserts of western north america, fouquieria species are often smallbranched shrubs or trees with spirally arranged leaves that are drought deciduous i.
A study of idria columnaris and fouquieria splendens. Rigid spines bear clusters of small oval deciduous leaves in the axils. Fouquieria splendens is one of eleven species in the ocotillo family fouquieriaceae. Ocotillo fouquieriaceae hardy to zones 10 to 12, otherwise grown as a potted plant and brought indoors for the winter candlewood, couchwhip sturdy, whiplike, woody, spiny shrub to 20 feet, native to the deserts of the american sw, baha and mexico.
The cirio fouquieria columnaris is an iconic species of the northern deserts of the baja california peninsula in mexico. Fouquieria splendens landscape plants oregon state. Feb 1978 this species may be thought of as the ocotillo that occurs in the subtropical desert thorn bushland, southern peninsula of baja california mexico, in contrast to the splendid ocotillo found in the chihuahuan and sonoran deserts. With rainfall, the plant quickly becomes lush with small leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months. This is fundamentally an anatomical study, undertaken as a necessary prerequisite to an understanding of the physiology of the plants and their relation to environment. The bright crimson flowers appear especially after rainfall in spring, summer, and. Fouquieria splendens ocotillo this upright thorny shrub occurs from southern california east to west texas and ranges south into northern mexico. Long, spiny branches often referred to as canes radiate from a central base in a vase shape.
Fouquieria is a genus of 11 species of desert plants, the sole genus in the family fouquieriaceae. Department of agriculture, forest service, rocky mountain research station, fire. Fouquieria splendens ocotillo medicinal uses charles. The occotillo is one of the plants that is used to separate the low desert region from the high desert in southern california. Ocotillo is an erect shrub with several spiny ascending stems that grow.
Despite their funny looks, ocotillos are common and adaptable desert plants. The ocotillo family is a small one of only 11 species restricted to the warmarid section of north america. They are ocotillos pronounced ohkohteeyohs, one of the most curious and unique plants of the southwestern united states. Trends and traditions 2009, sonoran desert food plants 20112017, southern california food plants 20, wild edible plants of texas 2016, medicinal plants of the western mountain states 2017, wild edible plants of arizona 2019. Fouquieria is an interesting genus because not only are most of the species found in mexico, and most are endemic to mexico. A red brick building is visible out of focus in the background. Lady bird johnson wildflower center the university of. It branches profusely from the base in a typical candelabra shape and sheds its leaves and flowers during drought periods, but chlorophyll in the bark allows the photosynthesis also. A shrub composed of clustered, spiny stems growing from a single base. It is the only one native to the southwest of our country, extending into baja, the chihuahuan desert and into central mexico.
930 39 779 1215 85 812 246 991 1393 1025 217 465 1256 175 73 1209 736 1 72 924 344 1431 1287 201 653 626 682 1347 542 918 452