ocotillo

Ocotillo
Ocotillos near Palm Springs, California
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Ericales Family: Fouquieriaceae Genus: Fouquieria Species: F. splendens
Binomial name
Fouquieria splendens Engelm.

The ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens - also called the coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and the vine cactus) is a curious and unique desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. 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. With rainfall the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2-4 cm) ovate leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months.

The stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m. The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that the branches are pole-like and only infrequently divide further, and specimens in cultivation may not exhibit any secondary branches. The leaf stalks harden into blunt spines, and new leaves sprout from the base of the spine. The bright red flowers appear in spring and summer, occurring as a group of small tube shapes at the tip of the stem. They are pollinated by hummingbirds or carpenter bees.

Ocotillo poles are a common fencing material in their native region, and often take root to form a living fence. Owing to light weight and an interesting pattern, these have been used for canes or walking sticks.

Three subspecies are accepted by some botanists:

• Fouquieria splendens subsp. splendens
• Fouquieria splendens subsp. breviflora Henrickson
• Fouquieria splendens subsp. campanulata (Nash) Henrickson

References

• Jepson Flora Project: Fouquiera splendens
• Calphotos: Fouquiera splendens

Closeup of ocotillo leaves.	Closeup of ocotillo thorns. Taken in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	Closeup of ocotillo flowers. Taken in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	Ocotillo covered with rare snow in Tucson
Ocotillo in full bloom. Taken near Lookout Mountain, Phoenix, AZ	Ocotillo flower, Palm Desert, California	Ocotillo flower with a bee above — Tucson	Ocotillo with leaves. Taken just outside of Tucson Mountains after North American Monsoon rain.

See also

• Chihuahuan Desert
• Big Bend National Park
• Guadalupe Mountains National Park
• Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Fouquieria splendens