Difference between revisions of "Ocotillo"

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{{Taxobox
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__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
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| color = lightgreen
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| name = ''Fouquieria splendens''
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| name = Ocotillo
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| common_names = Ocotillo
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| growth_habit = ?  <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
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| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
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| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
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| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
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| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
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| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
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| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
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| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
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| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
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| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
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| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
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| usda_zones = ?  <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
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| sunset_zones =    <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
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| color = IndianRed
 
| image = Ocotillo02262006.JPG
 
| image = Ocotillo02262006.JPG
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| image_width = 250px
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| image_width = 180px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
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| image_caption = Ocotillos near [[Palm Springs, California]]
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| image_caption = Ocotillos
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| regnum = Plantae
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| divisio = Magnoliophyta
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| classis = Magnoliopsida
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| ordo = [[Ericales]]
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| ordo = Ericales
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| familia = [[Fouquieria]]ceae
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| familia = Fouquieriaceae
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| genus = ''[[Fouquieria]]''
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| genus = Fouquieria
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| species = '''''F. splendens'''''
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| species = splendens
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| binomial = ''Fouquieria splendens''
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}}
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| binomial_authority = [[George Engelmann|Engelm.]]
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{{Inc|
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Fouquieria splendens, Engelm. Coach-Whip. Vine-Cactus. Jacob's Staff. Ocotillo. Shrub, 6-25 ft., branching near the base: branches long, gray, furrowed, erect: Ivs. obovate, rounded at apex, wedge-shaped at base, ½ -l in. long: fls. scarlet or brick-red, exceeding 1 in. long, in racemose or thyrsoid elongated clusters; stamens 8-12, exserted: caps. 1/2 – 2/3 in. long, the seeds white, with a long fringe of spirally thickened hairs. W. Texas and Ariz, to 8. Calif. B.M. 8318. A.G. 13:759.—A hedge plant in Mex., making an impenetrable barrier. The plant is a conspicuous object in the deserts from Texas westward, standing on the open exposed places and slopes, the rod-like stiff canes looking like lifeless sticks in dry weather and in its season crowned with masses of showy bloom.
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{{SCH}}
 
}}
 
}}
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{{for|the census-designated place|Ocotillo, California}}
 
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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 dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the [[Plant stem|stems]] are partly green.  With rainfall the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2-4 cm) ovate [[Leaf|leaves]], which may remain for weeks or even months.
 
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[[Image:Ocotillo-with-bee.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Ocotillo flower with a bee above &mdash; Tucson, AZ]]
 
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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 [[flower]]s appear in spring and summer, occurring as a group of small tube shapes at the tip of the stem.
 
  
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Ocotillo poles are a common [[fence|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.
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==Cultivation==
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{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
  
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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==Varieties==
 
Three [[subspecies]] are accepted by some botanists:
 
Three [[subspecies]] are accepted by some botanists:
 
*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''splendens''
 
*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''splendens''
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*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''campanulata'' ([[George Valentine Nash|Nash]]) Henrickson
 
*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''campanulata'' ([[George Valentine Nash|Nash]]) Henrickson
  
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==References==
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==Gallery==
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*[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4359,4360,0,4361 Jepson Flora Project: ''Fouquiera splendens'']
 
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*[http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=ucjeps&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Fouquieria+splendens Calphotos: ''Fouquiera splendens'']
 
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Image:Ocotillo_leaves-300px.jpg|Closeup of ocotillo leaves.
 
Image:Ocotillo_leaves-300px.jpg|Closeup of ocotillo leaves.
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Image:Ocotilloflower02262006.JPG|Closeup of ocotillo flowers. Taken in [[Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]]
 
Image:Ocotilloflower02262006.JPG|Closeup of ocotillo flowers. Taken in [[Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]]
 
Image:Ocotillo-600.jpg|Ocotillo covered with rare [[snow]] in [[Tucson]]
 
Image:Ocotillo-600.jpg|Ocotillo covered with rare [[snow]] in [[Tucson]]
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Image:Ocotillo.jpg|Ocotillo in full bloom. Taken near Lookout Mountain, [[Phoenix, AZ]]
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Image:Ocotillo.jpg|Ocotillo in full bloom.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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{{commons|Fouquieria splendens}}
 
  
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[[Category:Ericales]]
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==References==
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[[Category:Flora of California]]
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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[[Category:Flora of the Sonoran Desert]]
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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[[Category:Flora of Southwestern United States]]
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
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==External links==
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*{{wplink}}
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{{stub}}
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[[Category:Categorize]]
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Revision as of 00:21, 19 August 2009


Ocotillos


Plant Characteristics
Origin: ✈ ?
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ ?"?" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property.
Water: ◍ ?"?" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Scientific Names

Fouquieriaceae >

Fouquieria >

splendens >



Read about Ocotillo in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Fouquieria splendens, Engelm. Coach-Whip. Vine-Cactus. Jacob's Staff. Ocotillo. Shrub, 6-25 ft., branching near the base: branches long, gray, furrowed, erect: Ivs. obovate, rounded at apex, wedge-shaped at base, ½ -l in. long: fls. scarlet or brick-red, exceeding 1 in. long, in racemose or thyrsoid elongated clusters; stamens 8-12, exserted: caps. 1/2 – 2/3 in. long, the seeds white, with a long fringe of spirally thickened hairs. W. Texas and Ariz, to 8. Calif. B.M. 8318. A.G. 13:759.—A hedge plant in Mex., making an impenetrable barrier. The plant is a conspicuous object in the deserts from Texas westward, standing on the open exposed places and slopes, the rod-like stiff canes looking like lifeless sticks in dry weather and in its season crowned with masses of showy bloom. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

Do you have cultivation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Propagation

Do you have propagation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Pests and diseases

Do you have pest and disease info on this plant? Edit this section!

Varieties

Three subspecies are accepted by some botanists:

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

Gallery

References

External links


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