Fouquieria
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 Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo) | ||||||||||||
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Fouquieria is a genus of 11 species of desert plants, the sole genus in the family Fouquieriaceae. The genus includes the Ocotillo (F. splendens) and the Boojum tree or Cirio (F. columnaris). They have succulent stems with thinner spikes projecting from them, with leaves on the spikes. They are unrelated to cacti and do not look much like them; their stems are proportionately thinner than cactus stems and their leaves are larger.
These plants are native to northern Mexico and the bordering US states of Arizona, southern California, New Mexico, and parts of southwestern Texas, favoring low, arid hillsides.
The Seri people identify three species of Fouquieria in their area of Mexico: jomjéeziz or xomjéeziz (F. splendens), jomjéeziz caacöl (F. diguetii, Baja California tree ocotillo), and cototaj (F. columnaris, boojum).
The genus is named after French physician Pierre Fouquier (1776-1850).
Species of Fouquieria
- Fouquieria burragei Rose
- Fouquieria columnaris (Kellog) Kellog ex Curran
- Fouquieria diguetii (Tiegh.) I.M.Johnst.
- Fouquieria fasciculata Nash
- Fouquieria formosa Kunth
- Fouquieria leonilae Miranda
- Fouquieria macdougalii Nash
- Fouquieria ochoterenae Miranda
- Fouquieria purpusii Brandegee
- Fouquieria shrevei I.M.Johnst.
- Fouquieria splendens Engelm.
They do not have a particularly close resemblance to any other sort of plants; genetic evidence has shown that they belong in the Ericales. Prior to this, they had been variously placed in the Violales or their own order Fouquieriales.
Ecology
Fouquieria diguetii is host to the Peacock mite Tuckerella eloisae.
References
- Felger, Richard; Mary B. Moser. (1985). People of the desert and sea: ethnobotany of the Seri Indians. Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
- Moser, Mary B.; Stephen A. Marlett (2005) (in Spanish and English). Comcáac quih yaza quih hant ihíip hac: Diccionario seri-español-inglés. Hermosillo, Sonora: Universidad de Sonora and Plaza y Valdés Editores. http://lengamer.org/admin/language_folders/seri/user_uploaded_files/links/File/DiccionarioSeri2005.pdf.
