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April 23, 2006 : Fouquieria splendens
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Keywords: Fouquieriaceae | Fouquieria splendens Engelm. | Saguaro National Park, Arizona
These are the remaining photographs for the ocotillo series. As Al pointed out in the comments in the first entry, the leaves of ocotillo are temporary. They appear a few days after a rainfall and will drop when dry conditions resume – a cycle that can occur ten or more times in a year. Al also mentioned that the stems of Fouquieria splendens contain chlorophyll. This allows the plant to continue photosynthesis at a suboptimal rate when leaves are absent.
The angular white streaks in two of the photographs are courtesy of raindrops. Instead of getting the camera equipment wet in the rainfall, I snapped these images from the shelter of the car. Lazy photography, I suppose.
Photography resource link: for inspiration, Scenic Wild, the photography of Guy Tal. In addition to exceptional photo galleries, the site also contains a number of Guy's helpful articles.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at April 23, 2006 12:02 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Katie at April 23, 2006 10:03 PM
Does Al or anyone know if these are blooming now in California? and how far north can one find them? I will be on I-10 crossing CA soon. Thanks
Posted by: Hollis Marriott at April 24, 2006 2:21 PM
My photographs were taken in the first week of April. At the time, there were still some in bud at one of the turnoffs just south of the Cholla Cactus Garden in Joshua Tree NP. I don't know how long the flowers last, but the Jepson Manual Online mentions March through July (also contains a distribution map)
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at April 24, 2006 2:31 PM
thanks, Dan, looks like I-10 might be too far north, but I'll keep an eye out
Posted by: Hollis Marriott at April 26, 2006 3:21 PM
I-10 runs south of Joshua Tree NP - if they are still in flower, you'll almost certainly see some along the roadsides.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin at April 26, 2006 3:34 PM
Mine are blooming like mad in Tucson now.
Thank you for reminding me, I'd forgotten to look and admire.
Posted by: Jeff Haskell at April 29, 2006 12:21 PM
Wonderful photograps!!
A question: May I use some of this pictures on my webpage? (if the answer is no; don't worry, I will understand). I'm from Uruguay (South America), and I love Ocotillo trees (I have a veeery little one)
Ricardo Garbarini
Posted by: Ricardo Garbarini at July 17, 2009 6:13 PM
Yes, beautiful photographs -- Thank you.
Ricardo's comment led me back to this desert series, from 3 years into the future.
Posted by: Mary Ann, in Toronto at July 18, 2009 4:09 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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I really like this post. Thanks!