Fouquieria burragei Rose

Growth Form

Fouquieria burragei Rose is a plant that grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching 3 to 7 meters in height.

It produces thin, thorny branches that sprawl upward from a central base, giving the plant an overall fan-shaped appearance.

Leaf Characteristics

Its small, bright green oval leaves emerge in pairs, alternating between the thorns.

Flowering Trigger

Flowers begin to emerge after rainfall.

Inflorescence Structure

The inflorescence is variable in form: it is elongated, narrow, and upright, and grows from just above the base of older inflorescences.

Flower Morphology

The distinctive flowers have a short corolla that ranges in color from white to rose-red, with numerous long, exerted stamens.

Species Distribution

This species is distributed from Bahía Concepción south to the area around La Paz, and also occurs on Espiritu Santo Island in Baja California Sur.

Population Structure

Populations of this plant are widely scattered, and there is likely no gene flow between its isolated populations.

Habitat and Elevation

It grows on rocky slopes with shallow sandy to volcanic clay soils, at elevations up to 200 meters.