Plant Species of the Borrego Desert:
An 8.5 year old Fouquieria splendens, ocotillo, that is only 3.5 inches tall!
An 8.5 year old Fouquieria splendens, ocotillo, that is only 3.5 inches tall!
Don started photographing baby ocotillos in 2017. The plant in this repeat observation was one of the first to be photographed, and one of the first three or so Don and Tom have followed up.
We were dumbfounded when we realized that this plant had hardly changed in height in eight years! This poor little ocotillo must have been repeatedly eaten nearly to the ground, probably by desert hares and/or wood rats, both of which are abundant here.
Fig. 1 shows the original photograph taken on 29 January 2017, and the follow-up photograph taken on 16 February 2025.
|
|
| Fig. 1. Top: photograph taken on 29 January 2017. Bottom: photograph taken on 16 February 2025.
There is no doubt about the correspondence, since the GPS location of the two photographs is the same to within measurement error, and the small rocks match up perfectly. Four of them are numbered in each photograph; there are probably more that we haven't numbered. In addition, note the patterned edge of the reddish-brown rock labeled 1, and the area of small pebbles between the rocks labeled 1 and 2. The rocks have apparently been disturbed a bit on the other side of the photo, which isn't surprising given the herbivory that has occurred on this plant in eight years. Both plants photographed by Tom Chester a bit east of Stag Cove. Click on the pictures to see unlabeled versions, and see the end of the page for our iNat observations. |
We initially surmised in 2017 that this was a first year plant that germinated in the summer / fall of 2016 from monsoonal rains, and was showing new growth in January 2017 from winter rains. Given the herbivory seen eight years later, we can't rule out that it was older than a first year plant then. However, there is no sign of herbivory in the 2017 pix; see Fig. 2.
Fig. 2. A side view of the plant on 29 January 2017. The spines may have come from seedling leaves in summer / fall 2016, with the new leaf growth in the axils from subsequent winter rain. But we can't rule out that the plant was older. Click on the pix for a larger version.
Evidence of herbivory at the top of the stems is clearly seen in the 2025 pix, as well as at the bottom of the branches; see Fig. 3.
Fig. 3. A side view of the plant on 16 February 2025. The tips of the branches show obvious signs of herbivory, as does the bottom of the branches. Click on the pix for a larger version.
When we first arrived at this location in 2025, we were surprised to find not only this little guy, but a very nearby four foot tall specimen that we initially took to be the same plant seen in 2017. The rock match unambiguously argues for the little guy in 2025 to be the same plant. The four foot tall plant might have been another seedling in 2017 that was partially hidden next to another shrub, that we didn't notice at the time. See a photo containing both plants. Don's measuring stick is touching the little guy; the four foot plant is to his left.
Our iNat observations:
29 January 2017:
16 February 2025: