Fouquieria splendens
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401ccb06df0355647084 |
| Scientific name | Fouquieria splendens |
| Authority | Engelm. |
| First published in | Mem. Tour N. Mexico : 98 (1848) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Ornamental potted plants for xeriscape landscaping; sold as 1–2‑m specimens with striking red flowers.
- Nursery stock of live fence posts (rooted cuttings) marketed for windbreaks and privacy screens.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Construction of natural live fences; stems are planted in rows to form impenetrable barriers.
- Use of dried stems for small‑scale craft items such as walking sticks and decorative dowels is documented in ethnobotanical surveys of southwestern material culture.
- Soil erosion control on slopes by establishing live ocotillo stands.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
- Nectar source for honey production; regional beekeepers harvest a light‑colored honey from ocotillo flowers, marketed locally as “desert honey”.
Scientific/model organism use:
- Studied as a model for crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis and drought adaptation; cited in plant physiology textbooks and research articles (e.g., Nobel 2009; Winter & Smith 1996).
- Used in phenological studies of desert plant flowering and water‑use efficiency.
Properties relevant to use:
- Spiny, lignified stems (high lignin content) give structural integrity for fencing and small timber.
- Thick cuticular wax and stem succulence confer drought tolerance, supporting use in xeriscapes.
- High lignocellulose density (≈0.5–0.6 g cm⁻³) yields moderate calorific value suitable for small‑scale fuel or craft use.
Standards and regulation:
- Horticultural stock complies with ANSI Z60.1 (American National Standard for Nursery Stock) for size and vigor.
- Import and movement of live plants are governed by the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine Act; the species is not listed in CITES.
- Honey derived from ocotillo is subject to the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act labeling requirements.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Propagation is primarily by seed (slow germination) and by stem cuttings (rapid rooting), enabling sustainable nursery production.
- Wild harvesting for fence posts is discouraged due to the plant’s slow growth and limited distribution; most commercial supply comes from cultivated stock.
- Conservation measures in some Mexican states regulate harvest to protect natural populations.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Fouquieria splendens f. albiflora | Lodé | Cact.-Avent. 16: 17 (1992);. |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | ocotillo |
| Spanish | ocotillo |
| Spanish | rotilla |
| Catalan | f. splendens |
| German | ocotillo |
| Basque | okotillo |
| Finnish | hehkuokotillo |
| French | ocotillo |
| Italian | ocotillo |
| Japanese | オコティーヨ |
| Japanese | フォークィエリア・スプレンデンス |
| Japanese | フォウクィエリア・スプレンデンス |
| Chinese | 尾红龙 |
| Chinese | 福桂树 |
| Chinese | 蜡烛木 |
| Chinese | 蠟燭木 |
Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Fouquieria splendens subsp. campanulata | (Nash) Henrickson | Aliso 7: 517 (1972) |
| Fouquieria splendens subsp. splendens | ||
| Fouquieria splendens subsp. breviflora | Henrard | Aliso 7: 519 (-522). 1972 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Mexico
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southwest
-
South-central U.S.A.
- New Mexico
- Texas
-
Southwestern U.S.A.
- Arizona
- California
- Nevada
-
Mexico
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000691669 |
| UNII | 8125X4W8XI |
| USDA Plants | FOSP2 |
| Tropicos | 13400003 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:105437-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2813831 |
| PFAF | Fouquieria splendens |
| Open Tree Of Life | 445124 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 13533 |
| Nature Serve | 2.137277 |
| IPNI | 105437-2 |
| iNaturalist | 49325 |
| GBIF | 2927459 |
| Freebase | /m/01y1x9 |
| FEIS | plants/shrub/fouspl |
| EPPO | FOQSP |
| EOL | 487543 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 9966 |
| USDA GRIN | 243 |
| Wikipedia | Fouquieria_splendens |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Hydrocarbons / Unsaturated hydrocarbons / Unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons | |||||
| 1-Eicosene | 18936 | Click to see CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC=C | 280.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86538-3 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene glycosides / Iridoid O-glycosides | |||||
| (1S)-1alpha-(beta-D-Glucopyranosyloxy)-1,4aalpha,5,6,7,7aalpha-hexahydro-7alpha-(hydroxymethyl)cyclopenta[c]pyran-4alpha-carboxylic acid methyl ester | 13892715 | Click to see COC(=O)C1=COC(C2C1CCC2CO)OC3C(C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O)O | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| Adoxoside | 11079666 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| Galioside | 185774 | Click to see | 404.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| Genameside B | 11495491 | Click to see | 422.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| methyl 5,7-dihydroxy-7-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-4-carboxylate | 162945363 | Click to see | 422.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| methyl 7-hydroxy-7-(hydroxymethyl)-1-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-4a,5,6,7a-tetrahydro-1H-cyclopenta[c]pyran-4-carboxylate | 131860114 | Click to see | 406.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| Splendoside | 124708118 | Click to see | 406.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(82)85028-0 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / O-glycosyl compounds | |||||
| [5-(hexopyranosyloxy)-1-oxo-2a,4a,5,7b-tetrahydro-1H-2,6-dioxacyclopenta[cd]inden-4-yl]methyl acetate | 233330 | Click to see CC(=O)OCC1=CC2C3C1C(OC=C3C(=O)O2)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O | 414.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)82938-6 |
| Asperuloside | 84298 | Click to see CC(=O)OCC1=CC2C3C1C(OC=C3C(=O)O2)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O | 414.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)82938-6 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| Apigenin | 5280443 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 270.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| Luteolin | 5280445 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O | 286.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Kaempferol | 5280863 | Click to see | 286.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)86538-3 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 3-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Chrysoeriol | 5280666 | Click to see | 300.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| Isokaempferide | 5280862 | Click to see | 300.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| Quercetin 3,3'-dimethyl ether | 5316900 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC)O | 330.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 4-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Acacetin | 5280442 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
| Ermanin | 5352001 | Click to see COC1=CC=C(C=C1)C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC | 314.29 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1515/ZNC-1994-9-1022 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |