Exhibit Item 70
Castilleja exerta
Owl-clover, Escobita
Artist: © 1997 Margaret Pope
Colored Pencil
Sonoran Desert Wildflowers, 2001
From the Collection of Linda Brewer
Escobita, the Spanish name for owl-clover, means “little broom”. It is partially parasitic on the roots of other desert wildflowers and composite shrubs.
Exhibit Item 71
Fouquieria splendens
Ocotillo
Artist: © 1998 Margaret Pope
Colored Pencil
Sonoran Desert Wildflowers, 2001
From the Collection of Carrie and Bob Evans
The tubular flowers are a reliable source of nectar for hummingbirds during their spring migration since the plant will flower regardless of rain. For most of the year the ocotillo is leafless; but it is very responsive to rain, and the stems will leaf out within 3 days of a summer rain and at other times of the year when warm enough. Although the stems have spines, this is not a cactus. Ocotillo means “little pine”, taken from the Aztec word ocotle meaning pine and adding the diminutive “illo”.
