Justicia californica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Genus: Justicia
Species:
J. californica
Binomial name
Justicia californica
(Benth.) D. Gibson
Synonyms

Beloperone californica

Justicia californica is a deciduous species of flowering shrub native to the deserts of southern California, southern Arizona, and northern Mexico. Its common names include chuparosa (or chiparosa, both colloquial Spanish terms for "hummingbird"), hummingbird bush, and beloperone.[1]

It can grow to 1.5 metres (5 feet) in height and almost as wide.[1] For a short time it bears succulent leaves about 1.5 centimetres (5⁄8 inch) in width.[1] It loses its leaves and then produces plentiful tubular flowers about 2.5–4 cm (1–1+5⁄8 in) long between February and June.[1] These are usually in shades of bright to deep red, or sometimes yellow, with a two-lobed upper lip and a wide three-lobed lower lip[1] that falls open to reveal the inside of the blossom.

It is one of the northernmost distributed species of the mostly tropical genus Justicia. This is a low bush which grows in watered areas of dry, hot sandy regions or rocky terrain of the desert floor, usually below 750 m (2,460 ft) above sea level.[1]

Hummingbirds visit the bush to feed on the nectar. Other birds eat the sugar-rich flower centers. This plant is sometimes cultivated as a landscape ornamental in desert regions for its bright flowers and to attract birds.

The plant is thought to have been eaten by Native Americans of the Southwest.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Spellenberg, Richard (2001) [1979]. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region (rev ed.). Knopf. p. 323. ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.
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