Boojum tree
| Boojum Tree | |
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| File:Bajacirios.jpg | |
| Three Boojum or Cirio trees in the central Baja desert. | |
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| Species: | F. columnaris
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| Binomial name | |
| Fouquieria columnaris (Kellogg) Kellogg ex Curran
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The Boojum or Cirio (Fouquieria columnaris, syn. Idria columnaris) is a bizarre-looking tree in the family Fouquieriaceae, whose other members include the Ocotillos. It is nearly endemic to the Baja California Peninsula, with only a small population in the Sierra Bacha of Sonora. Its name is derived from Lewis Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark".
The trunk is up to 24 cm thick, with branches sticking out at right angles, all covered with small leaves 1.5-4 cm long. They can grow to a height of 20 m. The flowers bloom in summer and autumn; they occur in short racemes, and are creamy yellow with a honey scent. Image:Boojum tree.jpg