Field Guide/Chuparosa
| Chuparosa (Hummingbird bush, Justicia californica (Beloperone californica)) | |
|---|---|
| Image | |
| Location | |
| Habitat | Along watercourses in deserts, below 2,500 ft (750 m) elevation |
| Range | Northwest Mexico, Southern California and Arizona |
| Flowers | |
| Description | deeply divided into two lips; upper lip has two lobes, lower lip has three |
| Corolla | 2.5-3.8 cm (1-1.5 in) |
| Color | dull-red, tubular |
| Flowering | February–June |
| Notes | Flowers favored by hummingbirds |
| Stems | |
| Description | Densely branched |
| Texture | Smooth |
| Leaves | |
| Description | Ovate, opposite and covered with fine hairs; mostly leafless |
| Length | 1.3 cm (.5 in) |
| Fruit | |
The Chuparosa (hummingbird in Spanish) is a nectar-rich flowers which attracts hummingbirds, linnets and sparrows. It is said to have been eaten by the Papago tribe.