IDRIA COLUMNARIS, the "BOOJUM", or FOUQUIERIA COLUMNARIS, as it is named by other botanists, is a member of the family FOUQUIERIACEAE.
It lives in Central Baja California, a peninsula, on the island Angel De La Guarda, in the Gulf of California, and near the village Libertad, at the coast of Sonora, Mexico.
It occurs from near sea level up to about 1000 m in the mountains. There it is growing with AGAVE SHAWII SSP. GOLDMANIANA, PACHYCEREUS PRINGLEI, a cactus, PACHYCORMUS DISCOLOR, "EL COPALQUIN", a member of the ANACARDIACEAE, YUCCA VALIDA, "EL DATILILLO", and FOUQUIERIA SPLENDENS, "EL OCOTILLO", another member of the FOUQUIERIACEAE. They all grow in forming a bushy savanna or succulent forest.
The "BOOJUM" will grow in sand, chalkstone or limestone, sandstone, basalt or granite. Granite as a substrate will be prefered overall.
IDRIA will grow up to 23 m and reach a thickness of about 1 m at its basis. The age of the oldest plants is said to become some hundreds years. But no exact age has been found until this very day.
The "BOOJUM" may be named "EL CIRION", the candle, by the mexicans too. The name "BOOJUM" is originated by the LEWIS CARROLL classic poem "THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK". For a snark is a creature of fantasy, created by the author, which cannot be described as it is ineffable. The boojum is a variety of a snark.
As the botanist GODFREY SYKES wandered through Baja California and this strange plant came into his sight, he exclaimed "A BOOJUM! DEFINITELY A BOOJUM!" So it is said. And this is how this strange oddity came to its strange name.
The morphology of IDRIA is very simple. It has a central stem from which are sprouting long trunks with egg shaped leaves. These leaves are stalked, and if the leaves are fading away all they will leave behind are their central ribs. These ribs will become the thorns of the stem and trunks.
In the axillae, "the armpit", will emerge the short trunks or side branchlets with unstalked leaves. These leaves will emerge as tufts and they will leave nothing if they die.
In culture you may see many a time the emerging and growing of leaves if there is water and the yellowing and dying of these leaves if there is water not any more. For growing this species this is a very clear and easy to follow advice for your watering regime.
As IDRIA is confined to a very small area on Baja California, about 120 km x 400 km, its climate is very special.
Winter rain occurs from December until February. In March or April until July no rain will fall. The summer rain will fall in August and September. October and November again will see no rain. Foggy mists will occur over the year and will spend some water.
The annual rainfall amount may not exceed 110 mm.
The annual temperature will be around 20 °C.
North of Central Baja California it is to cold to grow for IDRIA, south of Central Baja California it is to dry and hot.
IDRIA germinates and grows in its habitats in the shade of bushes and shrubs. They protect the tender plants from the drying sun. Becoming older and taller they outgrow their sheltering bushes and shrubs and prosper to these marvellous "BOOJUMS".
Cultivating IDRIA is very easy. I do use my normal substrate, normal pots, and water them allways when there will be leaves. Allways i give them the sunniest and warmest place i can offer. I cultivate them together with my FEROCACTUS CHRYSACANTHUS, F. JOHNSTONIANUS, MELOCACTUS, UEBELMANNIA and other warmth loving succulents. Only the watering of IDRIA is different from the other succulents. Keep allways an open eye at the emerging of leaves and their yellowing. This will tell you if and when to water. I fertilize them as i do it with all my succulents. Allways, but a very very very small amount of fertilizer is added at every watering. In nature this is the way it goes.
Last but not least, don t think that your "BOOJUM" will outgrow your fastest expectations. IDRIA is very very very slow growing.
It lives in Central Baja California, a peninsula, on the island Angel De La Guarda, in the Gulf of California, and near the village Libertad, at the coast of Sonora, Mexico.
It occurs from near sea level up to about 1000 m in the mountains. There it is growing with AGAVE SHAWII SSP. GOLDMANIANA, PACHYCEREUS PRINGLEI, a cactus, PACHYCORMUS DISCOLOR, "EL COPALQUIN", a member of the ANACARDIACEAE, YUCCA VALIDA, "EL DATILILLO", and FOUQUIERIA SPLENDENS, "EL OCOTILLO", another member of the FOUQUIERIACEAE. They all grow in forming a bushy savanna or succulent forest.
The "BOOJUM" will grow in sand, chalkstone or limestone, sandstone, basalt or granite. Granite as a substrate will be prefered overall.
IDRIA will grow up to 23 m and reach a thickness of about 1 m at its basis. The age of the oldest plants is said to become some hundreds years. But no exact age has been found until this very day.
The "BOOJUM" may be named "EL CIRION", the candle, by the mexicans too. The name "BOOJUM" is originated by the LEWIS CARROLL classic poem "THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK". For a snark is a creature of fantasy, created by the author, which cannot be described as it is ineffable. The boojum is a variety of a snark.
As the botanist GODFREY SYKES wandered through Baja California and this strange plant came into his sight, he exclaimed "A BOOJUM! DEFINITELY A BOOJUM!" So it is said. And this is how this strange oddity came to its strange name.
The morphology of IDRIA is very simple. It has a central stem from which are sprouting long trunks with egg shaped leaves. These leaves are stalked, and if the leaves are fading away all they will leave behind are their central ribs. These ribs will become the thorns of the stem and trunks.
In the axillae, "the armpit", will emerge the short trunks or side branchlets with unstalked leaves. These leaves will emerge as tufts and they will leave nothing if they die.
In culture you may see many a time the emerging and growing of leaves if there is water and the yellowing and dying of these leaves if there is water not any more. For growing this species this is a very clear and easy to follow advice for your watering regime.
As IDRIA is confined to a very small area on Baja California, about 120 km x 400 km, its climate is very special.
Winter rain occurs from December until February. In March or April until July no rain will fall. The summer rain will fall in August and September. October and November again will see no rain. Foggy mists will occur over the year and will spend some water.
The annual rainfall amount may not exceed 110 mm.
The annual temperature will be around 20 °C.
North of Central Baja California it is to cold to grow for IDRIA, south of Central Baja California it is to dry and hot.
IDRIA germinates and grows in its habitats in the shade of bushes and shrubs. They protect the tender plants from the drying sun. Becoming older and taller they outgrow their sheltering bushes and shrubs and prosper to these marvellous "BOOJUMS".
Cultivating IDRIA is very easy. I do use my normal substrate, normal pots, and water them allways when there will be leaves. Allways i give them the sunniest and warmest place i can offer. I cultivate them together with my FEROCACTUS CHRYSACANTHUS, F. JOHNSTONIANUS, MELOCACTUS, UEBELMANNIA and other warmth loving succulents. Only the watering of IDRIA is different from the other succulents. Keep allways an open eye at the emerging of leaves and their yellowing. This will tell you if and when to water. I fertilize them as i do it with all my succulents. Allways, but a very very very small amount of fertilizer is added at every watering. In nature this is the way it goes.
Last but not least, don t think that your "BOOJUM" will outgrow your fastest expectations. IDRIA is very very very slow growing.
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