Field of Science

Name the Bug # 13

Been a while since we last had one of these. Anyone care to identify this beastie?

Okay, it's a shrub, not a beastie, but you get the idea. Attribution to follow.

Update: Identity available here. Photo by Josiah.


  1. Fouquieria (Idria) columnaris of the Fouquieriaceae? The Boojum Tree (from Lewis Carrol) or Cirio (Spanish = candle).

    If that is right then I got it from the bent top.

  2. Oleg Polunin defined a tree as a woody plant over 2 metres, a shrub being a woody plant under 2 metres. For the purposes of his Trees and Shrubs of... series, I think he knew the usual overlapping meanings. I think that counted even for living telegraph poles.

  3. I know, I just like the sound of the word "shrub".

  4. alluaudia montagnacii from madagascar?

  5. I thought it was Didieriaceae at first but look at the cactus at the bottom left, so Californian it has probably got an agent.

    Lovely word, shrub. You know shrub is a style of alcoholic cordial? From the same Arabic root as sherbert and syrup.

  6. It looks like a mesquite plant that has a hoop-snake nest in it.


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