Seeing Red in Sabino

Text and photos by Fred Heath. 

Fred writes: 

The Tumamoc Globeberry (Ibervillea macdougalii) was thought to be a quite a rare plant and the few plants in Sabino have been carefully monitored over the years. Lately, botanists have been actively searching for it in SE Arizona at the right time of year (with monsoon rains) and found that it is more widely (although sparingly) distributed than originally thought.

Photo by Fred Heath 10/5/2015

When the fruit is ripe and red, it is a little easier to spot even though its vines are usually hidden on Velvet Mesquite trees.

Photo by Fred Heath 9/5/2015

The elegant flower and distinctive leaf shape help identify it.

Photo by Fred Heath 9/26/2015

It is a member of the Gourd Family (Cucurbitaceae) which is a little more obvious when you spot an unripe fruit which resembles a tiny watermelon (also a member of that family).

Thanks, Fred, for this great post!