The ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens - also called the coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and the vine cactus)'s a curious and unique desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. With rainfall the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2-4 cm) ovate leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months. The stems may reach a diamet… (More on Ocotillo)