Acanthaceae

Acanthus Family

Chuparosa

FAMILY: Acanthus family (Acanthaceae) – Justicia genus.

SPECIES: Chuparosa or beloperone (Justicia californica (Benth.) D. N. Gibson = Beloperone californica Benth.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Chuparosa flowers are edible, but other parts have no value as food. The flowers are red and bloom in profusion, often appearing before the leaves in late winter. Fresh flowers taste remarkably similar to cucumbers. They contain plenty of sweetness and make a fine addition to salads. The soft texture is pleasing, and the vibrant shades of red provide a striking contrast to ordinary salad greens. Fresh chuparosa flowers contain enough moisture to alleviate thirst, thus making them a vital resource on treks across the desert. Gathering chuparosa flowers is easy, so the effort invested is worth the reward, especially in the morning hours when dew may be present. If water can be spared, rinsing the flowers is recommended, but rinsing has the inherent problem of reducing sweetness. Chuparosa flowers are reasonably clean, even bug-free occasionally, but wild foods should always be washed. Boiling sanitizes the flowers and makes a delicious beverage. The corollas, stamens, and pistils readily detach from the less appealing calyces. All these parts can be dried for long-term storage. Dried materials darken and retain elements of the cucumber-like flavor. Chuparosa flowers are a good wild food available over a long period of time, beginning in late winter.

NOTES: Chuparosa is common in the “Colorado Desert,” which is a northern region of the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. I’ve always had a special interest in wild foods of that desolate and inhospitable region. Casual observers would probably assume that the region is void of any potential to support human life, but it has more potential than a first impression would indicate. Over the years, I sampled flowers from numerous chuparosa shrubs spanning the Colorado Desert. The flowers tasted as I described them above, somewhat sweet and with a cucumber-like flavor. Regardless of where I gathered chuparosa flowers, they tasted the same. Wild foods often have a range of flavors, but chuparosa is very consistent. No other shrubs of the Colorado Desert are likely to be confused with chuparosa, and no other shrubs of the region provide finer quality salad material.

IDENTIFICATION: The Justicia genus is currently represented by 12 species in the United States, of which 8 are found in the Southwest. Chuparosa is common, but several species are rare. Members of the acanthus family have been named, renamed, and then renamed again and again. Long lists of synonyms abound in technical floras. Nothing else in the family is likely to be confused with chuparosa. Other species rarely have red flowers.

Description of chuparosa (Justicia californica): FORM small shrub about 5-15 dm tall; LEAVES simple, opposite, and stalked; blades oval, rounded-triangular, lance-shaped, or heart-shaped; margins entire; surfaces finely hairy (canescent); FLOWERS irregular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged in spikes or racemes; bracts absent or minute; sepals 5; corollas red, 2-lipped; stamens 2, exserted; anthers 2-celled, each lower cell with a thick white area (callus); FRUITS club-shaped with flat stalks; HABITAT deserts of southern Arizona and southern California, usually below 1,200 meters (about 3,500 feet) elevation; blooming February to May.

REFERENCES: Chuparosa (Justicia californica): flowers Couplan (p. 395) and Kirk (p. 244); nectar Hodgson (p. 75) and Moerman (p. 134).