Tasopolo
Zapoteca formosa subsp. schottii
Deciduous shrub reaching 4x4' sometimes up to 5'. Flowers have stamens that are white towards the tips and pink to purplish near the base, and open at night. Flowering takes place during the summer and early autumn.
Flowers are probably moth pollinated.
Best in part sun. Moderate water with good drainage. May freeze back at 20°F but will re-emerge.
Localized in Pima County, Arizona, and more widespread in Sonora, Mexico where it grows on slopes and in canyons in the Sonoran Desert and in thornscrub.
Since the flowers open up at night, it is assumed that perhaps a moth is the pollinator of this species. Most likely it is a larval host for butterflies and moths, but little is documented about this plant.
This plant is rare in the trade. Its ethnobotanical uses are undocumented as far as we know.
The genus Zapoteca (of which there are 23 species) is named in honor of the Zapotec peoples. The name derives from the Latin name Formosus and Spanish word "fermoso", meaning "beautiful". The species schottii is in honor of Arthur Schott (1814-1875), who worked with the Mexico Boundary Commission as a plant collector.
Formerly known as Calliandra formosa—the genus was separated from the genus Calliandra in 1986 on the basis of chromosome numbers, pollen, seedling structure, and other features.
Growth form of Tasopolo
Photo by axelgolden on iNaturalist