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I didn't go through NE NM very often when I lived there, as I was always drawn more to the west, south and northwest. I recently took a trip to a ranch near the nearly-ghost town of Ocate NM and made a few cactus stops, outside Las Vegas NM and in the general area. I also photographed some very robust triglochidiatus near Corona NM on the way home.

a couple of the fine variety of phaeacantha that grows in this area with super glochids, the second pic with the local form of Echinocereus coccineus:







Echinocereus viridiflorus:





E. coccineus near Ocate with super long orange/brown spines:




Wonderful spine pattern on this Opuntia near Pastura, NM. Is this pottsii?


robust trigloch near Corona NM.


Classic three "flat" spines per areole. This is what i think of as the "real" trigloch:


peterb

Awesome sauce!
Killer glochids

yeah, those phaeacantha are really something. I guess "variety camanchica"?

peterb

peterb wrote: Wonderful spine pattern on this Opuntia near Pastura, NM. Is this pottsii?

How big is that pad? doesn't look like what I picture as pottsii. Spines look kinda like O. confusa. I have no idea if confusa grows that far North though. Pretty cool looking no matter what it is!

I love that phaeacantha!!

Terrific! Definitely the Land of Enchantment.
I never saw anything like those super-glochiods.

Shmuel

These are excellent! Very familiar names, but the plants look very different there. Both of those Opuntias are extremely nice!

O. pottsii is pretty small 3-5" pads. Spines dont match up. Note: Fleshy roots release a milky sap when cut.

Looking through my Texas book (I know, but I don't have a NM book!) 2 come close.
O. spinosibaca
O. mackensenii v. minor

Good stuff!!!! The Corona trigs are a tremendous population. You have to see the Priest Canyon plants one day....

There so much I need to see! If I won the lottery I would just hit the road for 10 years and look at habitat.

Thanks for the clarification on the Opuntia, guys. I wonder what Dave F would call these.

I'm on my way for a quick trip to El Pinacate today, I think, via Sonoyta Son. Might drive all the way down to Bahia Kino or might save it for another trip. The travel fever is really hitting me now that the temps have eased up some.

peterb

very interesting Peter, thank you! I am looking forward to seeing what' s next

peterb wrote:There so much I need to see! If I won the lottery I would just hit the road for 10 years and look at habitat.

Sounds good to me - when that happens, I will come along to carry your suitcases and wash your windshields for the price of "room and board".

Man, you can come along for free if you help me photograph stuff and keep records and help identify plants.

peterb

I'll drive!

You guys are going to need a cook.

I'll use some of Steve Brack's field numbers in the powerball and we'll be good to go!

peterb