Apache Trail

Share info and Pictures about gardens, parks, nurseries, and other locations with cacti.
peterb
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Apache Trail

Post by peterb »

Like a dust bowl up there now, the driest time of the year here. But Vlad and Jason's pics inspired me to get off my duff and get outside for a while. Record breaking heat today over 100.

I had to jump really high for some of the saguaro pics.
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This freaky mutant Echinocereus flower, the only one up there:
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Bunch of views, including Dudleya saxicola, cool blue rosettes:
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The very unassuming flowers of Agave toumeyana
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Base of same plant:
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Another couple of jumpers:
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A few pics of Mammillaria viridiflora, first time I've seen it in habitat. At least, I assume that's what this is. I suppose it could be wilcoxii.
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A couple of a mystery Opuntia with some interesting characters:
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great to get back out into the wilds...

peterb
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Saguaro123
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Post by Saguaro123 »

Nice shots Peter. 8) You must've had a lot of fun out there, especially in record breaking heat. :shock:

Is the Apache Trail an unpaved highway that takes you from Phoenix to Roosevelt Lake?
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birdguy34
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Post by birdguy34 »

Amazing place and pics. Are some of the Fero's eastwoodiae? I can't remember exactly where those are found.
Chris
Saguaro123
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Post by Saguaro123 »

birdguy34 wrote:Amazing place and pics. Are some of the Fero's eastwoodiae? I can't remember exactly where those are found.
Chris
I am just wondering, why do they have the name "eastwood" in it?
daiv
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Post by daiv »

Chris,
I was thinking that too, but I believe eastwoodiae lacks the wiskers shown on these. I think they must just be F. cylindraceus.

Byron,
Alice Eastwood (1859-1953) distinguished Californian botanist, collector (plants of Western United States), author of a lot articles, editor of "Zoe", Curator and Head of the Department of Botany, her main botanical interest were American Liliaceae. (For example: Ferocactus acanthodes v. eastwoodiae).
From this page: http://www.cactiguide.com/etymology_species/
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
peterb
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Post by peterb »

There were some eastwoodii but I didn't photograph them. They are scattered throughout this area. These cylindraceus seem to have slightly eastwoodian characteristics, so to speak. But they're cylindraceus.

peterb
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Arzberger
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Post by Arzberger »

Impressive pictures! Thanks for sharing.

Is it legal there to harvest seeds in the wild?

Regards
Alex
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kevin63129
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Post by kevin63129 »

You have an awesome jump shot.LOL Thanks for taking us along on your trip.
Addicted to crackti !
peterb
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Post by peterb »

Alex, I don't think it is legal to collect seed, since it's a National Forest (Tonto).

peterb
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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

Great pics man!
Awesome Saguaro flowers.

Amazing how good those Fero's look.
peterb
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Post by peterb »

I think it was a pretty rainy winter, so they soaked up a lot of water before the complete dryness set in.

peterb
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vlani
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Post by vlani »

So you call this Mamms viridifloras or wrightii.. So I suspected, as Benson shows them somewhat in the area.
Fits his description too as he specifically mentions 2-3 hooked centrals as a differentiation.

The bloomed apachensis I found at higher elevation, near that observation point with large parking and a restroom where the road crests. And some more on my way down to Roosevelt dam.

I always wondered what plants are found all the way up at the mountain tops there. Must be a different environment, and a different set of cacti
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John P Weiser
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Post by John P Weiser »

Great as always to be out and about with you!! Even if it is vicariously! :D
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peterb
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Post by peterb »

Vlad, I have trouble finding the larger, fuzzy, hook-spined Mammillaria around AZ, maybe it's just bad luck, maybe I haven't been looking in the right habitats. But this big, flabby super-whiskery plant with long red radials sure looks like viridiflora to me, not a form of wrightii. I've never really seen wilcoxii in with wrightii anyway, though. wrightii up around Santa Fe is a pretty strange plant indeed, more like a dolicothele, except for the huge purple flower. I've never seen any wrightii outside of Santa Fe to compare. Apparently it intergrades with wilcoxii farther south and west.

I stopped off at the rest stop you mention, Fish Creek Hill. Amazing vistas up there. The Echinocereus were maybe a week off flowering.

peterb
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John C
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Post by John C »

Nice pics!
John In Fort Worth, Texas
"Where the West begins"
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