Apache Trail

[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.


This freaky mutant Echinocereus flower, the only one up there:



Bunch of views, including Dudleya saxicola, cool blue rosettes:
















The very unassuming flowers of Agave toumeyana


Base of same plant:

Another couple of jumpers:






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.




A couple of a mystery Opuntia with some interesting characters:



great to get back out into the wilds...

peterb

[Saguaro123]

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

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

[birdguy34]

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

[Saguaro123]

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]

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/

[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

[Arzberger]

Impressive pictures! Thanks for sharing.

Is it legal there to harvest seeds in the wild?

Regards
Alex

[kevin63129]

You have an awesome jump shot.LOL Thanks for taking us along on your trip.

[peterb]

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

peterb

[CoronaCactus]

Great pics man!
Awesome Saguaro flowers.

Amazing how good those Fero's look.

[peterb]

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

peterb

[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

[John P Weiser]

Great as always to be out and about with you!! Even if it is vicariously!

[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

[John C]

Nice pics!