Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
I am posting a large number of digital images from my trip to the Bishop's Cap mountain located between El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The location where I did take the pictures is pretty scenic and in order to get there we did drive on some dirt road and then hike along the Sierra Vista Trail. The weather was beautiful, with the temperature being in the 80+ degree F range and a light wind.
Today I am going to post some images, which do show the surroundings of the place we visited. Our main goal was to see the beehive cactus, also known as strawberry pitaya (Echinocereus stramineus) in bloom. I am happy to report, that we did go at just the correct time and encountered numerous flowering E. stramineus plants.
Here are some photos of the place we visited:
The location where I did take the pictures is pretty scenic and in order to get there we did drive on some dirt road and then hike along the Sierra Vista Trail. The weather was beautiful, with the temperature being in the 80+ degree F range and a light wind.
Today I am going to post some images, which do show the surroundings of the place we visited. Our main goal was to see the beehive cactus, also known as strawberry pitaya (Echinocereus stramineus) in bloom. I am happy to report, that we did go at just the correct time and encountered numerous flowering E. stramineus plants.
Here are some photos of the place we visited:
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
I am now attaching five images, which do show the "Bishop's Cap" mountain. I had driven past this not very big or imposing large hill, but did not know its name and I have lived here for 42 years!
As already mentioned, this "mountain" lies almost midway between El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico and is not as majestic as the Organ Mountains, which are closer to Las Cruces. Bishop's Cap mountain looks like a big pancake with a heap of toppings, which make it look like a squatty cone.
Harald
As already mentioned, this "mountain" lies almost midway between El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico and is not as majestic as the Organ Mountains, which are closer to Las Cruces. Bishop's Cap mountain looks like a big pancake with a heap of toppings, which make it look like a squatty cone.
Harald
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Today, shall continue, using the same pattern I am employing with the reports about the Hybrid Cacti of Orogrande, New Mexico. So I am going to post a few wildflowers, some shrubs and small trees, before I finish up with the cacti that we did encounter there. I want to show the beauty of the desert, when some plants are in bloom.
I did not take many pictures of the wildflowers. Some of them are ubiquitous and easily visible, while others are tiny. The size depends partially on the location of the plants, with those that receive a larger amount of water growing taller.
Underneath each image I did put the name of the plant family, if I was certain about that.
I continue with a plant I had no recollection of ever having seen before. Perhaps I did not notice it, because it was not flowering the other times I walked through the desert. This plant is a hemi parasite. It does photosynthesize, but obtains some of its nutrition by tapping the roots of a host plant. In the literature it tells me, that this plant, a small shrub with the name of Krameria bicolor (syn. K. grayi) and the common name "white ratany" does parasitize the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). I did, however, see it near a "Christmas cholla" (Opuntia leptocaulis) with its nice red fruits.
I did not take many pictures of the wildflowers. Some of them are ubiquitous and easily visible, while others are tiny. The size depends partially on the location of the plants, with those that receive a larger amount of water growing taller.
Underneath each image I did put the name of the plant family, if I was certain about that.
I continue with a plant I had no recollection of ever having seen before. Perhaps I did not notice it, because it was not flowering the other times I walked through the desert. This plant is a hemi parasite. It does photosynthesize, but obtains some of its nutrition by tapping the roots of a host plant. In the literature it tells me, that this plant, a small shrub with the name of Krameria bicolor (syn. K. grayi) and the common name "white ratany" does parasitize the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). I did, however, see it near a "Christmas cholla" (Opuntia leptocaulis) with its nice red fruits.
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Another of the desert beauties is the Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa). This plant is a member of the Rosaceae (rose family). Its seed-bearing structures are actually prettier than the white, 5-petaled blossom.
If the weather was rainy enough or the plant had access to sufficient water those usually bare stems do produce leaves. One of the plants I photographed does have leaves, the others do not. The inflorescence, which is a bright brick red, is widely visible high up in the air. These plants can attain a height of over 20 feet, but the ones we saw were perhaps 12 feet tall.
Yet another of my favorite desert plants is the ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). This is a lanky plant with a thorny stem, which does photosynthesize. If the weather was rainy enough or the plant had access to sufficient water those usually bare stems do produce leaves. One of the plants I photographed does have leaves, the others do not. The inflorescence, which is a bright brick red, is widely visible high up in the air. These plants can attain a height of over 20 feet, but the ones we saw were perhaps 12 feet tall.
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
A succulent, which is usually present in the desert environment is the yucca. Our guide did not know for sure what the scientific name of this yucca is. It may be a soap tree yucca. I just called them "Yucca sp." for lack of knowing their correct scientific name.
There were also a few large shrubs like white thorn and of course the native honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). The latter was in bloom.
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
I think, I shall go ahead and post all the images of Opuntia spp. members. I did not notice any Opuntia imbricate plants, but also was not looking really hard for them. I did see its small brother, the Opuntia leptocaulis, which was represented by numerous individuals. Because I am horrible at identifying prickly pear cacti, I gave up naming them after having done this with a few of them.
I shall try to continue tomorrow with other members of the plant family Cactaceae.
Harald
I shall try to continue tomorrow with other members of the plant family Cactaceae.
Harald
- autodikaktos
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Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
What luck to have checked in to the forums this evening. Beautiful photos as always. I am appreciative of your methodology of posting the co-inhabitors and general scenery of these areas as an introduction. Especially in this case the Fouquierias, at my latitude they've only just begun to bud, we're getting some rain this week so I'm hoping for a good bloom with some foliage. Although it may be heresy on a cactus forum, it is arguably my favorite genus of plants. They got me into this mess, after all. I only became aware of the Krameria this winter, as I have been making an effort to identify non-succulent desert dwellers. The one that I saw was almost certainly using a Ferocactus as a host, so I suppose they must be somewhat flexible in their choices. I'm curious, do the Apache Plume in your area bloom/seed twice or more a year? I didn't know their distribution stretched so far east. I'm wondering if their schedule is merely advantageous to conditions or moreso scheduled.
Looking forward to the Echinocereus flowers and thank you again for sharing the photos
Looking forward to the Echinocereus flowers and thank you again for sharing the photos
"yep, son, we have met the enemy and he is us."
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Hello autodikaktos,
thank you for your nice comment. I try to tell a story, whenever I post a large number of digital images, about the whole field trip. This may help the viewer/reader to have an easier transition mentally into the subject matter presented.
Well, I cannot answer your question about how often the Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) does flower and produce seed. I had assumed, that this happens just once a year, but may be wrong. I am happy to know, that you love the ocotillo plant. Because it is wispy and thorny, a lot of people do not like it. However, it is being used by some folks, whenever they decide to have a "desert garden".
When our local cactus club went on a plant rescue mission, because desert land was being converted to a building site for a planned school, we did have a contractor help us, moving those heavy Ferocactus wislizenii (our native barrel cactus). He brought his caterpillar machine along, which did the lifting job. All he asked for was to be allowed to take all the ocotillos for his landscaping business. The good man plopped them out of the ground and tied their wispy twigs for easy hauling. I know, that this kind of operation would not be allowed in Arizona, because that state protects its plant life quite a bit better than does Texas. When we go out into the desert, because of some pending construction, we can keep all the plants that we dig up.
If us old folks were not there, the flora would all be crushed by the heavy machinery.
Harald
Now back to the main topic. I am continuing with the cacti, which we did encounter during the short field trip. One of the plants, that those in front of our little group spotted - and I did not find, when I arrived at the location, being a straggler - was an Echinocereus fendleri. So there is no picture for me to post. There was, however, one other plant, which we only discovered as a single individual. That one is the Escobaria vivipara (next image). Another, not so common cactus - seen only twice - was the Cat Claw cactus Glandulicactus uncinatus (syn. Ancistrocactus uncinatus) Also, there were a few of our largest (by weight and height) cactus, the barrel cactus Ferocactus wislizenii, in the area we visited. I only got to see good-sized specimens and photographed two of them. One plant, that usually only responds to rain, if it is going to flower - and we did not expect any of them to be in bloom - is the Eagle Claw cactus Echinocactus horizonthalonius. The blossom is beautiful, but lasts generally only one day. However, the plant does flower repeatedly, if the conditions, i.e. rains, allow it. So I went a bit overboard and took numerous images of that pretty cactus, with its grey-green glaucous body.
thank you for your nice comment. I try to tell a story, whenever I post a large number of digital images, about the whole field trip. This may help the viewer/reader to have an easier transition mentally into the subject matter presented.
Well, I cannot answer your question about how often the Apache Plume (Fallugia paradoxa) does flower and produce seed. I had assumed, that this happens just once a year, but may be wrong. I am happy to know, that you love the ocotillo plant. Because it is wispy and thorny, a lot of people do not like it. However, it is being used by some folks, whenever they decide to have a "desert garden".
When our local cactus club went on a plant rescue mission, because desert land was being converted to a building site for a planned school, we did have a contractor help us, moving those heavy Ferocactus wislizenii (our native barrel cactus). He brought his caterpillar machine along, which did the lifting job. All he asked for was to be allowed to take all the ocotillos for his landscaping business. The good man plopped them out of the ground and tied their wispy twigs for easy hauling. I know, that this kind of operation would not be allowed in Arizona, because that state protects its plant life quite a bit better than does Texas. When we go out into the desert, because of some pending construction, we can keep all the plants that we dig up.
If us old folks were not there, the flora would all be crushed by the heavy machinery.
Harald
Now back to the main topic. I am continuing with the cacti, which we did encounter during the short field trip. One of the plants, that those in front of our little group spotted - and I did not find, when I arrived at the location, being a straggler - was an Echinocereus fendleri. So there is no picture for me to post. There was, however, one other plant, which we only discovered as a single individual. That one is the Escobaria vivipara (next image). Another, not so common cactus - seen only twice - was the Cat Claw cactus Glandulicactus uncinatus (syn. Ancistrocactus uncinatus) Also, there were a few of our largest (by weight and height) cactus, the barrel cactus Ferocactus wislizenii, in the area we visited. I only got to see good-sized specimens and photographed two of them. One plant, that usually only responds to rain, if it is going to flower - and we did not expect any of them to be in bloom - is the Eagle Claw cactus Echinocactus horizonthalonius. The blossom is beautiful, but lasts generally only one day. However, the plant does flower repeatedly, if the conditions, i.e. rains, allow it. So I went a bit overboard and took numerous images of that pretty cactus, with its grey-green glaucous body.
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Well, I finally have reached the correct genus of cacti. But before I place the many images of the Strawberry Pitahaya cactus (Echinocereus stramineus) in this thread, I do have a few other members of the Echinocereus genus. They were not very well represented, and thus there are not many photos to show.
First off, the New Mexico Rainbow cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus ssp. chloranthus). Image three, which does show the already wilted flower, almost would suggest, that you are looking at a member of the subspecies russanthus. However, that plant is not known to occur in our close vicinity. Another cactus, that was a bit underrepresented was the usually common Claret Cup (Echinocereus coccineus ssp. rosei). I already posted many photos of that plant in my other thread, dealing with the Hybrid Cacti of Orogrande, New Mexico (Jarilla Mountains).
So, here are a few images of that plant, which was also already past the flowering stage. Now to the star of this posting and the main reason why we did take the trip to the Bishop's Cap area: the Echinocereus stramineus, which not only boasts of a large and beautiful blossom, but also of the most delicious fruit produced by any cactus, which rivals that of the strawberry. It even smells like that fruit, but it is sweeter in my opinion.
So here comes the E. stramineus galerie:
First off, the New Mexico Rainbow cactus (Echinocereus viridiflorus ssp. chloranthus). Image three, which does show the already wilted flower, almost would suggest, that you are looking at a member of the subspecies russanthus. However, that plant is not known to occur in our close vicinity. Another cactus, that was a bit underrepresented was the usually common Claret Cup (Echinocereus coccineus ssp. rosei). I already posted many photos of that plant in my other thread, dealing with the Hybrid Cacti of Orogrande, New Mexico (Jarilla Mountains).
So, here are a few images of that plant, which was also already past the flowering stage. Now to the star of this posting and the main reason why we did take the trip to the Bishop's Cap area: the Echinocereus stramineus, which not only boasts of a large and beautiful blossom, but also of the most delicious fruit produced by any cactus, which rivals that of the strawberry. It even smells like that fruit, but it is sweeter in my opinion.
So here comes the E. stramineus galerie:
Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
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Re: Echinocereus stramineus of the Bishop's Cap Area near Las Cruces, New Mexico
Harald