California - Mojave National Preserve
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2023 3:16 am
I decided to share some of the pictures of plants I took on a detour to Las Vegas, NV back in December 2022. These are from the Mojave National Preserve, near the Teutonia Peak Trail off Cima Road, right in the heart of the region that was devastated by the 2020 Dome Fire (over 43k acres burned, read more on that fire here.) Elevation of about 5000ft (1524m).
Here is the general landscape, Kessler Peak shown in the background. Mostly Joshua Tree woodland, but also Utah Junipers (not shown here). Granite outcrops scattered throughout. Notice the dead Joshua Trees. Most of the cacti I found were growing in cracks on the granite outcrops, likely what saved them from the fire.
Opuntia chlorotica. It was fallen on its side, though the roots seemed to be in good shape and well buried into the soil.
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa.
Yucca baccata. Growing in a crack on granite. A seedling or an offset of a burned plant?
Echinocereus triglochidiatus, what some would recognize as var. or subsp. mojavensis. This was the most common cactus I found.
stem detail
This one growing in a crack on the granite camouflages almost perfectly.
I found several clumps that didn't survive the fire. Here's one.
These were less common than the triglochidiatus, Echinocereus engelmannii.
Most were small and single-stemmed. Here's one that's just starting to form an offset on the back of the plant.
same plant, more detail on the massive spines (wow!)
I think this is my favorite of the bunch, Pelecyphora vivipara (=Escobaria vivipara). I believe this is the form some recognize as var. deserti, though both Anderson and Lodé have this down as a good species, Escobaria desertii. This was the only specimen I found, growing on granite under some grass.
Here is the general landscape, Kessler Peak shown in the background. Mostly Joshua Tree woodland, but also Utah Junipers (not shown here). Granite outcrops scattered throughout. Notice the dead Joshua Trees. Most of the cacti I found were growing in cracks on the granite outcrops, likely what saved them from the fire.
Opuntia chlorotica. It was fallen on its side, though the roots seemed to be in good shape and well buried into the soil.
Cylindropuntia echinocarpa.
Yucca baccata. Growing in a crack on granite. A seedling or an offset of a burned plant?
Echinocereus triglochidiatus, what some would recognize as var. or subsp. mojavensis. This was the most common cactus I found.
stem detail
This one growing in a crack on the granite camouflages almost perfectly.
I found several clumps that didn't survive the fire. Here's one.
These were less common than the triglochidiatus, Echinocereus engelmannii.
Most were small and single-stemmed. Here's one that's just starting to form an offset on the back of the plant.
same plant, more detail on the massive spines (wow!)
I think this is my favorite of the bunch, Pelecyphora vivipara (=Escobaria vivipara). I believe this is the form some recognize as var. deserti, though both Anderson and Lodé have this down as a good species, Escobaria desertii. This was the only specimen I found, growing on granite under some grass.