Rocks of Wonder, way out younder, Part #2: Spiny things, and a surprise..

[Silas_Sancona]

Good amount diversity among Cacti here, especially the Hedgehogs, Genus Echinocereus.. Would bet there are other Genera/ sp. i didn't observe there also. While keeping your distance, from other humans, is a bit important for the moment, keeping your distance from other desert hazards can be just as important anytime you're out exploring.. even if they're worth hanging out near to observe.

Cholla ( Cylindropuntia sp. and Opuntias ( Prickly Pears ) Think the Opuntia is Englemann's O. englemannii




Graham's Pincushion, Mammillaria grahamii


Some Saguaros, Carnigea gigantea


A few BIG Barrels ( Ferrocactus )

[Silas_Sancona]

Quite the variation among Hedgehog cacti ( Likely Echinocereus englemannii or variations of.. / or E. fendleri ) Lots of BIG, older specimens here too.



My surprise guest.. While keeping your distance from humans is important, at least for now, Keeping your distance from other desert hazards is always important while exploring. Even if some of those hazards are worth a few minutes of extra observation, from a distance.

While photographing another Hedgehog Clump, seems i awoke a Rattlesnake keeping guard over the Mammillaria grahamii below the Hedgehog. Not sure of the species, either a Mojave or Western Diamondback but both possess very toxic venom. Regardless.. Still, this kid stayed pretty calm after rattling for a couple seconds when i first startled him ( or her ). Sat flicking it's tongue, but didn't move from it's position even when i waved my hiking stick overhead a couple times. Guess if you're gonna have a "Rattler encounter", go big!, lol. Forgot that Western Diamondbacks can reach 66" in length.  

Keep guarding those cactus my friend..  Moving on...

Finally an up close encounter with some locally native Yucca in habitat. These are likely Yucca elata.

[Meangreen94z]

Nice, I see it’s still somewhat overcast out there. Atleast on that day. It’s been a beautiful last 2 days locally, nothing but sun.

[Silas_Sancona]

Ocotillo  ga' lore.. BIG, old specimens here too..



Signs of hope/ Recruitment. While current events are of bigger importance for the time being, a bigger, longer term concern here in Arizona, and the entire region revolves around what changes in the climate may mean for the diversity that makes the Sonoran Desert region one of the most diverse on the planet. In some areas, not so encouraging signs are being seen where seedlings of various things are few or locally absent. In other areas, various invasive species threaten to out compete natives which, in some cases, may permanently alter the entire ecology of the region over time. As bad as this sounds, there is hope.. For all the damage that has been done to the desert, there are people determined to restore what they can, try and beat back invasive plants like Buffel Grass and more momentum to keep areas that are still un-touched desert protected and undeveloped. 

While Cattle grazing is quite apparent where i visited, their presence could prove beneficial. While i could see where Cows had knocked over Yucca or Ocotillo, or uprooted/ smashed a few cacti here and there, this is the first time i have visited somewhere where i found young Ocotillo ( Pics # 1-2 ) and young Hedgehogs ( pic# 3 ) and Mammillaria ( Pic#4 ) underfoot under various things.. Many Saguaro look pretty good here too. Cows might help keep invasive grasses in check thus allowing the next generation of cow proof things a chance to get going. Time will tell.




Enjoy, stay healthy, and optimistic.. If life in the desert can survive all it faces, we'll all get though current challenges, as we always do. 

Nathan

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

Nice, I see it’s still somewhat overcast out there. Atleast on that day. It’s been a beautiful last 2 days locally, nothing but sun.

Light overcast, but warm.. Was nearly perfect out there yesterday. Warm with a consistent breeze off the mountains to the east.

[Butch]

Again.... Very, very nice...

 

Butch

[Silas_Sancona]

" Aim for a goal, enjoy the rewards of that goal.. " Todays lesson to a tee.. 

Noting all the Echinocereus growing in this area on the last visit, a return here to catch them in bloom was a must. I wasn't disappointed at all.. Other Cacti encountered today looking good also.

Barrels and a handsome Graham Mam ( Graham's Mammillaria )




Sum merr' Saguaros, future blooms on the way too. Look up.












And then there were Hedgehogs, ..everywhere.. Wasn't expecting the flowers to be quite as big as they are, let alone possessing an exotic fragrance up close. When i say they were everywhere, i mean it.. Very quickly lost count how many i saw, especially with most at peak bloom here atm. 

[Silas_Sancona]

'Couple, near bloomin'  " 'Urk-a tilla " ( had to do it, lol ) Counted several more, smaller Ocotillo on -site as well..






Barrel down!, Barrel down!.. Who done it? Cow?.. some ignus backing up their Truck?

[jimmyt]

Great habitat photos  @Silas_Sancona    Thanks, it is a beautiful place!

[Silas_Sancona]

Ya know, lol.. i'd thought i had put pictures of flowering Saguaro from this location here back in May but, apparently did not..  No worries. Anyway,

Made a quick trip back here to explore another section of the overall area.. Which would also provide a much better view of the surrounding mountains that can be seen from here ( Pictures will be up in the " Part # 3" section further down.

Smack dab in the heart of our pre-monsoon hot summer season, not terribly much to see though i did find some other things i hadn't observed here on the past 2 trips. Regardless, while i'd wanted to collect a few additional fruit off some of the Echinocereus here, fruit on all specimens i looked over had already been eaten/ harvested by other critters. A bit surprised since it hasn't been a month since the second visit. 

Managed to collect seed off some of the Ocotillo and some easier to access fruit off a Saguaro. Unless there were numerous small Rattlers hanging around that would buzz for a second or two while i passed today while exploring, first of the seasons' Cicada are out..  Actual start of Monsoon season here in Arizona typically arrives shortly after their constant buzzing fills the air across the area... That will likely occur within the next 3 weeks.. 

Looks like this will be a great season for the Saguaro.. Every specimen i could see looked to be loaded w ripened/ ripening fruit. Gotta say, Quite messy when trying to soak / process to extract seed. Supposed to be delicious though.




Even the shell of the fruit is attractive to the eye..





While common enough, this particular hillside seems to be a hot spot for Mammilaria grahamii as they were growing everywhere in among the cracks of.. or on which ever type of Quartz makes up this particular hill, alongside one of our native Spike Moss, Selaginella sp. which itself was quite extensive on this hillside for such a fully exposed site ( south / east facing slope, fully exposed to sun. ). Collected a few bits to try and grow ( Last pic. ) Might look neat growing in the same pot w/ some specimen Cacti/ Bursera / drought tolerant Orchids later.
 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Silas_Sancona
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[SailorBold]

Such a gorgeous desert.. with amazing diversity of plants....blows away any desert around here.  We have lots of cactus.. but nothing like those specimens. 

Is that what that buzzing is? Lol.   They started here.. 

Beautiful..  I love your posts and expeditions.  Thank you for sharing.

[Silas_Sancona]

17 minutes ago, SailorBold said:

Such a gorgeous desert.. with amazing diversity of plants....blows away any desert around here.  We have lots of cactus.. but nothing like those specimens. 

Is that what that buzzing is? Lol.   They started here.. 

Beautiful..  I love your posts and expeditions.  Thank you for sharing.

Thanks Jimmy.. Definitely alot of diversity here. Not sure i'd discount the Deserts / high Plains of New Mexico completely though. Numerous places i'd like to explore out your way, particularly areas south and east of Albuquerque / Oregon Mountains north of El Paso. While certain things like Saguaro might not be as extensive there, New Mexico hosts a pretty diverse list of plants.. especially since the state butts up against the plains.. and a greater chunk of the Chihuahuan Desert than Arizona does.

Lol.. Was thinking the same thing each time it happened.. even tossed rocks into nearby bushes to see if whatever was buzzing was a Rattlesnake hidden somewhere in the grass before moving forward.  Most of the "trails" out there are blazed by the cattle that graze on the land so not all that worn down and have to watch your step in many spots, especially where a trail i'd follow passes between larger bushes / patches of Prickly Pear, or Cholla, or closer to some of the rock outcrops where snakes would hang out. Not afraid of them, just don't want to step on one either, especially when 15+ miles away from the nearest hospital ..in the closest small town ( Nearest town would be Florence, Best known for the state prison located there ) lol.

[greysrigging]

I quite like the Cactus from a gardening perspective. There are no Cacti native to the Australian continent but introduced ones have naturalised since colonial days. There are however two notable examples of  Australian native plants that are often mistaken for cacti or being very cactus-like in appearance. They are Daviesia euphorbioides and Lawrencia helmsii.
80 years ago vast acreages of productive farm and grazing lands in Queensland and NSW were ruined by infestations of 'Prickly Pear' and 'Velvety Tree Pear'.  An environmental control ( Cactoblastis cactorum, the cactus moth ) was introduced and eventually won the battle. 
https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/topics/history-culture/2016/07/the-tangled-mess-that-choked-australia/
The common Harrisia Cactus is now the new scourge of those same grazing grounds and is a Declared weed in Australia. Pretty flowers that caught my eye out near Charleville in QLD a few years ago.

[Silas_Sancona]

Trip #4 on a nice November morning.. Likely the last out here for awhile, likely until after the move ..so made the best of it..  Lack of rain over the summer, now going into the Fall was pretty apparent yet still pretty green out here considering.  Most of the Saguaro here look good regardless.. Aside from one, didn't notice any other dying/dead specimens due to extreme drought stress though many look a bit thirsty.  Passed through a couple areas full of small up and coming specimens of various sizes. Good to see considering some of the more sobering reports of low recruitment -among Saguaro populations- from other areas around the state in recent years.  Surprisingly, there were a few Ocotillo w/ a few flowers flowers, or still dispersing seed. One of the several AZ native species of Selaginella ( Spike Mosses ) were greening up  up on the hill, possibly in response to a quick shower or two that passed over the area on Sunday. Very dry otherwise.

A couple little Saguaro up on the hill..




Spiny softness..



Spike Moss and Mammillaria grahamii, interesting combo. 





Hedgehog ( Echinocereus ) among Icy Quarts..



Isolated Barrel ( Ferocactus ) growing on one of several Limestone balds that dot the area.. Weird rock too. In several spots the Limestone forms a sort of thin crust on top of grayish, chalky looking clay and larger chunks of Limestone buried below. Not much seems to grow on the most exposed spots except some Ocotillo and Buckwheat ( Eriogonium sp. ) and a few other twiggy Perennials/ some grasses. Would have been interesting to explore these same spots in the spring to see what Annuals exploit such spots.. Places with unique soil types like this can be " islands " where new species can evolve/ are in the process of doing so when observed. Serpentine barrens are perhaps the best example of such ecology.



Medusa?.. Almost looks like this Saguaro was stuck into the ground upside down, but continues to grow.. 


Never realized Saguaro had a softer side.. Spines are quite thin and -almost touchable-. The fact that they can produce new growth, along damaged stems at ground level is interesting, and pretty neat..




A salute, from junior Lieutenant as i pass through. Fitting ending for today's journey...


Enjoy...