New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

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peterb
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New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by peterb »

Hello all- I'm excited to announce a project that has been in the works for a few months now, a collaborative effort to write a new, comprehensive field guide to the cacti and succulents of Arizona. Forum member Rob Romero, myself, Greg Starr and Vonn Watkins are working on species descriptions, distribution maps, photos, etc. The book is being funded by the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society. Publication is tentatively slated for next year sometime.

The scope of the book may be limited to only cacti and Agaves (Yucca, Nolina, Hesperoyucca), but we may also include Crassulaceae.

We are planning a relatively detailed look at all regional forms, whether they warrant taxonomic recognition or not. For example, I just completed the draft treatment of Echinocereus engelmannii and the varieties engelmannii, purpureus, chrysocentrus, aciculatus and variegatus, including detailed info on distribution, overlapping ranges, difficulty recognizing the varieties with confidence in the field, etc. Included in the treatment are clear, detailed photos of recognizable forms. This way, a person in the field might know a little bit better what he or she is looking at, even if it may not be worthy of taxonomic recognition.

The trick will be to balance this detailed approach with a "field guide size" publication that will also feature excellent, larger format photos. We are considering digital formats and hoping to make full use of technology.

It has been an interesting project so far, involving a lot more work than one might imagine. I may be asking forum members for help with info or pics as we go forward.

peterb
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A. Dean Stock
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by A. Dean Stock »

Peter, good luck with your project. I'm busy, along with a group from the Utah Native Plant Soc., working on a guide to the Cacti of Utah, and the Intermountain Region. Our work will overlap a little on the Arizona Strip, etc. Both states are woefully in need of a good guide to the cacti based on field work instead of herbarium records.

Dean
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BobbyZ
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by BobbyZ »

Gentelmen, good luck in both of your pursuits, I haven't been to Arizona since tfhe fall of 2006, and I am getting Desert Fever. Since I have recently bought used books on the Cacti of California and Texas, I will hold offuntil I actually make a trip out west.
peterb
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by peterb »

Thanks. Dean, really looking forward to the Utah field guide! sounds grand. As far as you know, does "purpureus" grow in Arizona? We have been puzzled by this question. There are reports of it from the border, near I-15.

peterb
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A. Dean Stock
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by A. Dean Stock »

Peter, we intended to look at the chromsomes of dozens of E. engelmannii from Washington Co., and south into Arizona in hopes of detecting the diploid population that is supposed to be there. At present it is not known for sure if var. purpureus is "real" or should be completely relegated to synonomy. Color varies so remarkably in the plants in southwestern Utah that it is meaningless but if there is a diploid population, I would recognize it at the species level since in Opuntia and Echinocereus, ploidy level is the major barrier to interbreeding and the most useful tool to distinguish species level taxa. It is not known if the type for "purpureus" is diploid or not but there may be a way to check on that if we get to that point. I thought that Marc Baker was working on this but it will probably be up to those of us in this area to work out the problem. We ended up looking at E. mohavensis and E. coccineus this summer instead of the purpureus problem so can't tell you anything yet.
Dean
Albert Dean Stock,Ph.D.
peterb
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by peterb »

Thanks! we are including brief mention and at least one photo of "typical" forms, even if they are not worthy of taxonomic recognition, since they can often present confusingly in the field and the book is intended as a field guide, not a flora or technical publication. We do repeatedly mention that the names are not currently recognized but that the forms can be startlingly recognizable in extreme populations, and that they intergrade, etc. It seemed the best balance for a guide covering the entire state where there are species complexes that are very tangled indeed.

peterb
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tumamoc
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by tumamoc »

Wow, sounds like it will be a great resource. I am looking forward to it!
peterb
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by peterb »

I hope it proves useful in the actual field. I could have used such a resource as I hunted and searched for days on end for various plants, often with incorrect info from past publications. I hope we don't create very many new errors in this one. Wading through *a lot* of incorrect info.

peterb
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tumamoc
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by tumamoc »

Echinocereus engelmannii may be the most varied species of cactus out there in terms of spine color, length, and shagginess. It seems like no two populations are quite the same. I hope you guys plan to include many images of the different forms!
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tumamoc
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by tumamoc »

Any updates on this publication???
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adetheproducer
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by adetheproducer »

Sounds like an epic idea. You should print a nice large glossy book that comes with a digital version for your phone/computer.
And as the walls come down and as I look in your eyes
My fear begins to fade recalling all of the times
I have died and will die.
It's all right.
I dont mind
I dont mind.
I DONT MIND
peterb
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by peterb »

It's coming along! Our original core of 4 writers has expanded to include a few others doing special sections. Photos are still being gathered. Many descriptions and pages have been sent out to the experts for review and returned for revision. We're still on schedule for a 2015 publication. It's been a great project! I wrote up all of the Echinocereus (except E. bristolii), Ferocactus, Echinocactus, Sclerocactus, Echinomastus and Toumeya. It amazes me how much is still not known with certainty regarding mapping and taxonomy for many plants, in spite of years of study.

I think pre-orders will be accepted by the Tucson club soon. The Facebook page is a lot of fun.

https://www.facebook.com/tcssfieldguide ... izard=true#" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It should be a very classy, highly visual publication. There are plans for a digital version and a subscription with purchase to a lot more photos.

I'll keep you posted.

peterb
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Harriet
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by Harriet »

What fun! I an excited to see it!
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peterb
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by peterb »

A quick update. We are now on target for February 2015 publication. The book is more than 300 pages with a two page spread for each species entry and at least 3 very fine photos, almost all with flowers. We used distributions known from SEInet and other herbaria for the maps. I've attached a screenshot of a sample entry, the one for Echinomastus erectocentrus.

Peter Breslin
Chandler, AZ
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Minime8484
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Re: New Field Guide to Arizona Cacti and Succulents

Post by Minime8484 »

Can't wait!! Fantastic work!
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