Baja Habitat cactus photos january 2014, highlights

[peterb]

Hello all- I went down for my semiannual trek down and back up the Baja peninsula the past two weeks. I had a few botany/photographic goals this time: Pachgerocactus/Myrtgerocactus hybrids from the El Rosario area, more examples of Grusonia (Corynopuntia) robertsii, Ferocactus fordii grandiflorus (some say Fero chrysacanthus grandiflorus, etc., a confusing plant), Echinocereus maritimus ssp. hancockii, Lophocereus gatesii, more Morangaya pensilis populations, more Pereskiopsis porteri populations, a look at Cochemiea in the Sierra San Francisco, also Nolina brandegeei from up there, another look at Fero gracilis ssp. gatesii on the mainland south of Bahia de Los Angeles.

All of the above checked off except for those blasted hybrids around El Rosario, definitely need to get some inside info on those. I hiked around extensively in the likely habitat and came up with nothing. (Except some great hiking and amazing examples of the usual denizens).

Here's a few highlight pics of cacti. Hope you enjoy. (C=Canon, S=Sony Cyber-shot, for those interested)

peterb

[Harriet]

Is it just me, or are you getting more detail in the Canon shots? All of the shots are great, as ever.

[Tony]

Great shots as always Peter!
Did you happen to get more images of the Lophocereus gatesii plants?

[Minime8484]

Great photos! Must have been an amazing trip. Love that Corynopuntia!

[peterb]

Yes, Tony, more shots of gatesii. I can post them here. Harriet, I think the Canon is taking better pics, whenI use it correctly. haha.

peterb

[Harriet]

Next step is exploring the use of a polarizer for times when glare and reflections are a problem. (If you need sunglasses, your camera might too!) Depending on the kind you get, polarizers can be quite inexpensive. I am using a very inexpensive Tiffen "circular polarizer", but you can get really fancy and buy "rigs" to attach in front of the lens that have interchangable filters of all sorts (color, neutral density, polarized, etc.), all with and without gradients. So much to experiment with!

[Arjen]

awesome pictures peter, also interesting subjects!

[peterb]

Some more pics of L. gatesii. I was there near sunset and then again at dawn, so the light is interesting.

peterb

[MJPapay]

As ever - very good to see cacti in habitat depicted so well in photographs.

While it is nice to have cacti in the garden, they look more dramatic in the rugged landscapes to which they are native.

Seeing them that way freshens the mind and lifts the soul.

I hope we will always allow them their native space.

[peterb]

Agreed! Habitat is the best solution for worry.

There's little chance that much of Baja will be developed any time soon, as there is no water, no infrastructure, very little economic interest and no consistent vision for long range development. People repeatedly try to set up resorts or new housing or whatever and the failure rate is very, very high. The Baja environment is not for everyone, in spite of the surface appearance of beauty. The weather and the harshness of the surroundings warn off a lot of potential development, which is a great thing IMO.

Meanwhile, Baja residents could make a lot more out of the ecotourism and adventure tourism angle, if they had the training and perspective to lean into that harder. There is a significant global market for hardass vacations that Baja could easily satisfy. Many of the developers there keep trying to push the luxury end of things and it's a big mistake.

peterb

[tumamoc]

Love it!!!

[Eutow_Intermedium]

I always like to see plants in habitat where they should be.

Esp like your ferocactus pics , some of them get pretty big and re ever so impressive.

The picture of the F. Gracilis colortus is fantastic, growing out of that shrubby cluster, almost seems framed .

[Harriet]

I keep coming back to admire these photos, the cactus shots are wonderful of course, but my favorite is the one of what you did to your car!!!!

[Tony]

Thanks for adding the extra pix Peter.
Those plants look really... hard grown! Its no wonder L. gatesii is not more common in cultivation.
Do you remember seeing any of them that were taller than 6 1/2 to 7 foot tall, or were they all close to the height listed in the descriptions?

[peterb]

I saw one very old, very large specimen that was maybe 10 feet tall? But by far the majority were at most in the range you mention. It's a rough and tumble habitat there. L. schottii australis grow *incredibly huge* in this area though. Gigantic barges of plants.

peterb