Today I went on a field trip to the restricted area of the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The area of this missile range measures about 100 miles x 40 miles and contains 1,185 kinds of plant species. Also, there are 39 cacti present within that area.
Except for one lonely Echinocereus fendleri that was found flowering among the debris of a fallen cottonwood tree, there were only a few Opntia spp. (Prickly Pear cacti) visible, or so I thought.
Well, someone spotted something red alongside the road. We stopped the vehicle caravan and went out to take a look. What we saw turned out to be the first White Sand Missile Range claret cup cacti. This is an exceptional large cactus, supposedly growing up to six feet tall. The two specimen clumps that I saw measured about 3 to 4 feet tall, with thick stems.
The flowers were magnificent (see attachment).
Harald
White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
- Attachments
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- E_fendleri WSMR1.jpg (275.36 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_fendleri WSMR2.jpg (237.27 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trichgl_gonacanthus1k.jpg (80.94 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_1g.jpg (277.45 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_gonacanthus1d.jpg (228.42 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_gonacanthus1e.jpg (311 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_gonacanthus1f.jpg (160.67 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_gonacanthus1h.jpg (323.21 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_gonacanthus1j.jpg (261.64 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_goncanthus1c.jpg (336.08 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_ssp gonacanthus1a.jpg (340 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
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- E_trigloch_ssp. gonacanthus1b.jpg (304.5 KiB) Viewed 2571 times
- Brunãozinho
- Posts: 424
- Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2012 1:33 am
- Location: Paraíba, Eastern Brazil
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
I find green stigmas very beautiful, Echinocereus flowers are some of the best.
Bruno
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
You are right, Bruno, Echinocereus spp. flowers in most cases are beautiful. I do have a decent collection of various species within that genus, including the "White Sands" giant claret cup cactus pictured. However, my plant is still small and consists of only one stem. It may take another five years or more, before it will hopefully flower for me. A plant clump like those photographed I will not see in my lifetime.
However, I do have the "compact version" of the Echinocereus triglochidiatus and that plant has flowered for the last two years.
Harald
However, I do have the "compact version" of the Echinocereus triglochidiatus and that plant has flowered for the last two years.
Harald
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
Wonderfull photos Harald, thank You!
(Wish I could also look cacti in the wild. . .)
Bruno, You are absolutely right!
Harald, if I may. . . 2015.5.5
Best wishes
K.W.
(Wish I could also look cacti in the wild. . .)
Bruno, You are absolutely right!
Harald, if I may. . . 2015.5.5
Best wishes
K.W.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
Thank you very much K.W. for taking a look at the few images of the three cacti that I did photograph at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
I wish there had been more cactus genera and species, but our guide did not go with us to a better location. He wanted to show us something new and cacti were not "part of the picture".
Is that cactus whose images you added also an Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp. gonacanthus? If so, where did you get a specimen that is almost devoid of spines?
Harald
I wish there had been more cactus genera and species, but our guide did not go with us to a better location. He wanted to show us something new and cacti were not "part of the picture".
Is that cactus whose images you added also an Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp. gonacanthus? If so, where did you get a specimen that is almost devoid of spines?
Harald
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
hegar wrote:Thank you very much K.W. for taking a look at the few images of the three cacti that I did photograph at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
I wish there had been more cactus genera and species, but our guide did not go with us to a better location. He wanted to show us something new and cacti were not "part of the picture".
>>>
No, no Harald, I have to thank for the great photos.
My cactus is a Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp. mojavensis f. inermis. As I hope. . .<<<
Is that cactus whose images you added also an Echinocereus triglochidiatus ssp. gonacanthus? If so, where did you get a specimen that is almost devoid of spines?
Harald
He comes from a seed mix that I got as a gift in 2010.
This year I saw the first flowering.
Best wishes
K.W.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
Brunãozinho wrote:I find green stigmas very beautiful, Echinocereus flowers are some of the best.
Bruno!!!
Best wishes
K.W.
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Re: White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
Now K.W.,
what kind of cactus are you showing us this time around? This must be a hybrid Echinocereus, because I do not recall ever having seen that flower color associated with those kinds of spines. Well, either way, hybrid or not, it is a pretty cactus nevertheless.
Harald
what kind of cactus are you showing us this time around? This must be a hybrid Echinocereus, because I do not recall ever having seen that flower color associated with those kinds of spines. Well, either way, hybrid or not, it is a pretty cactus nevertheless.
Harald