Cactaceas de Sonora, Mexico

[peterb]

After the recent trip to Sonora, I realized I knew very little about the cacti of the region. The cactus hunter I met in Bahia Kino had a copy of Cactaceas de Sonora, Mexico: su Diversidad, Uso y Conservacion, a Spanish language book by Rafaela Paredes Aguilar, Richard Stephen Felger and Thomas R. Van Devender. I ordered a used copy of this book almost as soon as I got home.

Published in 2000 by Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Press, now out of print, this concise paperback is loaded with great descriptions, good color photos and interesting information. Some surprising info: on the Sierra Viejo near Caborca in northwest Sonora, Glandulicactus uncinatus ssp. wrightii and Mammillaria lasiacantha have small populations. Talk about disjunct! Also: Seri Indians plant stems of Stenocereus gummosus over the buried placentae of newborns, visiting the plants for the remainder of the child's life.

Some forms get unusual treatment. Echinoereus arizonicus, for example, is treated as a distinct separate form, not a subtaxon of polyacanthus. Many "different" forms of Mammillaria are all combined under standleyi. So, as usual, different cactus taxonomies are reflected. But none of the idiosyncrasies here pose an obstacle to understanding the plants.

Each species or form gets a thorough description including known distribution, conservation status, etc. There is a helpful map showing the various climate zones and types of habitat.

While the book is in Spanish, it's fairly easy to read the descriptions. The photos make the book useful even if you know zero Spanish.

Highly recommended!

peterb

[daiv]

Sounds like a good one. Weird thing with the afterbirth - that's the kind of info you only find in specialist books like that.

[CoronaCactus]

Not that it really matters but was it ever available in English?
Think you could post a pic of the cover? Please

I'd really like to expand my explorations this year and Mexico is on the list!

[peterb]

here's a link to a small image of the cover at Rainbow Gardens:

http://www.rainbowgardensbookshop.com/e67.jpg

It was not published in English.

If you want any tips on the Mexico experience, let me know!

peterb

[CoronaCactus]

Thanks Peter.
I'll bug ya for info when the time comes