Texas Hillcountry Cacti

[ryanpanties]

Got a few shots to share from yesterday in Llano, TX.

I'm pretty confident calling the first one (two in that photo actually) a "Horse-crippler Cactus" (Echinocactus texensis).
The second shot is a little barrel cactus that I'm thinking is Lace Cactus (E. reichenbachii albertii) - protected by state law.
The fourth is an unidentified variety of Prickly Pear. I included the photo because most of the prickly pears I saw look like this right now, with what appeared to be a variety of cow, deer, and pigs bites taken out of them.

Additionally, I saw and brought home two cacti which I ID'ed as Mammillaria heyderi (Heyder's Pincushion Cactus) and Hamatocactus bicolor (Twisted-rib Cactus). Seems neither is threatened, nor is either protected under Texas State law. I also brought back a couple of Opuntia Cylindropuntia leptocaulis (Christmas Cholla) cuttings. All taken legally, with permission, on private property. Sorry for the lack of habitat on those.... just posting non-habitat pics now that I've re-read the Code of Conduct.

Edit: Captive photos deleted, read comments.

[peterb]

Not sure about the reichenbachii; looks more like another Mammillaria or Escobaria.

peterb

[MJPapay]

Legal or not, collecting whole cacti from the wild is unethical.

Seed of the vast majority of species is readily available thanks to Mesa Garden and others.

If you find something in the wild that really grabs your heart, you can note its location and return for seed at a later date, or savor the memory of a plant that you wanted but were wise enough to leave in the wild where it has a chance to perpetuate its kind.

Honestly - I am outraged.

[ryanpanties]

Thanks peterb for questioning the reichenbachii ID.
I'll probably take multiple pics of multiple examples for the ID forum next time I'm down there. There are quite a lot of this cacti on the property.

Legal or not, collecting whole cacti from the wild is unethical.

Honestly - I am outraged.

Harvesting a couple cacti from a hillside covered with such cacti will have minimal impact on the environment. I am in a position to know that there have been 3 cacti (1 each of 3 different species) and a couple cuttings harvested from this rather sizable ranch property in the last 25 years. The ranch in question belongs to a family member and will someday belong (in part) to me, and I am 100% interested in preserving it and places like it. Your outrage is clearly more ignorance than logic, but I've removed my captive pictures to protect your delicate sensibilities.

[peterb]

Looking again, seems like Mammillaria prolifera.

Generally, removing cacti and other plants from habitat is a bad idea. I do realize it is sometimes harmless in specific cases, but as a general principle the best approach is hands off.

Peterb

[Daniel]

I tend to try to keep my hands away from cacti anyway as I do not like forced acupuncture! But yes I think plants look better wild. In this case though I think that one or two plants is fine.

[peterb]

It's one of those things that makes a difference in the aggregate. A few thousand people in a couple adjacent counties each taking a few plants and there would be a long term environmental disaster. Combine the relatively safe haven provided by ranches and the residential and commercial development of adjacent land and it's potentially even worse.

Peterb

[majcka]

Legal or not, collecting whole cacti from the wild is unethical.

I am in a position to know that there have been 3 cacti (1 each of 3 different species) and a couple cuttings harvested from this rather sizable ranch property.

The ranch in question belongs to a family member...

As far as I understood this it "wasn't a whole plant" it was "a couple of cuttings". And it wasn't exactly a wilderness but it was rather someones ranch.

[Peterthecactusguy]

generally I would agree with the hands off approach to collecting cacti from habitat. However in the cause of a few cuttings of Opuntia and Cylindropuntia what is the huge deal that makes people outraged? I have more outrage for the State of AZ that let few thousand or MORE cacti be destroyed by a pipeline in the name of profits. Where is the outrage there? oh wait we save it for someone who took a couple of cuttings of cacti that can probably easily by hacked down and would grow back anyways. If you don't believe me on that I Can show pics of O. engelmannii and C. leptocaulis (and one lone C. fulgida where a grove of a bunch of 6-8 tall planes were) that survived the raping they got from the machine that looked like one of those things they use to clear a minefield with. It bashed the crap out of everything. There rant over.

[hgkenn]

TX Hillcountry Cacti
Have a friend who owns a nursery who knew of some acres loaded with hundreds if not thousands of Horse Crippler. Acreage just recently got bulldozed and then root-plowed for a new up-coming mall expansion. There maybe 15-20 Horsecripplers missed by bulldozers and graders near railroad tracks..........I'll rescue them if I have a chance: before they meet same fate.

[Blair]

I think the second picture is a coryphanthta.

[gan4734]

May I suggest Escobaria vivipara for the second?

[BobbyZ]

Hey: I have no regrets clipping an Opuntia pads or pups from roadways, woods and nonprotected areas. Most people would consider O. humifusa, stricta, dillenii, leucantricha and pussila pests but I cherish them in my plantings. I am thoroughly respectful of protected areas especially dune communities. I love collecting native plants to fill my Florida garden as much as the firebush and coontie palms for hummingbird an butterfly magnets. Someday I will find a O. nittens and turbinata that I can propagate and add to my collection and/or share with friends.
That specimen of horse crppler is wonderful, enjoy your family ranch I know you will be a good custodian of your ecosysytem. Bobby Z