Mexico Field Trip

Day 10 – February 23^rd, 2005

 

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Today we left Oaxaca and were in the cars with luggage all packed at 7:35, a record for the trip so far!

 

Heading out as usual in the direction of Mexico, we took the MEX 190 at Huitzo, heading towards Huajuapan de Leon. Along the road at this stage there were loads of “Spanish Moss” type of Tillandsia growing on oak trees. It was initially quite wooded, with oaks and pines and other broad leafed trees, but as we went on they became sparser. When we stopped to see the Tillandsias closer, there were two Ferocactus macrodiscus in flower, nice plants, well sunk in the ground, level with the ground. If it weren’t for the flowers we probably would have had difficulty spotting them at all.

 

PICT1503         -           Tillandsia

PICT1504-6      -           Ferocactus macrodiscus

 

Just a few minutes later on at 7270 ft and half a kilometre before the KM 113 marker on the left hand side of the road, we found a number of plants. Ferocactus macrodiscus was there again, but also another Ferocactus probably a form of recurvus, although this is rather uncertain, and Mammillaria conspicua together with a long-spined Mammillaria.

 

PICT1507-8      -           Ferocactus recurvus??

PICT1509-12    -           Mammillaria conspicua?

PICT1513         -           Mammillaria ? This last species I think is much more likely to be some form of

Mammillaria mystax, as it has a single very well developed central spine, and 5 or 6 strong but short radials, with wool and a few bristles in the axils. The photo in Pilbeam on page 201 of M. mystax ML185 looks quite close, and is from a not dissimilar area (Sierra Mixteca is to the north-west of this location, but not so far).

 

We drove on through a number of villages, Asuncion Nochixlan and then shortly before the KM 69  marker at 8041 ft near a sign for a Cabino Cue, we stopped and found the following plants:

 

PICT1515         -           Coryphantha pallida

PICT1516         -           Coryphantha retusa, probably not pycnacantha

PICT1517         -           Ferocactus recurvus – a very red spined beauty

PICT1518-19    -           Mammillaria haageana

PICT1520         -           Coryphantha species, could well be pycnacantha

PICT1521-2      -           Coryphantha retusa

PICT1523         -           Mammillaria conspicua

PICT1524         -           Mammillaria ??

PICT1525         -           Scene from this site

PICT1526-7      -           Mammillaria discolor (probably)

PICT1528-29    -           Mammillaria sp. 4 brown centrals in cross shape, 15-20 white radials

PICT1530         -           Mammillaria conspicua (vaupelii) – probably!! 2 brown centrals, ~25 white radials.

 

[Note: the Km markers run south starting at 0 in Huajuapan]

 

We drove onwards, and just before Tamazulipan, we stopped at a petrol station and asked where Las Pilas was. It turned out that it was literally about 1/2km behind us, and we pulled off the road onto a track that led up from there onto the flatter part of the white rock hills. About half way up to the top going straight up from the turning, we found Mammillaria krahenbuehlii living in mossy soil underneath small bushes. Coryphantha picnacantha was also present but mainly on the flatter area, and Mammillaria conspicua lived on the limestone rocks pushing up from the mossy surface. Las Pilas was either the name of the hill or the small community at the foot of the hill.

 

PICT1531         -           Mammillaria krahenbuehlii at Las Pilas

 

Again we drove onwards and just before a village called Chila, we pulled off the road into a small old quarry in the limestone hillside. We parked there for a late lunch, and then made our way up a track onto flatter ground about half way up the hill, and over to the right we found dozens of Mammillaria solisioides. It was very hard to find the Mammillarias in the limestone plain, but once you got your eye in, then they just seem to spring out at you. Coryphantha retusa and picnacantha were also growing on the hillside, but a bit higher, whilst at the same level as Mammillaria solisioides were the usual Mammillaria haageana and conspicua.

 

PICT1533         -           The village of Chila

PICT1534-40    -           Mammillaria solisioides

PICT1541-44    -           Coryphantha retusa forms

 

Further along the road, and about 40 minutes later we stopped and climbed up into the scrubby hillside and eventually found what we had come to see – Rathbunia beneckeii. Also there were Fouquieria purpusii and Bursera morrilens, and of course lots of Mammillaria haageana forms, mostly single plants with single white centrals.

 

PICT1545-6      -           Rathbunia beneckeii

PICT1547         -           Bursera morrilens and Fouquieria purpusii

PICT1548         -           Flowers of Fouquieria purpusii

 

In about another hour, we made an unplanned stop along the way because we had spotted Pachycereus pecton-arborigen growing. They had lovely teddy bear style flower buds coming. Close by were a couple of Opuntia in full flower, very pretty.

 

PICT1549-50    -           Pachycereus pecton-arborigen

PICT1551-3      -           Opuntias in flower

 

As we then drove up the continually bendy road from Acatlan to Cuautla where we were staying the night in the Hotel Real, we were constantly amazed at the huge stands of Pachycereus weberi and then a total change round the next corner with acres of the single green pipes of Neobuxbaumia mescaelensis – quite extraordinary countryside.

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