Mexico Field Trip

Day 5 – February 18^th, 2005

 

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After a pleasant evening in the hotel and a good night’s sleep, we set off at 07:55 in the direction of Puebla along the MEX150. The MEX 150 also leaves Tehuacan in the direction of Orizaba, but we took the Puebla turn and after 2km or so, we turned left onto a dirt road that led up to a quarry on the Mesa de San Lorenzo, where we parked. The area was very dirty, with whole areas cleared and litter spread around. However, we did also find some nice plants. The plants photographed were:

 

PICT1034         -           Setting off from beside the quarry

PICT1035         -           Great caudex tree

PICT1036         -           Mammillaria sphacelata

PICT1037         -           Coryphantha pallida – single central spine form

PICT1038-40    -           Mammillaria mystax     

PICT1043         -           Cissus tuberosus

PICT1044         -           Opuntia tunicata

PICT1045         -           Coryphantha pallida

PICT1046-9      -           Mammillaria mystax

PICT1050-2      -           Fouqueria formosa

PICT1054-5      -           Coryphantha sp (not pallida!)

PICT1057-61    -           Mammillaria carnea forms

PICT1062         -           Mammillaria mystax

PICT1063-8      -           Mammillaria carnea forms

PICT1069         -           Ferocactus recurvus and Opuntia ?

PICT1070         -           Pierre examining a clump of Cereus and Yucca left in cleared ground

PICT1071-3      -           long spined Mammillaria mystax

PICT1075-6      -           Opuntia imbricata

 

We then needed to return to Tehuacan in order that Norbert and Pierre could see Madeleine and help her back from hospital. The other car returned to the hotel, whilst Laurent and I waited with the car. Then after lunch, with Madeleine safely back in her room, we set off at about 13:20 on the Mex 150 towards Orizaba. We stopped in Azumbilla, at a very steep hill behind some houses, just before the turn to the Mex 140. Here we found:

 

PICT1077         -           The view over Azumbilla from the hillside

PICT1078-9      -           Coryphantha pallida

PICT1080-1      -           Mammillaria sphacelata in flower

PICT1082-3      -           Agave species

PICT1084         -           Ferocactus haematantha

 

And then back left onto the MEX 140 until we reached Morelos Canada, where we stopped by a canyon at 7668 ft. We climbed up the south side of the canyon, and then down into the valley and up the other side. On the top and as we were getting further towards the road down a seemingly well used track, on the left hand side we found Mammillaria napina in some quantity. As well we found:

 

PICT1085         -           Mammillaria esperanzaensis.

PICT1086         -           Canyon side

PICT1088-91    -           Ferocactus haematantha

PICT1092         -           Coryphantha pallida

PICT1093-5      -           Mammillaria collina

PICT1096-7      -           Nice Echeveria

PICT1098         -           Mammillaria sp

PICT1099         -           Mammillaria sp

PICT1100-1111 -           Mammillaria napina

 

Then we went back to Azumbilla as the clouds and mist were rolling in fast, and then we drove up into the mountains and turned round at Acultzingo. It was an afternoon of clouds, so we didn’t manage to see much, and drove all the way there and back.

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