February17_2010

Botanical Glossary - Home - References Cited

This place is situated in District of Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico, its geographical coordinates are 17° 15' 0" North, 96° 53' 0" West and is part of a village to the east - its original name (with diacritics) is Santiago Suchilquitongo. Suchilquirongo is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca where the valleys of northern Etla, eastern Tlacolula, and southern Zimatlán/Ocotlán (or Valle Grande) branches meet.

Photos - Frames left and right: Views of a partially restored pyramid in the western portion of Suchilquitongo archaeological site.

Center frame: A large tree full of spines: Opuntia Spp (Prickly Pear). Opuntia, also known as nopales, or Paddle Cactus from the resemblance to the ball-and-paddle toy, is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae. Currently, only prickly pears are included in this genus of about 200 species distributed throughout most of the Americas. Chollas are now separated into the genus Cylindropuntia, which some still consider a subgenus of Opuntia. Austrocylindropuntia, Corynopuntia and Micropuntia are also often included in the present genus, but like Cylindropuntia they seem rather well distinct. Brasiliopuntia and Miqueliopuntia are closer relatives of Opuntia.
The most commonly culinary species is the Indian Fig Opuntia (O. ficus-indica). Most culinary uses of the term 'prickly pear' refer to this species. Prickly pears are also known as nopal or nopales, from the Nahuatl word nopalli for the pads, or nostle, from the Nahuatl word nochtli for the fruit; or Paddle Cactus (from the resemblance to the ball-and-paddle toy).

Photos - In the northern region of Suchilquitongo there is a mound with a stone cross that overlooks Etla Valley - looking to the north.

Click here for more photos of Suchilquitongo for this day.