March04_2010

Botanical Glossary - Home - References Cited

Photos - A wide view and close ups of a well armed Stenocerus (Organ Pipe Cactus) at Monte Alban in the Northern sector just east of the North Platform. Stenocereus is a genus of columnar cacti from southwestern USA, down through Mexico. Some species are low rambling species, while some are large and erect. The genus now contains species that used to be classified in the genera Hertrichocereus and Lemaireocereus. The genus Pachycereus is also sometimes included. A generally large tree-like, columnar Cactus reported to contain mescaline and sterols. Native from the Baha desert to Haiti depending on the species, 3-4-dimethoxyphenethylamine (.01%), 4-hydroxy-3-5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (.01%). Protect from frost, not cold tolerant. The Center frame showing the wide view of the Stenocerus tree has an Dasylirion Wheeleri (Desert Spoon or Common Sotol) growing in front. The Dasylirion is a flowering plant native to arid environments of northern Mexico, in Chihuahua and Sonora and in the southwestern United States, in Arizona, New Mexico and in Texas all the way east to the edge of the Southwest in Austin. It is a moderate to slow-growing evergreen shrub with a single unbranched trunk up to 40 cm thick growing to 1.5 m tall, though often recumbent on the ground. The leaf blade is slender, 35-100 cm long, gray-green, with a toothed margin. The leaves radiate from the center of the plant's apex in all directions-(spherical). The flowering stem grows above the foliage, to a height of 5 m tall, and 3-6 cm diameter. The stem is topped by a long plume of straw-colored small flowers about 2.5 cm long with six sepals. The color of the flower determinate the gender of the plant, being mostly white colored for males and purple-pink for females plants. The fruit is an oval dry capsule 5-8 mm long, containing a single seed.

Photos - L-R - Early morning just as the sun pokes over the eastern mountains - first light on La Coronita and a wealthy man's casa to the west of the back yard where I stay at San Agustin. This is a golden moment, the photo doesn't transmit the early morning aroma of dew on the alfalfa or the sounds of the wild life (exotic birds) and farm animals waking up and becoming active. First light is a magical time of day.

The farmer's field next door has the irrigation canal full of water. As you can see, the maintenance of the irrigation canal includes making sure all of the leaves and crap are taken out so that the water flows easily. The rock you see at the bottom left is used to plug the canal so to speak; to help guide the water down another branch of the canal. All of the farms in San Agustin are like this and have been like this for centuries. None of them have hoses and sprinklers to water the field. All fields are kept alive and green with active canals.

Heading into Oaxaca for a short visit to the Market place to do grocery shopping. I stopped just outside of the northern edge of Oaxaca to capture a photo of Atoyac River looking north. El Rio River flows through San Agustin, Vista Hermosa and San Sebastian before joining the Atoyac. The Atoyac flows through Oaxaca city and continues west to flow into the Pacific Coast ocean.

Photos - L-R - Photos from the van along Highway 190 into Oaxaca - this is Papeleria La Tarjeta an upscale restaurant.

A brick wall that has suffered erosion.

Maxi Pollo (Chicken shop) on Madero at the northern edge of Oaxaca City. A group of workers are digging a hole in the pavement to do some underground water pipe maintenance. Notice the lack of any safety features.

Click here for more photos of Oaxaca, Mexico for this day.