The Cactus Trip Diaries

We had really enjoyed our stay in Hotel Blancavilla, but it seems that all good things come to an end, until we could visit again on our way back to the Airport in some ten days time.

Today we’d aim for some more AB stops from his 2016 trip with others, starting with AB662. On that occasion Ferocactus flavovirens, Coryphantha reduncispina and Mammillaria carnea were listed, but I’m sure that I photographed many more taxa this time. More homework for rainy days in England. For a Ferothon, it seems important to mention F. recurvus. As a general observation, after last year’s Baja Ferothon, the Fero’s here seemed to much more in favour of partially shaded forest locations as opposed to the Baja plants that were mostly happy to battle it out on more exposed places and so were easier to spot. The ceroids were again numerous and varied and often in flower. And Mammillaria sphacelata seems a candidate for a semi mat-forming plant with elongated stems, cowering in the shade.

We walked back on the track through sugarcane fields to the main road where we had parked the car.

The next stop was due to be AB663, but we found a nicer spot with the same plants, according to Alain so had an early leg stretch to see very large plants of Ferocactus recurvus growing under trees on hillsides with clumps of Coryphantha calipensis (?) and giant Pachycereus (Lemaireocereus) weberi. This was near San Juan de Los Cues.

AB664 was a view point over scenery with dense stands of P. weberi.

The large modern hotel in Tehuacan seemed deserted, should be full of coach trips at the peak tourist season.