Thursday 23 February – Miahuatlan to Huajuapan de Leon
We continue to enjoy revisiting spots that Alain had visited nearly one year earlier, allowing him to observe changes and differences between now and then and for the rest of us to get a thorough understanding of the different Ferocactus taxa in the area. But first, S3605, some images of and around Hotel Plaza Diamante in Miathuatlan.
First cactus stop of the day was S3606 (previously AB671) for Ferocactus latispinus. Again, these plans show that they like to grow in the shade provided his time of year by grasses and some low shrubs, not yet in leaf, but of course covered in thorns. Now the sun in the UK during the growing season is of course nowhere as strong as the Mexican sun, but I will experience with providing plant in my collection with a bit more shade next year.
Alain had been looking forward to showing us plants at the next location S3607 (AB673). ‘What do you think that it is?’ he asked. We could all agree on Ferocactus but were pleased when he suggested F. greenwoodii. There followed a discussion between Alain and Jonathan as to the exact taxonomic position of this plant that I still do not fully understand so for the sae of simplicity will refer to them as Ferocactus greenwoodii. Pilbeam calls them F. recurvus subsp. greenwoodii, but others see F. recurvus as F. latispinus subsp. spiralis. By the end of the stop we all had a dose of Ferocactus indigestion that will settle over time.
More tomorrow!
The Cactus Trip Diaries 