Cloe asked that I take a break and photograph her for a change 🙂
Paper Bag Bush
I spotted a Paper Bag Bush (Salazaria mexicana) on our hike yesterday morning. I’m always saying something is cool but this is the coolest! Each tiny little flower leaves behind a pod with a fruit (seed) inside. These pods puff up and look like blown up paper bags. Another common name for the bush is Bladder Sage but Paper Bag is the fun name 🙂
lizards
This is one of the lizards we see most often around here. I’m fairly sure it’s a Spotted Whiptail. We usually see this one in among the vegetation.
This lizard is probably the Lesser Earless Lizard and he’s usually sitting on a rock or running with his tail up in the air. Both these lizards have the most amazing feet.
Foothill Palo Verde
Foothill Palo Verde are blooming. Look closely at the flowers the next time you pass one. They’re really beautiful.
But don’t get too close or you might go home with some critters. I didn’t even notice these guys until I brought the photos up on my computer screen 🙂
Teddy Bear Cholla
This Teddybear Cholla is in my yard and loaded with blooms. I’m trying to get a Cholla forest going which will encourage Cactus Wrens to build their nests there. The common name of this cholla comes from its fuzzy appearance. Don’t be fooled, though 🙂
Buckhorn Cholla
Buckhorn Cholla (Opuntia acanthocarpa) blooms seen yesterday afternoon. The blooms vary in color. I’ve seen yellow, yellow/orange, yellow/red, and orange/red. The bloom in this photo was about 2 1/4 inches wide. The name Buckhorn comes from the antler-like appearance of the cactus. Antlers full of thorns!
So why is Chris touching it?! This second photo was taken at the first sign of new growth. The brand new growth is actually soft and pliable and is the only time you would be able to touch it and not leave with a spine in your finger.
Cheesebush
The more common name for Hymenoclea salsola is Burrobrush but it’s also called Cheesebush because of the cheese smell you get when you crush the foliage. I didn’t know this when I shot the photo so I’m eager to go back and try it 🙂
The shrubs were spotted in the Cholla and Granite mountain area. For more information including how they were used by native peoples, click on the following link: Hymenoclea salsola
Acourtia wrightii
The most exciting find (thanks Chris!) this weekend was Acourtia wrightii commonly called Brownfoot or Perezia. The leaves and flowers looked almost identical to the Desert Holly I photographed last year but this plant was 2-3 feet taller. As it turns out, they are of the same genus: Acourtia. The dwarf version is Acourtia nana. This one and another were spotted on the Preserve near Brown’s Ranch. One was at the base of a Catclaw (ouch) and the other at the base of a Palo Verde.
The next day, we hiked the Cactus Trail at Granite Mountain and found several large specimens out in the open. Some were just starting to bloom and some were in full bloom as shown in the photos below.
Desert Straw
Brownplume Wirelettuce or Desert Straw are a couple of common names for Stephanomeria pauciflora.
The flower is a little over one half inch wide. The SuperMacro setting on my Canon S5 did a fantastic job of capturing a single flower.
We’ve seen these sub shrubs in the desert around us before but having flowers on them this year has made identification easier.
Globemallow
This beautiful specimen of Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua) was growing out of a cliff in the wash.
Ahh…what a difference lighting makes! The top photo was captured in shade. This close-up shot of Globemallow was backlit by the setting sun.