Back to the travel narratives, covering Feb 2010 to the present, as I let my bank account recharge and stay put, probably until October.
For a long time, I had been aware that a very cryptic cactus grew down along the Arizona border, a pencil thin and well-camouflaged beast named alternately Peniocereus striatus or Neoevansia diguetii. In February of 2010 I took a trip down to a few areas I had already been close to, having done some research on some herbarium records and so on. I finally found a population quite near the border. It is desolate and peaceful country down there. Very remote and quiet. A density of Sonoran flora, often with the greatest concentration of Mammillaria grahamii under Cylindropuntia fulgida.
Some distance from the stand of striatus that I found, very impressive ancient colonies of Grusonia.
After a few hours of searching, finally found some Peniocereus striatus under Palo Verde trees.
It isn't much to look at and is damnably difficult to photograph. I hope to catch these plants in flower one of these seasons.
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