Deserts are seldom boring. Nice catches. For some reason I particularly liked
the second one, the lichens.
--Bob
On Apr 7, 2013, at 11:56 AM, Chris Trask wrote:
> Although much of the scenery in desert environments is lacking in
> variety, this scene was especially striking in the variety of colours
> combined with the forms of clouds, rock, flowers, and the trail itself:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8628269586/in/photostream
>
> and if you look closely enough you can find thriving communities of lichens
> that are slowly eating away at the ancient ash flows:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8628269696/in/photostream
>
> One of the many edible plants to be found is Canaigre, the leaves of
> which add an interesting flavour to chicken and the stems can be used in
> place of rhubarb:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8628269782/in/photostream
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8628269892/in/photostream
>
> Amsonia was found along an extensive reach of one drainage:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627113925/in/photostream
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627113989/in/photostream
>
> while only one isolated community of Wild Pennyroyal was to be found:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627275841/in/photostream
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627275907/in/photostream
>
> There were scattered specimens of Owl Clover throughout the area:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627114147/in/photostream
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627114201/in/photostream
>
> This plant can sometimes cover entire hillsides, rendering them a striking
> magenta colour for a couple of weeks, and there is an area west of Phoenix
> where a white variety (yet to be collected and recognized as a separate
> variety by USDA) will have the same effect in a good year.
>
> A few scattered specimens of Fendler's Desert Dandelion were found early
> in the day:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627114087/in/photostream
>
> and towards the end of the day a good number of specimens of Rock Echeveria
> were found:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8628269938/in/photostream
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8628269992/in/photostream
>
> The highlight of the day was the encounter with a small community of
> Paleface Delphinium. These plants are quite majestic and stand out when in
> full bloom. This one specimen was about 30" (76 cm) tall:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627330647/in/photostream
>
> and there was a good opportunity to take a closeup of one of the flowers to
> show the anthers and pistils:
>
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/8627330741/in/photostream
>
> I still have some photos remaining, but they involve sorting out the
> minute details of some closely related species.
--
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