Wild cacti in their youth

Part 1: Youngsters noticed in the Chihuahuan Desert


Several of these are seedlings around 2 or 3 years of age and the others can
provide some clues as where they have been hiding for their first tender years.


Part 2: Tamaulipan Thornscrub




Ariocarpus fissuratus


The first image is of seedlings growing in a greenhouse at SRU. The next two images are of a plant in Brewster County and the lower two are in Terrell County.

fissuratus
fissuratus
fissuratus







Coryphantha dasyacantha

Presidio Co

dasyacantha
dasyacantha

For a better sense of scale, notice that this is growing with a Prosopis.






Coryphantha echinus

Terrell Co


The young plants on the right and almost hidden in the upper left above are devoid of central spines.

Coryphantha echinus
Coryphantha echinus

Compare the youngster on the left with the one above starting to express centrals





Coryphantha ramillosa


Terrell Co






Coryphantha sneedii var. albicolumnaria

Brewster Co

albicolumaria





Coryphantha tuberculosa

Terrell Co

Coryphantha tuberculosa
Coryphantha tuberculosa Coryphantha tuberculosa




Cylindropuntia imbricata

Hudspeth Co


imbricata
imbricata




Cylindropuntia leptocaulis

Terrell Co.


Cylindropuntia leptocaulis




Echinocactus horizonthalonius


Terrell Co



Echinocactus horizonthalonius


Hudspeth Co

horizonthalonius
horizonthalonius





Echinocactus texensis


Terrell Co








Echinocereus coccineus

Terrell
Co

Echinocereus coccineus





Echinocereus dasyacanthus

Hudspeth Co

dasyacanthus
dasyacantha
dasyacantha


Terrell County

Echinocereus dasyacanthus




Echinocereus enneacanthus

Terrell Co.


Echinocereus enneacanthus




Echinocereus stramineus

Brewster Co

stramineus
stramineus
stramineus


Hudspeth Co

stramineus
stramineus
stramineus


Terrell County

Echinocereus stramineus



Epithelantha bokei

Brewster Co


bokei
bokei




Grusonia schottii

Terrell Co

schottii
schottii




Lophophora williamsii echinata


Terrell County








Lophophora williamsii


Brewster County




The rock protecting the seedling above was carefully replaced following its examination.





Mammillaria heyderi

Terrell Co




Cavity in the lower right-hand image above once housed an Ariocarpus fissuratus until it died following extreme cold and drought.





Young Mammillaria lasiacantha and Mammillaria heyderi

Terrell Co







An even younger
Mammillaria lasiacantha

Terrell Co



About to flower in Brewster Co

lasiacanthus





Mammillaria pottsii

Brewster Co

pottsii

At the same site in Brewster Co

Uncertain on the identification of the next two images. Possibly Echinocereus dasyacanthus.

pottsii
pottsii





Neolloydia conoidea

Brewster Co

conoidea
conoidea
conoidea




Sclerocactus uncinatus

Terrell Co.

Sclerocactus uncinatus



Not yet identified. maybe young uncinatus?


Terrell Co.

possibly Sclerocactus uncinatus

possibly Sclerocactus uncinatus



Unidentified but dead. Probably Neolloydia?


Brewster Co.

dead
dead


This (death) is what happens to MOST seedlings.







Part 2: Youth in the Tamaulipan Thornscrub





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Flora associated with
Lophophora






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Cactus Conservation Institute