Caryophyllales

The flower and pads of Opuntia aurea

Opuntia aurea

Published by Daniel Mosquin on May 24, 2019

Golden prickly-pear is narrowly-restricted to a small area of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Perhaps the easiest place to observe this species is within Utah’s Zion National Park if the iNaturalist observations of Opuntia aurea are any indication.

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Arenaria grandiflora, plant

Arenaria grandiflora subsp. grandiflora

Published by Daniel Mosquin on September 5, 2018

Large-flowered sandwort is primarily native to mountainous regions bordering the western and central parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Aptly illustrated in the first photograph, the typical habitat is dry, rocky sites.

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Thelocactus bicolor, growing wild in Texas

Thelocactus bicolor

Published by Daniel Mosquin on July 6, 2018

Widely distributed in the Mexican parts of the Chihuahuan Desert, Thelocactus bicolor‘s range elsewhere is restricted to two counties in adjacent Texas, Brewster and Starr.

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The flower of Frankenia salina

Frankenia salina

Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 8, 2018

Frankenia is the sole genus within the Frankeniaceae, or the sea heath family. This flowering plant family has a distribution that covers warm, dry areas of most continents, though the majority of species are Australian. Typically, plants in this family are associated with soils that are either saline, calcareous, or gypsum-rich.

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The endangered Parodia warasii

Parodia warasii

Published by Daniel Mosquin on June 5, 2018

This endangered species of cactus from Brazil lacks a common name. Parodia warasii is native only to Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, where it grows in the cracks of rock walls at four different locations.

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Bistorta affinis 'Border Jewel'

Bistorta affinis ‘Border Jewel’

Published by Daniel Mosquin on November 14, 2017

These fiery pink inflorescences belong to Bistorta affinis. Known as Himalayan bistort, the species is native to the Himalayas and neighbouring regions, growing at elevations of 3000 to 4900m above sea level (10000–16000 ft.). Whether carpeting the ground of a cultivated garden or a mountainside slope, it brings welcoming colour to the landscape.

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Mammillaria dioica, in California's Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Mammillaria dioica

Published by Daniel Mosquin on October 9, 2017

A springtime photograph from this past year, during a visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

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