As we drove south the flora began to change slightly – more ocotillo, agaves and many more cacti. I’d been looking for the magenta monkeyflower yesterday, without any luck, but found them to be plentiful up a couple of desert washes.
Mimulus bigelovii – this monkeyflower only grows a few inches high but makes up for its size in brilliant color.
There are many types of cacti; here are the three common ones we saw. The first group of slides show a group of barrel cacti.
Opuntia cacti are jointed. The prickly pear group can be flattened like the “beavertails,” (Opuntia basilaris) below.
Opuntia can also be rounded like the Teddy bear cholla (they still have “joints”). The spines are attached in a star pattern and break off in a cluster that are easy to sit or kneel on when trying to take a picture of something else. Ouch. I also found them deeply embedded in the toes of my boots and hard to get out.
Desert sunflower Geraea canescens
Ocotillo (Fourquieriaceae splendens) a characteristic shrub of the desert, can reach 20-feet in height. The scarlet flowers had just begun to bud out last week so I imagine they are putting on a show now.
(all photos by CCM except “beavertails” as noted)
A Place in the World 
Rodrigo sent me an email asking if it looks like this most of the year. The answer is no: only for a few short weeks in spring after the winter rains…. and this year we got a lot of rain so the deserts are greener than usual with more wildflowers.
LikeLike
So much beauty in such desolation. Thanks for these photos.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great post and photos!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Arty” – nice to hear from you again! Believe it or not I was just wondering what you ( your blog) was up to. Have a “florific” spring!
LikeLike
Thanks Jan
LikeLike
Wow. Great shots. I especially love the desert sunflowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person