A Cardon from Baja, Calif. (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

A Cardon from Baja, Calif.

Caption

Cardón sahueso (Pachycereus pringlei: Pachycereeae ); the tallest cactus species in the world. This individual is growing in the Cataviña region of the Baja California peninsula in México. It is associated to an old mesquite shrub (Prosopis glandulosa) that probably acted as a nurse plant. Here, the ancient Cretaceous granite pluton eroded into fields of giant rounded boulders. The slender plants in the background are boojum trees (Fouquieria columnaris). These species grow in a rich matrix of diverse desert scrub resembling a well-kept Japanese garden.

Credit

Alberto Búrquez Montijo, Instituto de Ecología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

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