September 12, 2008, Wildflowers bear fruit, By Richard Cretcher

Wildflowers bear fruit
By Richard Cretcher
September 12, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Wildflower Identification Walk
Led by Richard Cretcher
Fri, Sep 19, 9:30am
El Charco del Ingenio
70 pesos members/100 pesos nonmembers
Info/reservations: nzerriffi@yahoo.com

As the high season of the flowering plants and trees returns, our senses are drawn to the beauty and scent of the flowers. Here in San Miguel, these senses are well rewarded this time of year. But this is not the end of the story.

These flowers are doing their part in the complex process required to reproduce and preserve their species. An excellent account of the initial process can be found in chapter IV of Walter Meager and Wayne Colony’s book Wild & Wonderful. This chapter, called “Flowers & Their Pollinators,” describes the diverse ways in which the cycle of reproduction starts. The plant then has to produce the fruit, nurture and protect the seeds, and finally figure out a way to disperse them for the next generation.

Fruit of the devil's claw, center pages 3. Dried devil's claw

So, it might be fun to follow the cycle of a couple of the more interesting plants in the San Miguel area. One of the most spectacular blooms has the Spanish common name torito. Loved by many for its beauty, it is far less popular with farmers and ranchers in both the US and Mexico. The English common names of devil’s claw, cow-catcher and mules-grab indicate why the plant is not universally admired. The fruit, when it is dried, cracks open to form a bug-like structure with two long, hooked claws. These claws grab onto the feet and legs of animals and effectively satisfy the seed dispersal function in the reproduction cycle. Unfortunately, the claws often cause puncture sores that can fester and ultimately cause death to the animal.

Love in a puff has a more pleasing life cycle. This plant with the Spanish common name farolitos (little lanterns) protects its seed inside a little Japanese lantern until it is ready to be dispersed. The joy of this plant is that its seed is a dark little pea with a lighter heart on it, hence the English common name Love in a puff.

A popular tree in this area with a spectacular yellow bloom is the thevetia or fraile (monk in Spanish). Its fruit, when dried, looks like a nut and serves as castanets on the feet of Indian dancers. While no one can be sure how effective this method of dispersal is, the dancers do travel all over the country. One caution: all parts of this tree, particularly the fruit, are very poisonous.

Now is the time to find these flowers, follow the development of their reproduction cycle and marvel at their accomplishment.

Where and what to look for

Again this year people are wondering where all the wildflowers are. With all the rains this season, the area is just coming into the peak of wildflower season, particularly for the large “showy” blooms. The tall green plants along the roadways that look like weeds will soon be topping out in bright yellow girasols.

They will be accented by pink mirasols (cosmos) and white acetilla (beggar's ticks). Then it will feel like the wildflowers are here. In reality, many have been here for months. An easy walk in El Charco or Parque Landeta will reveal the little jewels that are often missed. Many are smaller than a nickel. There is so much to look at in this town that these tiny treasures may be overlooked.

Some other areas that are rich in wildflowers are shown on the map on page 175 of Flores Silvestres. The fertile lands west past the train station are good. The dry, alkaline areas north near the hot springs and around Atotonilco have different species. All of the roadways leading out of San Miguel are or soon will be revealing fields of alfombilla, cosmos and limpia tuna. The road below the dam from Presa Allende to La Huerta can be very rewarding. But the easy trails of El Charco will result in more than 50 species, and straying off the paths in Landeta will add several more. Now is the time to get out of town and enjoy this unique desert area in the rainy season.

Richard Cretcher has published the wildflower pocket guide Flores Silvestres and will be conducting a wildflower walk for the benefit of El Charco on September 19.

About El Charco del Ingenio

The name El Charco del Ingenio comes from a natural pool, nestled in an impressive canyon, which popular legend has interwoven with myths and stories since the Spanish conquest. Among the rocks and scrub lie vestiges of aqueducts and waterworks from the past. A historic reservoir receives the water draining from the nearby mountains, forming permanent wetlands where birds and other wildlife abound. During the rainy season, water overflows the dam, cascading into pools in the wooded depths of the canyon. The high canyon walls open toward the west, with a magnificent view of San Miguel at the foot of the hills, the wide valley of the Laja River and, on the far horizon, the Guanajuato Mountains.

This is the setting for the botanical gardens, dedicated to the preservation of a surprising variety of families and species of native flora. In addition to the restoration of native vegetation, El Charco del Ingenio maintains an extensive collection of Mexican plants, many of which are rare or in danger of extinction. Consisting mainly of cacti (of which Mexico boasts the greatest diversity in the world) and other succulents, these plants have been collected from many parts of the country or propagated in the nursery at the gardens. A large portion of this collection is housed, along with aquatic species and native fish, in the Conservatory of Mexican Plants, a greenhouse specially designed for their display.