Cacti, Living Rocks, and a Chihuahua Desert Beatdown in West Texas

Another banger from West Texas where the millions of years of plant evolution on limestone is evident by the presence of so many species of “white“ cacti. It’s clear to see how the chalk-colored limestone substrate has selected for the presence of so many cacti that blend in perfectly with it, as any that didn’t either got taken out by the heat or by an herbivore that was able to easily spot them. What are the adaptive beneits of so many white spines and trichomes, or - in the case of Ariocarpus - such a thick and waxy cuticle? Does #Epithelantha bokei really look like a “golfball with a foreskin“ or am I just being mean? Why are the flowers of #Echinomastus mariposensis so strikingly beautiul while those of Mammilaria pottsii are so relatively small and inconspicuous? Is Neolloydia conoidea the most ridiculous name for a cactus we’ve encountered yet? Your contributions support this content. It sounds clichéd, but it’s true. Whether it’s travel expenses, vehicle repair, or medical costs for urushiol poisoning (or rockfalls, beestings, hand slices, toxic sap, etc), your financial support allows this content to continue so the beauty of Earth’s flora can be made accessible to the rest of us in the degenerate public. At a time when so much is disappearing beneath the human footprint, CPBBD is willing to do whatever it takes to document these plant species and the ecological communities they are a part of before they’re gone for good. Plants make people feel good. Plants quell homicidal (and suicidal!) thoughts. To support Crime Pays But Botany Doesn’t, consider donating a few bucks to the venmo account “societyishell“ or the PayPal account email crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt@... Or consider becoming a patreon supporter @ : Buy some CPBBD merch (shirts, hats, hoodies n’ what the shit) available for sale at : To purchase stickers, venmo twelve bucks to “societyishell“ and leave your address in the comments. Plants ID questions or reading list suggestions can be sent to crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt@ Thanks, GFY.