BAREFOOT BOYS MEXICAN TRIP N° 1

(By Noah Elhardt and Forbes Conrad, , 2006) 

(All pictures by Noah Elhardt and Forbes Conrad)

Pinguicula oblongiloba in Michoacan, Mexico.

Forbes and I located this site in northern Michoacan, Mexico hoping to find P. oblongiloba and P. crenatiloba. While we were unable to find either flowers or rosettes of the annual P. crenatiloba, the perennial P. oblongiloba was in full bloom.
 

The first plants we found were growing in red clay soil along a steep forest path (maybe 30-40 degree slope).

Interestingly enough, the population was quite small and isolated, with perhaps a dozen plants or less. We searched the surrounding area, which seemed to be an identical habitat, but found no other plants.

This neighboring hill had far more plants. They were located in the darker forested region visible on the lower right of the hill.

These plants, unlike the other ones, were growing in a loam consisting of decomposing detritus, mostly the fallen leaves of the cedars or junipers that composed the forest. The slope here was similar, and the understory slightly shadier than in the other location.

The plants were lightly scattered across the entire hillside, with perhaps 200 flower plants and many more younger ones.
 

The variation of flower size and morphology within the population was astounding. The following three plants were all growing within yards of each other !

Noah Elhardt and Forbes Conrad