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Native Plant Society of Texas

San Antonio Chapter

In Praise of the Most Interesting Family of Plant… The Cacti by Brian Loflin

**ARCHIVED POST ** from 2018-05-30

June 26th 2018, CHAPTER MEETING

Based upon the book by the same name and his field work, this program by Brian Loflin is about the most interesting family of plants: The Cacti. Known primarily as a New World family of plants, many cactus communities have been established in modern times by human distribution in Africa and elsewhere on all continents except Antarctica. Cacti are interesting due to their many shapes, spine configuration, ease of cultivation by hobbyists, and amazing flowers of every color except blue. In North America cacti are found in greatest numbers and variation along the southern latitudes of the United States near the sub-tropical areas that extend southward from a line approximately between San Antonio and Austin, Texas — on farther south to the Tropic of Cancer near Ciudad Victoria in Tamaulipas, Mexico. We in Central Texas are blessed as Texas cacti are found in the greatest abundance nearby in the Trans Pecos region of western Texas and in the Rio Grande Valley.

The program will have focus on the Hill Country, an area within The Edwards Plateau. It is a region of many springs, stony hills, and steep canyons. The Edwards Plateau is characterized as Oak-juniper woodland and is home to an abundance of rare plants and animals found nowhere else. It is interesting to know that cacti are abundant, including some threatened and endangered species. Brian is a natural science photographer and has covered about 19 thousand miles across Texas, finding and photographing cacti of this large state. In his work he has photographed the largest and smallest cacti in our region.

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**ARCHIVED POST**

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: kpowell **

About the Region

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This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason