Botanical and Cultural Adventures

Botanical and Cultural Adventures

Monday, May 13, 2013

Small Green Hechtia Species from Gabriel Zamora, Michoacan

One of the frustrating but exciting things when finding Hechtia species in habitat is the subsequent search for a name. This nice spidery species is from the municipality of Gabriel Zamora, Michoacan. I was only able to see them on one isolated rock outcropping, but there are likely many others sprinkled in the hot fruit growing region. As of yet I have not been able to find a published name that matches this plant.




A bit of a mystery, this is a relatively dainty species. Likely related to other species (posts to come) along the Pacific coast, this is significantly smaller. It produces a terminal inflorescence and somewhat unusual for the genus, it doesn't seem to change color when put under stress from heat or lack of water. Every single plant was a nice and clean emerald green without a single 'blood spot'.

Not many other bromeliad species were growing in the local vicinity other than a notable form of Tillandsia capitata.

**Update: this seems to match very closely the species, Hechtia laxissima, although a fair bit smaller.


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