Cuter than a bug's ear...Gentianella cerastoides

 I don't know what possessed Kunth to name this plant cerastoides...proof that botanical names are arbitrary (there are a few mouse ears with congested foliage, but none possess luminous lavender purple flowers like this, such perfect chalices dotting the Paramo).

On my recent trip to Ecuador (a tour sponsored by Denver Botanic Gardens) we only had a few days at altitude: our big alpine hike on Cotopaxi (15,000 up to 16,000') was aborted due to hurricane force winds and horizontal smow...I shall always wonder what we missed!

At first I took it for a crocus: it kept appearing again and again around the lake at the foot of Cotopaxi around 12,000' pin elevation. Here it can get chilly--even freeze--most any night of the year. But every day warms up a tad. We saw it again at other spots--it's not rare here. But it is apparently restricted to Paramo in Colombia an Ecuador.

Each time we found it it looked a tad different.. you are not seeing all the pictures I took by a LOOOONG shot--but wanted to give you glimpses of one of the charming miniatures ever. Alas, hope of growing it in Colorado is slim, despite its lofty origins in nature.

It's so DANG CUTE!

It seemed to love to grow with lady's mantle and other groundcovers

The dozens of specimens I encountered were almost always single flowering. The web shows dense little clumps with a half dozen or more flowers open simultaneously. Sacrebleu! I'd a hadda heart attack if I'd come across that!

Fun to see even in bud.

This one's almost lost in the herbiage!

This one decided to grow sideways...

Of course, one must see this in motion! You have to click the arrow again to see it (Blogger ain't perfect--and neither am I)

What lucky mortals we be to travel so far and find such treasures!

Heroes and friends: Woody Minnich

How many of you are lucky enough to have a masterful gardener (SEVERAL steps above master gardener) groom plants in your garden? Well, I'm such a lucky son of a gun. Full disclosure--that fantastic specimen of Escobaria leei (OK, E. sneedii var. leei) was actually grown by Sandy Snyder (another masterful friend) who gave it to me when she downsized her large house and garden. It eventually made it to her NEW smaller house and garden...

I don't ALWAYS color coordinate with my heroes, but I love it when I do! Randy Tatroe looking on a bit wistfully: he didn't get the memo!

I'd known Woody for decades when he finally let me into one of his inner sancta at his home--chockablock full of trophies, awards. I'm guessing more than hundreds. The breadth and depth of his knowledge, commitment an experience in the world of cacti and succulents is humbling.

Woody spends an inordinate amount of time on the road: he speaks to Cactus and Succulent Societies in America and Internationally every year--bringing treasures from his greenhouse which he sells (plants you can't get otherwise) which helps supplement the extremely modest (let's not say cheap) fees that he's paid by these clubs. Nevertheless, his home garden is full of interest (let's be honest and give Kathy Minnich credit for that as well!)

He has a large array of saikei that I've coveted forever...

And some fantastic specimen Yucca--perhaps faxoniana?

And a few goodies that move in and out, like this gorgeous Sago.

I was visiting in late summer--Cosmos season...

He's accumulated an extraordinary wealth of rocks, containers, plants, soil, top dressing. He was embarrassed at how excited I was to peruse and look through it--it's his laboratory and not meant for visitors!

Even in his private corners, the humblest objects, like the driftwood below, strike your eye...

Woody is a man of the Southwest, of desert, steppe and wind.

He has left a treasure trove of articles for beginners and advanced gardeners in the CSSA journal I read with interest decades ago, and has expanded his scope to exploring every continent (except Antarctica) again and again for succulents and his many other interests.

He comes home to a haven of great beauty--full of elegant and wonderful things...

I was not in Los Angeles those many decades ago when collected plants were often showed at local shows planted in tin cans. Woody was prime mover in the creation of the Inter-city show, where he insisted that plants be grown and shown impeccably--leading to the exquisite shows of now--when plants, top dressing and pots are all carefully coordinated. As an trained artist, teacher of art and persuasive leader, he was more responsible than anyone for the high standards of showing cacti and succulents that prevails today across North America. He also began the movement to exclude collected plants from cactus shows.

After more decades than Woody would admit to, "Cactusdata" continues to raise the bar on the quality of plants grown and sold at plant sales across America.

Some gems Woody was propagating

Just a few more vignettes from his greenhouse.

Woody has also raised and bred reptiles from the time he was very young...

Totally as an aside: Woody arranged for me to do lecture tours through Southern California cactus clubs on three occasions at least--his word is gold with dozens of clubs. He's done the same for Marcia Tatroe and no end of other speakers. Otherwise we'd all be turtles at home (had to give the picture some relevance!)

A small corner of his "backup" arsenal: this man has meticulously grown and displayed countless thousands of gems..'

I just love the back corner of his outdoor workshop! 

Even the empty pots are pretty!

Some larger, hardy things destined for one of his shows and sales...

Did I mention that Woody has no end of awards and recognitions. Makes my little corner look paltry by comparison.

One of the great moments of my life was getting these two extraordinary people to sit together. This picture was taken on October 22, 2012. Woody and David became fast friends and proceeded to go on plant expeditions with one another and share plant lore and plants until the day David tragically passed away last year.

I took this picture that same visit--I believe he's clutching one of Kelly Griffin's amazing miniature aloes--possibly 'Poppa Woody"?

This is a picture I've "borrowed" off the internet--it was a large spread in a major Los Angeles newspaper about Woody and his work--published decades ago.

These random images represent a tiny fraction of my interactions with a mentor who has had a profound influence on my life: I have learned so much from listening to dozens of talks I've heard him give. I've asked him no end of questions--and am always astonished at the depth and breadth of first hand knowledge he has about plants. Multiply my case by the tens of thousands of people Woody's given talks to, sold plants to, interacted with everywhere: he's practically the world-wide web weaver of the Succulent World!

He has handled an unimaginable volume of plants that he has purchased and sold--often buying tiny liners and sizing them up. He has been the go-to auctioneer who's sold collections of elderly collectors or those who've passed away--for more years than I can remember. For as long as I can remember he has found wild collecting abhorrent (obviously, there are exceptions for those who do so with permits and under proper circumstances). I don't know anyone who comes close to Woody's commitment--although there are those who pretend to.

I am painfully aware that there are those who envy and resent anyone possessing Woody's extraordinary combination of skills: skilled artistry, vast scholarship, a worldwide network of friends, and a wellspring of energy, commitment and passion that I have not seen paralleled in anyone. Anyone.

I highly recommend you watch Oppenheimer if you haven't seen it it yet and you can see how an extraordinary talent can be tormented (and in Robert Oppenheimer's case destroyed) because of professional jealousy. I have a hunch Woody will be more like Robert's brother, Frank--who triumphed in the end.

I have had to resort to voicing my towering contempt for character assassination more than once in my blog: check these disgusting instances below if you don't believe me. (By the way, both Saco and Pesman have left their accusers in the dust.)

https://prairiebreak.blogspot.com/2023/08/subverting-past.html

https://prairiebreak.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-different-kind-of-russian-tragedy.html

I cannot stand by and watch as Woody Minnich is dealt the Oppenheimer treatment. I don't believe the world of Cactus and Succulents has had a greater champion who has maintained the very highest standards in the realm of conservation, in conducting business and especially in his commitment to the Cactus and Succulent Society of America.  I have a hunch anyone who disagrees may have a lot more to account for than Woody does. And they eventually shall.

Cotopaxi: alphabetically....(some parameters of the paramo...)

Cotopaxi

                                                        "...I went into a golden land,
                                                         Chimborazo, Cotopaxi
                                                         Took me by the hand."

                                                                                    Walter J. Turner

Unlike Turner, I was not obsessed with Chimborazo or Cotopaxi at the age of 13. Perhaps I should have been. This is the best picture I managed of the second highest peak of Ecuador (19,347'). The following album is a rather mixed up lot--but at least they're alphabetical--of plants from the "Paramo"--the high elevation ecosystem near Cotopaxi. There is NOTHING comparable to paramo at high latitudes...

Acaena elongata

Not actually in the wild--in a "botanic garden' in the national park...so strange to see a genus I know so well from New Zealand and Patagonia growing as an upright shrub!

Adiantum poiretii

The variety of ferns in more protected spots was astonishing. I-Naturalist proposed the name for this one--I guessed it was in the capillus-veneris complex. Or guide said there were over 1000 species of ferns in Ecuador. I believe him.

Alchemilla orbiculata

I was shocked at how MUCH of this grew EVERYWHERE around the volcano--acres and acres of lady's mantle. Who'd a thunk it? I know the genus from South Africa and Eurasia--how surprising to see it here too. I'd surmise it's just about the most abundant forb on the Paramo.

Closer look at the "flowers"-- basically an apetaloid potentilla!

Even  CLOSER

Arcytophyllum thymifolium 

At first I thought it was a daphne--but research revealed this is in the Rubiaceae: incredibly abundant in certain areas. I can't believe I only took one picture of this--it was wonderful! Since it experiences a cool summer every day and a chilly winter every night it is hopeless in a Continental climate. Annoyingly they could very likely grow many of these plants outdoors in cool, maritime climates like Sweden, Scotland, Vancouver Island or coastal Western USA. Grrrr.

Asplenium cf. viride

I posted this on I-Naturalist--turns out this grows far to the north--so I am probably wrong about the name--but looks just like this plant I've seen in Eurasia and North America (although not in Colorado where it is found in quite a few places. Scott Smith found a fantastic colony in the Sangre de  Cristo I would LOVE to check out!)
 

Azorella pedunculata 

I've seen a lot of Azorella--but NOTHING like this with the ludicrous chartreuse excrescences--seed? flowers? Couldn't figure it out...

And some without those growths: different sex? Different species? Looked almost exactly like A. trifurcata--which I did see listed for here...

Baccharis aff. buxifolia

There are several species of Baccharis that are extremely common. Unfortunately we didn't come across the tiny, pulvinate high alpine species--which is to die for!

Baccharis aff. buxifolia

Neobartsia (Bartsia) laticrenata 

One of several hemi-parasites closely allied with north temperate taxa--way cool!

Berberis sp.

We saw at least 3 species--and probably more--very much resembling American and Eurasian barberries: who knew?

Bidens andicola 

A really fantastic plant--growing by the million all over the paramo. Flat as a pancake. Kelly Grummons has hardy Bidens in several colors persisting and overwintering--a genus I have obviously undervalued.

Bidens andicola 

Closeup showing the incredible paramo lichens that encrust vast swaths of the land. The flowers really do resemble Zinnia grandiflora! Not to get too wrapped up in this ludicrous year, I vastly prefer Bidens to Drumbfia, the latter a nasty, invasive, parasitic genus with crass, ostentatious (and yet somehow insipid) orange flowers. Most reliable authorities regard this genus as fallacious at best and probably illegitimate. I personally believe Drumpfia is just a subspecies of Putinia--that most insidious weed of all! How I would LOVE to exchange it all for some Krapfia (op cit.)...so much nicer really than any!

Bomarea hirsuta

We saw this (or a close relative) time and again--some almost yellow. I know they grow this in California. 

Brachyotum ledifolium 

I was totally mystified by this--but the leaves should have alerted me that it was Melostomataceous! Extrremely abundant all over the paramo--and lovely!

Did I mention the vistas were lovely?

Calamagrostis intermedia 

 
The dominant graminoid where we were--with a definite resemblance to my dreaded 'Karl Foerster' which is so overplanted in Denver.

Calamagrostis intermedia 

Calceolaria sp.

The only Calceolaria we found--and it is out of focus. So be it.

Castilleja fissifolia 

Had to show this--just check out that paramo--solid lichen and not much else. So like the steppe--except it's wet. And never has seasons. Weird!

Castilleja fissifolia 

My favorite vignette: almost looks like Colorado!!!

Chuquiraga jussiei 

One of the coolest (and commonest) shrubs of the paramo. Looked South African to our eyes. Of course no nope of hardiness despite growing at 12,000' No justice in the world.

Chuquiraga jussiei 

This is what it looked like among the Calamagrostis...

Elaphoglossum engelii 

I probably photographed thirty ferns--only a few of which I could put a name to. Loved this one.

Ephedra cf. andina

I think we saw at least three species of Ephedra.

Ephedra cf. andina

Ephedra cf. andina

So odd to see these growing on wet paramo--but then I saw ephedra at 15,000 on wet tundra in Sikkim!

Epidendrum jamiesonis

Seeing massive clumps of orchids like this at 11,000' blew my mind.

Eryngium humile 

Photographed in the lawn at our lodge. I would grow this. But then I grow almost any Eryngium!

Gentiana sedifolia

Extremely reminiscent of Gentiana prostrata in the Rockies. Closes its flowers just as fast if covered. I've seen similar in Asia too...

Gentianella cerastoides 

It looked exactly like a crocus at first. This was the choicest plant of the trip: absolutely gorgeous--and extremely common. I took dozens of pictures--all of them turned out. I ought to do a blog just with those! Maybe I will..

Gentianella limoselloides 

And we even found a second species...but not the spectacular scarlet and yellow and giant lavender ones: perhaps I need to go back?

Geranium multipartitum 

This HAS to be closely allied to G.sessiliflorum--which I've seen in Patagonia and New Zealand. We saw this many places...some almost pink.

Gnaphalium sp.

Homely I know: but we have gnaphaliums just like this. I have a weakness for the Gnaphaliniae. Don't tell anyone (in my defense that tribe DOES include Helichrysum, Antennaria and Eidelweiss--and some other real treasures)

Halenia weddelliana 

A surprisingly widespread genus. I just recall seeing a tiny Halenia in Pakistan 23 years go that looked like a crocus (or Gentianella cerastoides). Nature has a sense of humor. I've not scanned that slide however.

No, Virginia, that's NOT an Epimedium! This dang thing was EVERYWHERE!

Hydrocotyl bonplandii 

We only found this once or twice. 

Hypericum laricifolium

This was extremely abundant. I would love to grow it (but of course it won't survive in temperate areas despite growing higher than our alpine!)

Hypochoeris sessiliflora 

Another extremely common plant--so much like the weed in New Zealand my friend Steve Newall collected on a massive scale for European green roofs. This one I'd grow.

Lamourouxia virgata 

Ridiculously like a penstemon. But another Orobanchaceae, I believe, and hemiparasitic.

Lupinus microphyllus 

Lupienes everywhere. I love this little one!

Lupinus pubescens

The common big one around Cotopaxi. We never saw L. alpecurioides, alas!

Lupinus mutabilis

We ate these in salads and at many a buffet: I was thrilled to see it being grown as a crop.

Lichens

Lichens everywhere...

Crustose lichens

We have crustose lichens very like this. I would have loved to take this rock home--but the lichens would likely perish in a day. And the baggage cost would be prohjibitive.

I thought this was a lycopodium--but it's probably a Phlegmariurus which is closely allied and out of aphabetical order.

Muehlenbeckia volcanica 

What a shock to see this genus I know so well from New Zealand (one of which thrives in my garden!)..so different from our North American Polygonaceae!

Muhlenbeckia vulcanica

Myriopteris myriophylla 

course this was once Cheilanthes. Could almost pass for one of our Colorado species.

Passiflora cf. quitensis

Photographed on a cliff about 20 away from my phone. There are a LOT of passionflowers in Ecuador--mostly in rain forest.

Pellaea ternifolia

I was so stunned to see this, which grows wild a mile or two from where I grew up (albeit Colorado's is a different subspecies: var. wrightiana)

Pellaea ternifolia

Obviously had to take two shots of this--one of the few species we truly share!

Perezia multiflora 

Gloriously thistle-oid!! I had a hard time combining this in my mind with the delicate cushion Perezia spp. I've seen in Patagonia.

Perezia multiflora 

Perezia multiflora 

Pernettya (Gaultheria) prostrata 

This was everywhere--often growing on exposed open paramo!

Persicaria nepalensis 

I find it VERY hard to believe this is an adventive from the Himalayas--it was growing MILES from any habitation--and the little houses on the paramo don't have many ornamentals...

Persicaria nepalensis 

Plants DO get around though..

Phlegmariurus crassus 

I saw this red club moss several times. What a wonderful thing...

Plantago sp.

I have a thing about Plantago. Now is not the time to talk about it. We did NOT see Plantago rigida.

Polylepis sp. 

The only tree (and a small one at that) on the Paramo. There are many species--not entirely sure which ones we saw. They reminded me so much of the woody Rosaceae of the west (Cercocarpus, Purshia) not to mention Leucosidea and Cliffortia in South Africa, and too many Eurasians to enumerate--would love to see a cladogram of Rosaceae and see if these are related as they look...

Polylepis sp. 

Puya sp. 

We saw a lot as we drove--some you could even see the strange teal colored flowers. But no way to stop for them. The ones you could walk to had no fresh flowers. Phooey!

Ranunculus sp. 

Pretty sure it's a buttercup. Alas, no Krapfia!

Ribes cf. lehmanii 

Looks exactly some of ours. Had no idea there were so many Ribes in the Andes! Like Hypericum and Berberis--a strangely familiar echo of our flora.

Rubus roseus 

We did see this several times. We saw a lot more of the invasive Himalayan species on the paramo--very similar to the scourges of the West Coast of the U.S. This one seemed very seemly.

Here the raspberry is climbing through a Melostome.

Salvia sp.

The only Salvia we saw. But a good one!

Silene thysanodes

I stumbled on only one plant of this catchfly--which was quite reminiscent of some of our alpine sorts and other Eurasian species--another temperate climate link

Stachys elliptica

Of course, dead nettles are common in South Africa--although the bulk of the genus is unquestionably Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian. But great to find a familiar face! We saw this several times--not rare!

Stelis galeata

Nothing like this in the temperate zone: huge clumps of orchids all over the bald, rocky hillside!

Stelis galeata

Not the showiest of orchids! But fun to find!

Stellaria recurvata 

Several similar caryophylls can be found all over the Northern Hemisphere--another of our "link" species..

Bromeliad

And then there were bromeliads--not just Puya: not something you'd stumble upon in the Rockies!

Tristerix longebracteatus 

I was familiar with this genus growing parasitically on columnar cacti in Chile--it is undoubtedly hosted by one of the plants it's grown on. A very beautiful parasite!

Vaccinium floribundum 

Almost looking like some Pacific Northwestern blueberries--this robust species grew everywhere, often a meter or more tall!

Vaccinium floribundum 

The fruit weren't quite ripe: I should have tried them anyway!

Valeriana microphylla 

There are amazing herbaceous valerians here. The genus seems much more polymorphic in South America--I don't know shrubby valerians in the northern Hemisphere (although there are plenty). This graceful shrub grew everywhere. Not the best of fragrances, incidentally

Valeriana microphylla 

Vallea stipularis

I was totally stumped by this plant--which suggested a pink Halesia. Turns out it's in the  Elaeocarpaceae--a family I've never heard of. Identified for me on a Facebook Plant Idents site my friend Janet Davis posted a stunning picture of it she took at RBG Kew.  

Werneria  (Rockhausenia) nubigena

I was shocked to see this famous Werneria is now being stuffed into a new generic name (I'm resisting). My friend and mentor Paul Maslin collected seed of Werneria--which did not thrive in Colorado. I found only one plant--and was happy to do that!

15,000' trailhead (with Barbara Young)

My friend and fellow traveler, Barbara Young, proving she made it to 15,000': our climb from here to base camp for climbing Cotopaxi at 16,000' was axed do to 80+ mile an hour winds and horizontal snow. Who knows what we might have seen and photographed had the weather been calm and clear: this Blog post would be far longer, that I'm sure of!

Beckoning the brave back to the safety of the van!

Senecio niveoaureus 

I can't leave the paramo without sharing this picture of what we supposed at first was an Espeletia: as it was, we never saw that mythical genus (it might have been along the highest part of the hike we never took on Cotopaxi): a bit of research revealed this is a native composite of the northern Andes--obviously cultivated at the elegant resort that was our home base. That's Jessie--one of our delightful hosts!

Closeup of this superb plant! The genus Senecio has a fantastic range of plant form...

Cotopaxi from the plane

The last glimpse of Cotopaxi from our airplane on our 32 hour trip home. A direct flight Quito-Denver would have only been five or six hours long...but we took a creative route from Galapagos--getting into and out of six boats, two or three buses, four plane departures and landings and quite a few hours sitting around two airports. Not that I'm complaining or anything!

It was worth it!

P.S. aside from the paramo, we spent time in and around Quito--which is in altogether a different ecosystem almost resembling chaparral), four days in the incredible cloud forest and of course the Galapagos--a mecca for all Darwinists [of which I am one]. The whole trip exceeded my fond expectations--my gratitude to Denver Botanic Gardens for making it happen, Sheridan Samano and Reefs to Rockies for mapping it out and our Ecuadorian tour company and leaders Antonio Jaramillo and Fabian Romero and my fellow tour travelers whose enthusiasm and company made the trip a hoot!