FLORA
FLORA
AND
Y FAUNA
Área de
Punta
Prieta
Punta
area,
Prieta,
Cochimí
desierto
Desert,
Cochimí,
Baja
California.
Baja California.
Photo: José
Foto:Delgadillo.
José Delgadillo.
Foto: Verónica
Photo:
VerónicaMeza.
Meza.
Photo: José Delgadillo.
Foto: Verónica
Photo:
VerónicaMeza.
Meza.
The Boojum tree is a plant with a restricted (and thus
endemic) distribution in the peninsula of Baja California,
a small portion of Puerto Libertad (Sierra Blanca) in Sonora and Ángel de la Guarda Island. However, the greatest density area is right in the middle of the peninsula,
from the south part of El Rosario, Baja California to the
northern slopes of the Tres Vírgenes volcano, in Baja California Sur. This arid region has an average of 73 to 140
mm of annual rainfall, mainly from January to April and
less rainfall between August and September. Miguel del
Barco (León-Portilla, 1988) referred to this plant as “a type
of fleshy vegetable, a tree that is not found in another
part of America or elsewhere in the world, not even in
California.”
The Boojum tree is part of a type of vegetation called
sarcocaulescente (Succulent stems), and it is associated
with the following species of plants: Baja elephant tree
(pachycormus discolor), Mexican giant cardon (Pachycereus pringlei), ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Adam´s
tree (Fouquieria diguetii), datilillo (Yucca valida), creosote
bush (Larrea tridentata) and a wide variety of cactuses
and agaves. In addition, this species is associated with an
epiphytic plant called ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) and
hanging lichens such as the Ramalina menziesii (Lace Lichen), mainly in areas near the Pacific coast populations
that present high humidity.
Valle de
Valle
losde
Cirios,
los Cirios,
Baja California.
Baja California.
Photo:
Foto:
AlanAlan
Harper.
Harper.
JUNE 2016
7