Cactus

The Howard Pyle Life (1853-1911)

“Everything must have a beginning." Howard Pyle life is quite interesting, which led to a great interest in tales of chivalry and adventure that later showed up in his...

Spotted Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma punctatum)

The spotted quail-thrush (Cinclosoma punctatum) is the largest and plumpest quail-thrush. This is the only one of its...

The Graceful Brolga: Discovering the Elegance of Australia’s Iconic Bird

There is no more stately Australian bird than the pale grey, long-legged Brolga (Grus rubicundus). It is known...

Mangrove Hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi)

Identification The Mangrove Hummingbird (Amazilia boucardi) is a medium-sized hummingbird, with green upperparts that grade to bronze on the...

Crimson-breasted Woodpecker: A Feathered Jewel of the Forest

Size: The crimson-breasted woodpecker or scarlet-breasted woodpecker (Dendrocopos cathpharius) is about 17–18 cm in length. Identification: The woodpecker has...

Polaskia chende (Roland-Gosselin) A. C. Gibson & K. E. Horak 1978

Polaskia chende looks like tree cacti, branching terminally to 4 m (13 feet) high with distinct trunks to 80 cm (31 in) high and...

Polaskia: A Tree-Like Cacti

Polaskia is named after Charles Polaski, an amateur American. In 1905, Robert Roland-Gosselin described two large cacti that grow in the dry, cactus-rich area...

Matucana intertexta

Matucana intertexta plants are usually solitary. The stunning flowers are oblique, pale orange to vermilion to scarlet, with violet margins, 7–10.5 cm (2.8–4.1 inches) long,...

Quiabentia (Britton & Rose 1923)

Within the genus Quiabentia, there are two species: one found in Brazil and the other in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. There was early and lingering...

Polaskia chichipe: Elegant cactus that resembles a columnar tree

Habitat: The Polaskia chichipe succulent cactus grows in xerophytic shrubland. Plants are treelike, branching more or less terminally to form distinct crowns up to...

Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelmann) Orcutt 1926

Description: George Engelmann named the barrel-cactus variation Ferocactus cylindraceus in 1853. This unusual cactus poses a threat to plant collectors due to its exquisite...

Ferocactus emoryi (Engelmann) Orcutt 1926

Family: Ferocactus emoryi is a species of the family Cactaceae in the order Caryophyllales. Genus: It is a barrel cactus in the genus Ferocactus. Habitat: Ferocactus...

Turbinicarpus knuthianus: A Masterclass in Cactus Elegance

Family: Turbinicarpus knuthianus is a species of the family Cactaceae. Altitude: About 1,700 meters above sea level. Scientific Name: Turbinicarpus knuthianus (Boedeker) V. John & Riha...

Matucana krahnii: Stunning little clustering cactus

Matucana krahnii is a species of matucana in the family CACTACEAE. There are more than five known locations in Peru where this cactus can...