hu·mil·i·ty /(h)yo͞oˈmilitē/
Noun: A modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.
Gopherus agassizii- a little Buddha in a shell
That is what I experienced one day being out in the field waiting for a tortoise to pass out of the dirt road we were traveling on. The Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is a threatened and sensitive species in the Mojave Desert. We did not want to harass the tortoise, for it is unlawful to do so. And why bother a creature like that? They are adorable and could teach us humans a lesson in patience and humility.
I am collecting seeds for tortoise forage plants, and they eat some interesting vegetation. Would you like some desert trumpet (Eriogonium inflatum)? Or how about some small wirelettuce (Stephanomeria exigua)? Follow that with some tasty desert dandelion (Malacothrix glabrata) and voila! Tortoise dinner.
There are plants out here I am very fond of. One popular one is the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) and who would not like this plant? Dr Seuss could have thought up this plant in one of his books. Edward Abby had thoughts on yuccas too:
Yucca brevifolia
“Stepping carefully around the straggling prickly pear I come after a few paces over bare sandstone to a plant whose defensive weaponry makes the cactus seem relatively benign. This one is formed of a cluster of bayonetlike leaves pointing up and outward, each stiff green blade tipped with a point as intense and penetrating as a needle. Out of the core of this untouchable dagger’s-nest rises a slender stalk, waist-high, gracefully curved, which supports a heavy cluster of bell-shaped, cream-colored, wax coated, exquisitely perfumed flowers. This plant, not a cactus but a member of the lily family, is a type of yucca called Spanish bayonet.
Despite its fierce defenses, or perhaps because of them, the yucca is as beautiful as it is strange, perfect in its place wherever that place may be…” pg 25 Desert Solitaire
Langloisia setosissima ssp. setosissima- best dinkaphyte ever
I also like a few plants a friend termed as “dinkaphytes.” These teeny tiny plants require you to get down on your hands and knees to see them. My absolute favorite dinkaphyte is the liloc sunbonnet or Great Basin langloisia (Langloisia setosissima ssp. setosissima). This plant is the perfect combination of beauty and ferocity. I mean, look at those spines! It is lovely and rare- the perfect desert annual, and it fits in the palm of my hand.
“June in the Desert. The sun roars down from its track in space with a savage and holy light, a fantastic music in the mind… Springtime on the mountains. Summer down here.” p 82-3 Desert Solitaire
Apparently this spring has been kind to me with temperatures only breaking 100 F a few times in the past weeks. I have been spoiled with this cool spring, according to my co-workers at the BLM. They tell me not to worry, the heat will arrive soon. Yikes- I hope I am ready for it, I feel groggy at 80 F, let alone above 100 F. Was the desert a good choice in the summer? Only time will tell.
-Laney
