Mala Mujer or Cnidoscolus angustidens is an interesting plant in Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family. It’s found in southeastern Arizona and south into Sonora on rocky slopes from 2,500′ to 5,000′ in elevation. What makes it interesting, at least to me, are the green maple-like leaves covered in white dots that are actually little mounds, each holding up a stinging hair. They do sting and some folks have a bad reaction to the sting. As you can see from the photo I clasped the stems and yes I got stung (very cool!), but I didn’t a bad reaction. Sometimes native plant nurseries will have this Euphorb in stock, so it’s well worth asking your favorite nursery person if they grow it.
One of my favorite forests of chain-fruit cholla, also called jumping cholla, was in the desert on the north end of the Tortolita Mountains....
Petey is excited about old pack rat middens and talks about our local pack rat species, Neotoma albigula.
Bush Muhly is the species Muhlenbergia porteri. There are over 40 species of muhlys found in Arizona and across the southwest. It would be...
