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What kinds of flowers are you seeing?
by Rick LoBello
Now that we are getting some rain, I am sure that many of our readers are seeing more plants in flower. What kinds are you seeing? You can let us know by sending pictures to cdec.elpaso@yahoo.com or by posting pictures on our Facebook Page.
The Chihuahuan Desert is home to and estimated 3,500 plant species. A significant portion of these, approximately 25 to 30 percent, are found nowhere else on Earth. This makes it a unique and diverse ecosystem for plant life.
There is no one book that describes them all, but there are number of popular field guides. When I was working for the Carlsbad Caverns Guadalupe Mountains Association my good friend Steve West and I worked with Falcon Press in publishing a guidebook to Chihuahuan Desert wildflowers. Unfortunately, the book is out of print, but you can find copies online in a number of places. When I planned the field guide, I wanted to put together guidebook that could easily be used by the layperson. The first part of the book is about the common cacti and other succulents. After that the book is divided into sections by flower color followed by a section on trees, shrubs and other plants. Many of the photos I have taken over the years are included, plus photos from my good friend Betty Alex who has studied the plants of Big Bend National Park for decades.
