Friday adventure photo:

Rare Arizona Prickly Palm

Click for larger image

Desert life is fascinating, in the variety of ways that plants and animals have adapted to deal with the harsh environment.

• Dormant frogs survive buried underground for many months at a time.
• Flower seeds may wait years for the right rainfall conditions, then sprout, grow, bloom, and back to seed in a few weeks.
• Kangaroo rats manufacture their own water from eating dry seeds.

There also seems to be a preponderance of species that followed the “if you’re going to be mean to me, then I’ll be mean to you back” evolutionary path. Rattlesnakes, scorpions, and cacti are all in this category. If you’re walking through the desert, it pays to be careful!

This brings us to the unusual desert species shown above — the rare Arizona Prickly Palm. In this case, the plant has concentrated its sharp spines in small outgrowths that occur along the main trunk. This would appear to be an intermediate variation - it’s likely that as generations go by, the species will develop spines more widely distributed about the tree. Extremely rare, this specimen was spotted in Tucson, Arizona.

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Actually, everything above except the prickly palm is for real. Spadefoot toads really do stay buried for 10+ months of the year. (What a life!)

For a prickly pear cactus, the side of a palm tree is an unusual place to live, but seems an easier environment than many. The trunk of the palm will help trap some water, there’s little competition for resources, and you’re safely elevated above the javelinas (who adore munching on prickly pear fruit)!

You’ll see palm trees and prickly pears on our women’s trip to Sedona, Arizona, though they’re not apt to be together! You could even try eating cactus fries, or sipping a cactus margarita. Find out why the javelinas like these things!