Grassophilia

Phrysosoma cornutum

Why is this horned toad so happy? I know that's a terrible instance of pathetic fallacy on my part--but it was one of those luminous New Mexico days (few places are more wonderful to visit in September) with caerulean skies, gentle breezes and finding a Texas horned lizard (I still prefer the less accurate "toad") just added a dollop of extra delight...for us (if not for the seemingly cheerful lizard)
 

Sclerocactus papyracanthus

"Us" being Jan (my mate), Steve Brack and Rod Romero (Steve drove us to Belen and Rod the rest of the drive to find "Toumeya"--the former generic name for this remarkable cactus that has evolved to mimic dried prairie grasses.

I'll be sharing far too many pictures of this delightful plant (which I've grown--as you'll see in the very last picture of this post) but never seen in nature. Ironically, I've driven through its entire range (which is basically the entire Rio Grande valley in New Mexico, with some very sparse outliers in Arizona, the Big Bend of Texas and one location in Mexico.

This one is uncharacteristically separated from the bunch grasses it mimics, which give you a sense of its quiddity.

Here, more typically practically attached to a neighboring clump of grass.

This shows the swirling shadows of the papery spines.

Here nearby a large cow pie: I imagine plenty of these are crushed by herbivores.

More in grass...

And the final one...

There is an endemic Opuntioid that has similarly broad spines. Grusonia clavata shares almost the same exact range as Toumeya, and also has the broad spines--undoubtedly parallel evolution.

Grusonia can make enormous mats here and there in the Rio Grande valley.

And finally a picture I took years ago of Toumeya in my garden, in bloom! Alas, it only lasted a few years (Sclerocacti are often thought to be relatively short lived)--but what a stunning blossom!