Croton monanthogynous
These days about the only plant flowering is Croton monanthogynous (Cm), one-seed croton, prairie tea, the most abundant dove weed in these parts.Cm is different from most of the crotons. For starters it only has two style branches. Its style is to produce one seed. Huh-huh. Also, Cm likes all soil, not just sand. The fact is, it may like clay better than sand. So in these parts, Cm is just about everywhere a weed can be.
The CB bar ditch seems like a good place for Cm. You may know that in the desert, the only green may be adjacent to the edge of the road. That’s where little weeds can catch run off from the pavement giving them an extra mouth full of cool water compared to unlucky weeds further off the pavement. That’s precisely what is happening here. The weeds right next to the street get a little more water. Whoa! Be careful. Some, reading the preceding might conclude, Well shitfire then, we need to pave next to all the plants. That way all the plants shall get plenty of cool water.
Mercy! Thus do we discover a root of Republican science or land management methodology.
The common name, prairie tea, would seem to indicate that a libation made from Cm may be drunk at least once. Perhaps the stove up among the pioneers, desperate for any solution, gulped down a pot or two of delicious prairie tea. I hope so.
Most ungulates generally dislike Cm. Cows and sheep, for example, eat it sparsely. I’m not sure about goats. Goats may eat it, then get sick. Or they may not get sick. Maybe they just get purged. Perrisodactyls also, don’t much like it. So don’t try to feed your pet donkey exclusively on Cm. Pigs may not eat it. I’m not entirely sure though. Pigs may eat some by accident. Camels, present in the Repulbic of Tejas during recent historic times, probably ate some Cm. However, no one really knows if they liked it. Also, no one really knows if Cm is actually good for camels. What about llamas? Is it too soon to know about llamas?
Then one day I had to take some left over tacos to the vet. My vet has this program where average pet owners may donate left over tacos. The left over tacos are then distributed to starving Chihuahuas. Anyway, while I was at the vet, one of the ranchers in these parts happened to bring in his pet scimitar-horned oryx. Yepper. I was up in front helping to weigh some recovering Chihuahuas when I heard that rancher cry out, Can you save my foundered oryx, son? He’s all I got. Then the vet replied, Maybe I can save your oryx this time, but you have got to keep your oryx away from that one-seed croton.
So we see that Cm may be OK for consumption by both people and many of our most important and easily recognized large ungulate style mammals. Or maybe not.
What about birds? One of Cm’s common names is dove weed. That particular common name may tell us something. And how about those rattites? Reckon those ostriches and emus like Cm? You bet they do, probably.
Many small yet handsome insects, particularly Diptera and also Hymenoptera, are attracted to the tiny flowers of Cm. Others, like me, may just like to hang out where there is plenty going on. Still others may be fixing to kill and eat someone else. Most of the action is in the morning. So don’t go expecting much excitement after dinner.
posted by ray pistrum at Tuesday, September 01, 2009
6 Comments:
Sorry, but was you point about fire ecology that fire is no longer a big deal?
Long ago I was informed that they started a fire at one of the local Nature Conservancy places to ensure anything that needed a fire to grow might be given a chance. However, no one could get emergency help because of all the calls to 911, so no more controlled burns for them. That would be evidence that fires on purpose are less important.
Perhaps (reminiscent of the 100 year flood plain) we may be in the 100 year fire plain. When is comes it will cause all the insurance people to head for Mexico.
PLR
Mostly, in these exercises I am talking to myself. My point is that fire has never been important in central Texas to the extent that fire is important in actual fire disclimax communities such as occur in California.
Therefore, I was attempting to satirize two groups; the fire ecologists whose solution to all perceived land management short comings is the controlled burn and those who have political motivations for propagandizing grasslands at the expense of woodlands.
I was led to believe that when the Spanish came, they reported that the hilltops were bare and the gullies had trees. The reason was that the Indians set fire to pave the way for grass which fed the buffalo.
Maybe that was south or west of here?
PLR
Texas roots: agriculture and rural life before the Civil War By C. Allan Jones, page 185 in Google books.
http://alkek.library.txstate.edu/swwc/cdv/further_study/artifacts_archeology.pdf, page 5
"In the final analysis, many more people are working to exterminate Juniperus ashei than to conserve it."
Yes. I too have heard lots of stories about the Indians burning up the woods. I have also heard stories about the Indians heading to the wooded hills to evade marauding white people.
In any event, there were, and still are, grass fires usually set by teenagers as opposed to Indians. Were/are they the sort of hot fires capable of limiting woody vegetation to slope gullies.
Hmm. That's an opinion I choose not to believe in. The humidty in these parts is/was too high compared to those humidities associated with true fire disclimaxe communities. However, given the interesting new, developing climate regime, that could change.
I look forward to planting an ocotillo in my front yard.
Thanks for your comments.
Ocotillo is a good one. Also, how about Opuntia imbricata?
Post a Comment
<< Home