On the Trail of Oaxaca's Great Cacti

Author(s): David Yetman

Source: Cactus and Succulent Journal, 84(4):205-218.
Published By: Cactus and Succulent Society of America
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2985/0007-9367-84.4.205
URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.2985/0007-9367-84.4.205

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On the Trail of Oaxaca’s
Great Cacti
F
or the cactologist, a journey
to Oaxaca is nearly as impera-
tive as a pilgrimage to Mecca
for a Muslim or to Jerusalem
for a devout Christian or Jew.
The Mexican state of Oaxaca
is home to a greater variety
of columnar cacti than any
comparable area in the world. More than thirty
taxa are to be found, and with greater exploration
additional listings are bound to occur. If one can
devote four days to traveling within the state, it is
possible to see all or nearly all of those that have
been identified. The state boasts two areas of sheer
columnar heaven — La Cañada in the north and
the canyon of the Río Quiechapa to the east. Day
trips north to La Cañada (also known as the Valle
de Cuicatlán and the Cañon de Tomellín) and
east through the Río Quiechapa drainage to San
Pedro Totolapan are easily accomplished and are
guaranteed to leave the cactophile rhapsodizing.
A third journey — to the Pacific coast — requires
additional time and the columnar cacti, if equally
rich in taxa, are more dispersed.
Oaxaca’s abundance of columnars reflects its
tropical location, convoluted topography, and cli-
matic variation. These combine to produce a vast
array of habitats ranging from tropical rain for-
est to semi-desert, with dozens of variations in
between. Oaxaca is hardly a huge state — its area
is about the same as that of South Carolina. But
its geographical diversity and range of climates are
unparalleled elsewhere. The Pacific Ocean and the
Gulf of Mexico exert a powerful maritime influ-
ence, while Oaxaca’s mountain ranges create an
array of rain shadows and orographic rain sponges.
Its highest peak — in the Sierra Madre del Sur —
exceeds twelve thousand feet and several valleys
lie more than nine thousand feet below adjoin-
ing peaks and ridges. Two major ranges lie at odd
angles to the Sierra Madre and to each other, thus
creating a hodgepodge of climatic conditions and
producing an immense variety of ecological vari-
ables that might affect plant evolution.
2012 Volume 84 Number 4
DaviD Yetman
The Pacific coast of the south supports cactus-
rich tropical deciduous forest, while the northern
lowlands and the slopes of the lofty Sierra Juarez
facing the Gulf of Mexico support luxuriant but
cactus-poor mesophyllic tropical forest (at least
in those areas where it has not been cleared for
pasture). East of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec lie
the rainforests of the Region of Chimalapa and
the Zoque people. The vast, but well populated
pine-forested uplands of the Mixteca Alta in the
northwest seem surprisingly bereft of columnar
cacti, but give way suddenly to precipitous slopes
and canyons that harbor several unexpected spe-
cies. I always marvel at the sight of hundreds of
Mitrocereus fulviceps jutting quite noticeably and
exuberantly above the oaks, pines, and palms as the
rolling hills and meadows of the central plateaus
give way to the southern reaches of La Cañada.
The descent from those highlands or from the
Mixteca Alta on the west into La Cañada presents
a breathtaking panorama of great cacti, especially
the hosts of the massive Pachycereus weberi. Driving
through the cactus forests of the Río Quiechapa
east of Oaxaca City is equally astonishing.
The distribution of Oaxaca cactus species is
as varied as the number of taxa. Pachycereus pec-
ten-aboriginum grows in tropical deciduous for-
est along nearly all the Pacific coast and well into
some inland valleys, while the colossal Stenocereus
chacalapensis is confined to a radius of only a few
kilometers in tropical deciduous forest near the
coastal resort of Bahías de Huatulco. Pachycereus
marginatus, one of the most useful of cacti, appears
in nearly every habitat, whether naturally grow-
ing or cultivated for its straight branches, while
Polaskia chende, highly valued for its fruits, barely
creeps into Oaxaca from its miniscule range on
arid slopes in Puebla to the north. Recent plant
explorations show that M. fulviceps is far more
widely distributed than early publications reported,
while Polaskia chichipe remains confined to a small
region of southwest Puebla and northwest Oaxaca.
Most of the species listed here grow in locales
readily accessible from paved highways in the
205
206
Tehuacán
Puebla
Teotitán

Quiotepec San Juan Coyula

Santa Maria Cuicatlán
Ixcatlán

131
Veracruz
G 135

u
e
r Oaxaca Yagul
Mitla c
r
Matatlán h
e Oaxaca 131 i
r La Mata Cintalapa
a
O Sola de Vega
La Reforma
Guiengola 200 190
175 Juchitán P
San Pedro
map Legend Juchatengo Tehuantepec a
trip 1 — s
trip 2 — San Isidor Salina Cruz
200
trip 3 — Puerto Chacalapa
trip 3 — Escondido
(alternate return route)
Pochutla Huatulco
Puerto Angel
map 1. these three trips out of Oaxaca City will each take 1-2 days and will guide the traveller to almost all of the species of columnar cacti in the state of Oaxaca.

CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal

Highway numbers are indicated in pentagons. map by Dan mahr
1 Polaskia chende, Reyes metzontla, Puebla, near Oaxaca state line.
state. Locating two of the species, however —
Pachycereus grandis and especially Neobuxbau-
mia sanchezmejoradae — requires a considerable
investment of time and effort in the backcoun-
try. Having the opportunity to see each in habitat
justifies the investment. I include Polaskia chende
and Neobuxbaumia macrocephala, even though I
have never found either one growing in Oaxaca
(Figs. 1 & 2). Others have assured me they are
there and, given the proximity of their habitats to
the Oaxacan state line, they should be. Finding
them will require some trekking.
But here we are more concerned with where the
great cacti can be seen in Oaxaca. Any road leading
from Oaxaca City is bound to reveal Myrtillocactus
2 Neobuxbaumia macrocephala, Santiago acatepec,
Puebla, near Oaxaca state line.
2012 Volume 84 Number 4
geometrizans, Pachycereus marginatus, Stenocereus
pruinosus, S. stellatus, and S. treleasei (Fig. 3). For
viewing additional species, three “hot spot” loca-
tions stand out: Route 131 north of Oaxaca into
La Cañada, Route 190 east into the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, and Route 175 south to the Pacific
and east along the coast on Route 200 (Map 1).
This last route is a very winding, slow drive that
crosses the lofty Sierra Madre del Sur leading to
the Pacific coast and it should include an over-
night stay. Finally, the freeway (Highway 135)
connecting Tehuacán, Puebla, with Oaxaca City,
passes through sensational cactus country. Road
access to the wild and vast mountains with their
seemingly unending cover of cacti is difficult. To
view them up close you will need to travel on foot
or on a beast of burden. Sorry.
207
 For see-
ing cacti Trip Number One:
or wildlife La Cañada — The cactus route into the
in Oaxaca Valley of Cuicatlán
I strongly
recommend Route 131 exits the city to the north through
renting a Oaxaca’s rapidly expanding suburbs, finally arriv-
vehicle with ing in open country at the towns of El Huitzo
a driver. It and Telixtlahuaca. From there the highway ascends
costs only slowly and meanders through pine and oak-cov-
a s m a l l ered mountains — and frequently through fog
a m o u n t — twenty miles or so before slowly beginning its
more than descent into La Cañada, also known as the Val-
r e n t i n g ley of Cuicatlán, part of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán
a vehicle Biosphere Reserve. Even before the great val-
alone and ley comes into view, one can see the light green
makes life arrow-straight branches of multitudes of Mitro-
much more cereus fulviceps on the hillsides to the east (Fig. 4).
3 Stenocereus treleasei, ejutla, centralenjoyable and, Soon they appear on the western slopes as well.
valleys.
I think, safe. As the highway makes a steep descent into La
Renting a car and driver will minimize potential Cañada, a mirador or overlook provides a handy
insurance questions, remove problems with parking place to stop and see the M. fulviceps more closely
and leaving the vehicle, and provide the traveler and marvel at the thousands of Pachycereus weberi
with local knowledge, which is indispensable, both and other columnars in the valley below (Fig. 5).
for cactus hunting and security matters. Although Descending from the overlook, the highway enters
Oaxaca has been mostly spared the drug violence a mix of thornscrub and tropical deciduous forest.
that has beset other Mexican states, some areas are Here the discerning observer, although appropri-
prone to flare-ups, and a driver will know which ately overwhelmed by the majesty of the hundreds
areas are safe to visit and which may not be. In of P. weberi, can spot an occasional Isolatocereus
the thousands of miles I have traveled in Oaxaca, dumortieri as well as the far more common Piloso-
I have never encountered a problem. But I almost cereus chrysacanthus with its white-tipped branches
always have retained a driver. (Fig. 6). Quite abruptly the first skinny and tall
Neobuxbaumia tetetzo appears, not in great numbers
4 Mitrocereus fulviceps in habitat, southern La Cañada.

208 CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal

5 Cactus assemblage, southern La Cañada, including Pachycereus weberi, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, Escontria
chiotilla, and Stenocereus pruinosus.

as it will appear farther north, but clearly visible.
Farther on the valley floor are fine numbers of
Escontria chiotilla and Myrtillocactus geometrizans.
Stenocereus pruinosus, the common pitayo de mayo
dots the landscape and is especially common cul-
tivated in yards and pastures (Fig. 7). This land-
scape predominates as the highway parallels, then
crosses the Río Santo Domingo not far from the
delightful town of Cuicatlán, whose plaza contains
murals dedicated to the great cardón (P. weberi.).
Cuicatlán, named after the local Cuicateco
people and about a half mile east of the highway,
has several cafés and restaurants with abundant
rich Oaxacan food, but you still have many miles
of rich cactus-lined highways to traverse, so don’t
tarry. A few miles north of the turnoff to Cuicat-
lán a dirt road heads off to the left (west) to the
Mixteca Alta and the distant town of Santa María
Ixcatlán. Driving a few miles up the steep, winding
road will immerse the cactus pilgrim in fine groves
of Cephalocereus columna-trajani (and many other
taxa, Fig. 8). Back on the highway, roughly fifteen
miles north of Cuicatlán a dirt road leads abruptly
from the highway on the right (east) a few kilome-
ters to the village of Quiotepec. One-fourth mile
down this road grow the tallest and largest cacti I
have seen in Oaxaca. Drive slowly and with cau-
tion and look out to the right and see the giant

6 Pilosocereus chrysacanthus with Pachycereus weberi, Escontria chiotilla, and Myrtillocactus geometrizans,
southern La Cañada.

2012 Volume 84 Number 4 209

 P. weberi with a splendid mix of other columnars as well
growing on (Fig. 12). Although the highway usually has no
the sides shoulder, frequent pullouts allow passengers to
and near climb out (exercising great caution) and take in
the can- the majesty of these great forests. Those with a
yon bot- quick eye should find many Pachycereus hollianus
tom (Figs. (babosos) here as well (Fig. 13). These are not char-
9 & 10). ismatic cacti, but they are notable in their own
Climbing fashion. Don’t tarry too long, for lunch is waiting
downslope in the town of Teotitlán del Camino. You have to
to see the leave the highway there and enter the town to the
tallest ones right to find the restaurant called “Chips.” The
is tricky food is good, the beer is cold, and the locals are
(you will friendly and will be curious about just what in
get to see the world you are doing there. Hurry up, there’s
plenty of more to come.
other cacti At this point, you may find so much of your
7 Stenocereus pruinosus, central valley. in the pro- day gone that staying overnight in Teotitlán may
cess) but seem a good option. There are a couple of mini-
you will need to stand under the giants to appre- mally acceptable hotels, but lodging is better in
ciate their magnitude. If you have a few hours to Tehuacán. Whatever your choice, continuing north
spare, you can continue to drive on the dirt road, from Teotitlán the highway passes through seem-
heading straight rather than turning off to the ingly limitless cactus forests before entering the
town of Quiotepec (which is worth seeing in its broad Valley of Tehuacán in the state of Puebla.
own right) and climbing steeply for an hour or so To the east the hills are covered with impenetrable
to the town of San Juan Coyula. Just before you groves of Neobuxbaumia tetetzo. On the pediments
reach the town you will spot a sensational grove below, where they have not been cleared to plant
of tall cacti on your left. These are Oaxaca’s own sugar cane, are handsome forests dominated by
Pachycereus grandis (Fig. 11). P. weberi, M. geometrizans, and several other spe-
Returning to the pavement on the turnoff to cies (Fig 14). Unfortunately for the cactus lover,
Quiotepec, continue north. The highway passes access to these dense groves is cut off by a com-
through a cactus wonderland. Vast groves of N. plex of sugar cane fields and reaching the cactus
tetetzo (tetechos) and a good sprinkling of Cephalo- forests requires a local guide. Wandering about
cereus columna-trajani (viejitos) cover the hillsides, inside the groves is worthwhile but hazardous,

8 Cephalocereus columna-trajani looking down on San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán from the west.

210 CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal

due to the myriad spines of the cacti and
the vicious thorns of the ubiquitous “stay a
minute” bush, Mimosa luisana.
If it is late afternoon by now, it’s prob-
ably best to spend the night in Tehuacán,
Puebla so that you can enjoy the return trip
by the toll highway (Route 135). However,
if you wish to return to Oaxaca that night,
look for the linking road to the toll highway,
Route 135, to the west upon arriving at the
outskirts of San Sebastián Zinacatepec. The
connecting route passes through San José
Miahuatlán and several other small towns,
each with an endless succession of topes (speed the congested streets
bumps), and you will have to ask directions to of the city and into
the autopista at least twice, but after a half hour the rich valley farm-
or so you will reach the toll highway that returns land of the Zapotecans
to Oaxaca. Once you are on the freeway heading that has supported the
south, watch for the cactus forests to the west. cities for several thou-
As you enter the mountains you will cross a lofty sand years. In addition
and majestic bridge. Now is the time to sit up to the common colum-
straight and look to the right (west) up into the nars, fine examples of
vast slopes of the Sierra Mixteca. Forests of mil- Myrtillocactus schenckii
lions of tetechos soften those hills as far as the eye can soon be spotted
can carry. To the left (east), up the steep hills are along the highway
nice groves of Escontria chiotilla. It’s now a two- on the hillsides on
hour ride back to Oaxaca, and unless you spent the north side, espe-
the night in Tehuacán, part of it will be after dark. cially in the vicinity
Fortunately for you, the best of the forest is behind of Yagul archaeolog-
you and your hotel room will be beckoning and ical site. Traffic thins
your hosts offering mezcal and rich Oaxacan mole. out considerably east
of the Mitla turnoff 9 & 10 Pachycereus weberi,
Trip Number Two: and slows to a trickle Quiotepec.
Oaxaca-Tehuantepec Highway past Matatlán. Some
(route 190) travelers fancy snagging a bottle of mezcal at one
of the rustic distilleries along the way. East of
The Pan American Highway leads east out of Matatlán, food and gasoline are scarce until you

11 Pachycereus grandis near San Juan Coyula, eastern slopes of La Cañada.

2012 Volume 84 Number 4 211

 12 Forest of tetechos (Neobuxbaumia tetetzo), Calipan, Puebla, near Oaxaca state line.
arrive at Tehuantepec, a couple of hours distant.
Just east of Matatlán the highway begins a
descent from the central valleys into the semiarid
canyon country. Numerous plants of the handsome
Pilosocereus quadricentralis show up on the hill-
sides, the points of white on their branches giv-
ing away their presence (Fig. 15). Tall and stately
Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum also appear, strange
as it may seem, along with increasingly common
skinny Neobuxbaumia tetetzo (tetechos) (Figs. 16 &
17). As the highway winds down closer to the Río
Quiechapa the numbers and varieties of columnars
become overwhelming. Here are towering tetechos,
very tall, skinny brujos (Cephalocereus totolapensis,
Figs. 18 & 19) and many Escontria chiotilla, look-
ing very dark against the hillsides (Figs. 5 & 20).
The assemblage and the numbers of plants here
are the stuff of cactologists’ dreams. You will be
compelled to stop and gawk. Beware the narrow
highway and only stop at genuine pull-offs.
As the countryside becomes more tropical, very
large plants of Stenocereus pruinosus become com-
mon, indeed. An emerald green giant with many
dozens of branches near the town of La Reforma
is Myrtillocactus schenckii, vastly larger and darker
13 Pachycereus weberi and P. hollianus, northern La
Cañada.
212
in color than the plants in the valleys above (Fig.
21). As the road reaches the isthmus and straight-
ens, the limestone range called Sierra Guiengola
looms on the left (north). Park the vehicle and
approach the steep, rocky slopes gingerly to find
Cephalocereus apicephalium and Neobuxbaumia tetetzo
var. nuda on the mean, sharp slopes (Fig. 22). You
will be scraped by limestone, punctured by cactus
and thornscrub and perhaps stung by nettles for
your efforts, but all is worthwhile.
A late afternoon lunch in Tehuantepec will
allow you time to return to Oaxaca by dark (not
30
a good idea). Or spend the night in Tehuantepec
or Juchitán, a half-hour north, which has a bet-
ter hotel. The second floor of the market in the
very Indian city of Juchitán specializes in fine
embroidered Tehuana textiles and gold jewelry,
so be forewarned. From there continue north-
east to the Isthmus, where, to the north of the
hamlet of La Mata you can find Neobuxbaumia
scoparia on rocky slopes and Cephalocereus nizan-
densis on limestone outcroppings (Fig. 23). In the
thornscrub near Juchitán Pachycereus marginatus
apparently grows uncultivated, a possible hint to
14 Myrtillocactus geometrizans, near state line with
Puebla. Smaller cactus to the left is Pachycereus
hollianus.
CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal
 15 16
15 Pilosocereus quadricentralis, near San Pedro totolapa.
Quiechapa.
30
18 19
18 & 19 Cephalocereus totolapensis, San Pedro totolapa.
chiotilla in the foreground, San Pedro totolapa.
its evolutionary origins. Farther east, near the
state line with Chiapas after a delightfully tropi-
cal drive, are large plants of Stenocereus laevigatus.
A possible extension of this trip is to continue
south of Tehuantepec to Salina Cruz (instead of
returning to Oaxaca City by the same route) and
thence southwestward along the Pacific coast on
Route 200 to Bahías de Huatulco, with the option
of returning to Oaxaca by Route 175 through
Pochutla or 131 from Puerto Escondido. Both
are very winding roads but penetrate fine cactus
country. Descriptions of this route will be included
in trip number three.
2012 Volume 84 Number 4
17
16 & 17 Neobuxbaumia tetetzo, La Reforma, Río
20
20 Cephalocereus totolalpensis with Escontria
Trip Number Three:
Oaxaca and the Pacific Coast
Day One: Routes 131 and 200.
Get an early start from Oaxaca City for this
journey, with the numerous stops you will arrive at
Puerto Escondido on the Pacific Coast late in the
afternoon. I strongly recommend that you employ
a local guide in Oaxaca to accompany you. Local
knowledge is irreplaceable on this trip.
From Oaxaca City, take Hwy 131 south toward
Puerto Escondido. The first 100 kilometers pass
through delightful rural Oaxacan peasant country
— a place of cactus orchards, agave plantations, and
213
 21 Myrtillocactus schenckii, La Reforma, Río
Quiechapa.
the fields of corn and beans of indigenous peas-
ants. Indeed, this journey takes us to the heart of
Oaxaca Indian country, from the Zapotecs of the
valleys to the Chatinos of the mountains above
the Pacific, and finally to the Chontales along the
coast. Fences and orchards of Stenocereus stellatus,
S. pruinosus, and Pachycereus marginatus, and can-
delabra trees of Myrtillocactus geometrizans dot the
landscape as the highway weaves in and out of
the pastoral landscape (Figs. 24 & 25). At Sola de 22 Neobuxbaumia tetetzo var. nuda. Limestone, Sierra
Vega I recommend you pick up a bottle of mez- Guiengola, isthmus of tehuantepec.
cal tobalá, which many experts believe is Oaxaca’s
finest, distilled from the endemic Agave potato- not, I repeat, do not drive after dark.
rum. South of Sola, especially around San Pedro
Juchatengo you will see Neobuxbaumia tetetzo in Day Two: Routes 195 and 200.
numerous locations. If you keep your eyes peeled
to the left and somewhat behind the vehicle, you This is the day to watch for very tall cacti,
may catch sight of a sensational crestate tetecho. including at least two undescribed species (per-
At the same time S. cf. pruinosus plants appear haps as many as four), one of Neobuxbaumia, one
near the roadside, some of them extremely large of Stenocereus. East of Puerto Escondido you will
(Fig. 26). Whether or not they are a new species pass by some dreadful deforestation — ancient
is the object of conjecture and a reputable cac- forests felled and the cleared area seeded with
tologist can help answer the question. buffelgrass for pasture. Once east of the turnoff
The highway now enters Chatino country, moun- on the right to Puerto Angel, fine specimens of
tainous terrain with frequent chapels by the road- Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum show up on hill-
sides. Usually you will encounter processions or sides, sometimes in the company of very tall cacti
caravans of pilgrims on their way to pay homage with obvious connections to the genus Stenocereus,
to the Virgin of Juquila, Oaxaca’s most prominent
manifestation of the Virgin Mary. Most Oaxacans 23 Cephalocereus nizandensis, limestone outcrop east
have made the pilgrimage at least once. The traffic of La venta, isthmus of tehuantepec.
can get strange and prudent speed will probably
result in increased life span. Be vigilant for pil-
grim buses and vans and for large columnar cacti,
especially in the vicinity of San Pedro Juchatengo.
Gradually the elevation decreases, the landscape
takes on a more tropical aspect, and the tempera-
ture and humidity skyrocket. Much of the former
cloud forests and tropical deciduous forest have
been cleared, but there is still plenty to see, and
ample exotic birds to peer at. With luck, you will
arrive at Puerto Escondido, with its long list of
hotels, before dark. Or you may wish to venture
east to Puerto Ángel, with its intimate bay. Do

214 CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal

24 Orchard of Stenocereus stellatus, Sola de vega.
similar to S. pruinosus, yet sufficiently different
to warrant their own taxon. Nearing Bahías de
Huatulco National Park the tropical deciduous
forest becomes thicker (more protected) and new
species appear, including the rather small Pilosocer-
eus purpusii (Fig. 27), an undescribed Neobuxbau-
mia (Figs. 28 & 29), and yet another undescribed
Stenocereus (Fig. 30). You can find expensive and
luxurious hotels in abundance in Huatulco. More
frugal but quite satisfactory lodging and good res-
taurants are available in the hotel workers’ town of
La Crucecita. Visiting the resorts of Huatulco is
worthwhile, especially because some of the streets
are lined with transplanted Neobuxbaumia sp. and
one can view them without the need of scram-
bling up scree and being attacked on the thorny
and spiny hillsides.
East of Huatulco the highway winds through
a very hilly landscape of marvelous (and rather
25 new fence of cuttings from Pachycereus margin-
atus, el tule, central valley.
2012 Volume 84 Number 4
impenetrable) tropical deciduous forest. Very large
columnar cacti abound, many of the aforemen-
tioned undescribed species. But now you must be
on the lookout. About twenty kilometers to the
east of Huatulco, somewhere west of the turnoff
to the remote village of San Isidro Chacalapa a
magnificent and massive Stenocereus chacalapensis
(named after the village) looms atop a roadcut on
the north side of the highway (Fig. 31). No pull-
off or shoulder is available on the narrow, steep
highway, so you will have to park some distance
away and walk up or down the highway to view
the giant (there are several smaller plants adja-
cent to it). Be extremely careful — vehicles come
speeding along and there is no shoulder and the
26 Stenocereus cf. pruinosus, ejutla, central valleys.
this tree harbored a huge hive of wasps.
215
 27
27 Pilosocereus purpusii, Bahías de Huatulco. 28 & 29 Neobuxbaumia, undescribed species near Bahías de
Huatulco.
drivers seem an unsympathetic band of psycho-
paths. The edges of the roadway slope quickly into
V-shaped concrete drainage ditches. The sides of
the ditches harbor loose gravel and it is easy to
slip and fall and damage one’s body. The danger
and precarious footing are worth the closeup view
of the giant cactus, but, believe me, approaching it
is a hazard. This is no joke. A few more plants are
visible on the dirt road to San Isidro Chacalapa,
but much of the land along that road has been
cleared. The most visible plant is that enormous
individual towering over the highway.
At this point one can continue northeast to
Salina Cruz and thence by a rather fast highway
back to Oaxaca City, roughly a three hour drive,
or return to Pochutla and ply north by Route 175
into the Sierra Madre del Sur, a seven hour drive.
At the time of this writing, a new, faster freeway
connecting Oaxaca City and Bahía de Huatulco
was under construction at enormous cost and
with the destructive power of an army of bull-
dozers and a host of salivating developers, loggers,
and poachers. East of Salina Cruz live the Huave
people, who harvest small shrimp and dry and salt
them. The Huave language is a linguistic isolate,
meaning it has no known connections.
Oaxaca has many other routes for cactus dis-
covery and these are only the most notable. For a
perspective on where cacti are waiting to be dis-
covered, trace these routes on a map of the state
and observe the proportion of Oaxaca not covered
by these travels. Many cactus adventures await us.
216
28 29
30 Undescr
31 Stenocere
Columnar cacti of Oaxaca Huatulco.
Unless otherwise noted, the locations listed are
representative but not exclusive sites.
Cephalocereus apicephalium — Common on the lime-
stone slopes of Sierra Guiengola, north of highway
west of Tehuantepec.
Cephalocereus columna-trajani — Common on dry hillsides
north of San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán in La Cañada.
Cephalocereus nizandensis — Grows only on limestone
outcroppings, Isthmus of Tehuantepec east of La
Venta and north of La Mata.
Cephalocereus totolapensis — Common in canyon coun-
try of Río Quiechapa near San Pedro Totolapan on
the Oaxaca-Tehuantepec Highway.
Escontria chiotilla — Cosmopolitan. Especially abun-
dant in La Cañada and along Río Quiechapa east of
Oaxaca City along Highway 190.
Isolatocereus dumortieri — Large, spreading plants (easily
mistaken for P. weberi) growing on slopes along High-
way 190 southeast of Huajuapan de León (Fig. 33).
Mitrocereus fulviceps — Cosmopolitan above 1300 m
elevation in dry valleys, abundant and numerous on
the southern slopes of La Cañada. Common above
the range of P. weberi.
Myrtillocactus geometrizans — Cosmopolitan in the
central valleys.
Myrtillocactus schenckii — Common on hills near Yagul
and Mitla archaeological sites; abundant on pedimen-
tal slopes above San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán. Very
large plants grow near La Reforma, east of Totolapan
on the Oaxaca-Tehuantepec highway.
Neobuxbaumia macrocephala (?) Expected near the state
line with Puebla northeast of Huajuapan de León.
Not visible from highway in Oaxaca.
CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal
 Neobuxbaumia mezcalaensis — A single-stalked columnar cactus. Very
tall individuals grow in ravines a few kilometers north of Huajuapan
de León on the east side of Highway 190 (Fig. 34).
Neobuxbaumia sanchezmejoradae — Found only on limestone outcroppings
and cliffs in the vicinity of Santiago Nuyoo, a very remote Mixtec vil-
lage in the Mixteca Alta, accessible from a side road that departs to the
southeast some 10 km southwest of Tlaxiaco on Highway 125 (Fig. 35).
Neobuxbaumia scoparia — Robust plants grow along the Trans-Isthmus
Highway (185) near the town of La Mata northeast of Juchitán in the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Neobuxbaumia sp. — Multi-branched plants common on volcanic sub-
strate near Bahías de Huatulco on the Pacific coast.
Neobuxbaumia sp. — Single-stalked plants common on limestone near
Santiago Astata southwest of Salina Cruz on Highway 200.
Neobuxbaumia tetetzo — Huge numbers blanket hillsides in parts of La
Cañada, above the Río Quiechapa (Highway 190) and, in lesser num-
bers, near Sola de Vega (Highway 131). Also found near Hierve el Agua.
Neobuxbaumia tetetzo var. nuda — Found only on limestone slopes of
30 Sierra Guiengola west of Tehuantepec, north side of highway.
Pachycereus grandis — In Oaxaca, found only in the vicinity of the remote
village of San Juan Coyula, on winding dirt rode east of Santiago Qui-
30 Undescribed Stenocereus, Bahías de
otepec, off Highway 135.
Huatulco.
31 Stenocereus chacalapensis near Pachycereus hollianus — Common though nondescript on lower slopes
and valley floor of the northern reaches of La Cañada north of Cuicatlán.
Bahías de Huatulco.
Pachycereus marginatus — Cosmopolitan and ubiquitous, planted for fences.

31 Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum — Common on the Pacific coast into dry

interior valleys. Found near Totolapan.
Pachycereus weberi — Ubiquitous and charismatic in La Cañada.
Polaskia chende (?) — To be looked for on dry slopes southeast of Hua-
juapan de León. Easily found near Reyes Metzontla, Puebla.
Polaskia chichipe — Dry slopes southeast of Huajuapan de León, some-
times sympatric with Isolatocereus dumortieri.
Pilosocereus chrysacanthus — Common in La Cañada.
Pilosocereus quadracentralis — Abundant on hillsides on the Oaxaca-
Tehuantepec highway between Matatlán and San Pedro Totolapan.
Pilosocereus purpusii — Common, though elusive in tropical deciduous
forest along the Pacific coast.
Stenocereus chacalapensis — Very uncommon, range highly restricted.
Large plants grow on the highway west of the turnoff to the village of
San Isidro Chacalapa, east of Bahías de Huatulco, Pacific coast. One
huge plant grows on a road cut above the highway.
Stenocereus laevigatus — Tropical lowlands east of the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec.
Stenocereus pruinosus — Cosmopolitan throughout the state; varied in
appearance.
Stenocereus stellatus — Commonly planted for fences and orchards in
the central valleys and environs.
Stenocereus treleasei — Abundant in the central valleys; cultivated near
the parking lot of Monte Albán archaeological site.
Stenocereus sp. — Very tall, vertically branched plants scattered but rath-
er common on the Pacific Coast, noteworthy in the vicinity of Bahías
de Huatulco.
Stenocereus sp. — Large, spreading cacti with hundreds of branches
twisting in all directions. Notable in cleared pastures near Ejutla, on
Highway 175 south of Oaxaca City.

2012 Volume 84 Number 4 217

 32

34
37
32
31
Isolatocereus dumortieri (top),
Highway 190 south of Huajuapan de
35
León. the inconspicuous columnar
cacti on the ridge in the extreme upper
left hand corner appear to be Polaskia
chichipe.
33 Undescribed Neobuxbaumia sp. (cen-
ter) on limestone near Santiago astata,
Pacific coast.
34 Neobuxbaumia mezcalaensis (left),
Highway 190 north of Huajuapan de
León. Plants in excess of 20 m tall grow
in the vicinity.
35 Neobuxbaumia sanchezmejoradae
(right), Santiago nuyoo.

218 CaCtus aNd suCCuleNt JourNal