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January 4, 2010 : Hechtia texensis
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Plant Family / Families: Bromeliaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Hechtia texensis S. Watson
Institution: University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
Name Location: Berkeley, California, United States of America
I was happy to find some images that reminded me of fireworks to start the New Year. Big thanks to Jim, aka J.G. in S.F.@Flickr of San Francisco, California for today's photographs (original image 1 | original image 2 | BPotD Flickr Pool). Given that this is also a season of colds, I'm also amused to voice the word Hechtia with an overemphasized Germanic pronunciation (I amuse easily), though I note some places suggest the pronunciation is instead heck' tya. I think the former is more correct, though (perhaps without the overemphasis), as the genus is named after Julius Gottfried Conrad Hecht, a 19th century German counselor to the King of Prussia. When scientific names are based on a person's name, my understanding is that the correct pronunciation reflects the way one would say the person's name.
The epithet texensis reveals part of the distribution of this species. Found in southwest Texas and south into northern Mexico, Texas false agave is one of five species in the genus Hechtia that extend beyond Mexico's borders (the other 45 or so are endemic to Mexico). A close relative, Hechtia glomerata, is the only other species found north of the USA-Mexico border, though it is widespread and its range extends outside of Mexico into Central America.
Hechtia texensis is a terrestrial bromeliad, forming a caudex to aid in its survival within dry, limestone, rocky habitats. For additional photographs, see Hechtia texensis from the Texas Native Plants Database and the USDA PLANTS database: Hechtia texensis (the latter has a good shot of a plant in habitat). For a scientific description, see the Flora of North America account: Hechtia texensis.
Photography resource link: The photography of the UK-born Swedish photographer Struan Gray might intrigue some of you (I particularly like his Tanglings set). Struan also has a weblog, Twiglog, though the last entry was in June.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at January 4, 2010 4:30 PM
Comments
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Posted by: Betsy Ann Baker at January 4, 2010 5:14 PM
Looks like a dyckia to me. Very cool pics. These are the dickens to divide.
Posted by: Nancy at January 4, 2010 5:16 PM
Wonderful plant photo, and great photography link -- Thank you, and Happy New Year.
Posted by: Mary Ann, in Toronto at January 4, 2010 5:25 PM
Daniel - tell your pronunciation rule to fans of the genus Fuchsia! *grin*
Posted by: Eric in SF at January 4, 2010 5:32 PM
So glad to have you back, and what a wonderful New Year photo! You're so clever.
Posted by: annie Morgan at January 4, 2010 5:36 PM
Yes, I think it would be a hard sell: Fuchsia Pronunciation.
Posted by: Daniel Mosquin 
at January 4, 2010 5:36 PM
hopeful new year! what a way to return - thanks!!! a little other wordly......
Posted by: Quin at January 4, 2010 5:37 PM
very beautiful!
Posted by: Daniel at January 4, 2010 5:41 PM
Wow! F*A*B*U*L*O*U*S !
Posted by: Terri Shane at January 4, 2010 6:06 PM
Thank you Daniel, and Happy New Year! That is,
新年快乐!
Posted by: Keith at January 4, 2010 6:09 PM
happy to have you back daniel
gaudeamus igitur 2010 here we are
handsome photos the links quite good
check out the new copy of audubon
special issue photo awards issue
really great photos for you to see
the 5th being th un start of bio day birds day
i think you wrote you would be takeing part?
in the year ahead bon bon daniel
Posted by: elizabeth a airhart at January 4, 2010 7:07 PM
Wonderful photography! All the very best for
2010.
Posted by: Linda Allan at January 4, 2010 11:47 PM
A beautiful plant, and such a contrast to our exceptionally snowbound landscapes in Scotland just now. Thanks and HNY!
Posted by: Mandy Macdonald at January 5, 2010 1:43 AM
A very Happy New Year to you and a million thanks for your efforts to cheer all of us up with the very interesting and sometime very funny pictures and comments.
Posted by: Irma at January 5, 2010 2:37 AM
Happy New Year to all Plant people.
Posted by: marjorie lacy at January 5, 2010 4:16 AM
As a German, I have to say: WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?? :):)
I usually break my tongue trying to pronounce a clearly German word the American way.......
and of course the picture is gorgeous, though it still doesn't quite make up for the lack of fireworks in my neck of the woods.
Posted by: Susanne at January 5, 2010 6:13 AM
Happy New Year! ^-^
Posted by: Joyce at January 5, 2010 6:18 AM
Awesome! Very fireworks like!
Posted by: SoapySophia at January 5, 2010 8:04 AM
I love the succulent bromeliads! They do have nasty spikes though, and are painful to work with. This one is gorgeous. Welcome back Daniel! Thank you for the beautiful picture. It brightens up the winter gloom.
Posted by: lisa at January 5, 2010 8:31 AM
Bless you & Gesundheit!!
Posted by: Kasey at January 5, 2010 8:35 AM
Great pictures! Have a happy new year, and to all following here too :)
Posted by: Carolina at January 5, 2010 9:03 AM
Hooray for BPOTD!!! Happy new year!
Posted by: Christie at January 5, 2010 11:32 AM
Gorgeous! Looks like little fireworks. They would be fun to paint:*)
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Years!
(2010 already. Wow!)
Posted by: MercyJoy at January 5, 2010 4:15 PM
Perfect for the New Year. Welcome back, really been missing your terrific posts. Thanks for spoiling us.
Posted by: Susan Hall at January 5, 2010 6:35 PM
I'd already made that photo a favourite from the pool. I hadn't connected it with the new year, but the blast did knock my socks off.
Thanks too for the link to Struan Gray's site. His writing on the Sand Boils page has a lot to think about. Funny juxtaposition in moods though, the day's photo and Struan's photos.
Posted by: Wendy Cutler 
at January 6, 2010 1:27 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
WOW! I would have been happy for anything from BPotD, but this! Glad you're back,my thanks and happy New Year.