Sandmat City! Sandmats: Euphorbia Spp.

My first sandmat was a Hoary Sandmat [thanks, Ellen5] north of the road at Dunbar Historical Lake, then another 2 spp., Hoary and Fendler's at Mackenzie Park north of the Farm implement museum [again, thanks to Ellen5 and Nathan Taylor for identification].

Euphorbia sandmats seemed if not rare at least uncommon. My impression. Boy was I wrong.

Today I found Sandmat City! At least the two species and perhaps a more pointy-leafed species, all together in one area. Let me tell you where it is. Park in the north Dunbar Lake parking lot. Cross the road to the mountain bike trailheads [don't step on the Escobaria!!]. Go near the Sunrise Canyon facility and turn right, taking the northern-most bike trail. Follow it more or less east until you come to a north-south bob-wahr ["barbed wire" to non-native Texans] fence. Along both sides of the trail for quite a distance south and east are a profusion of sandmats.

Now, WHY are they there? Nathan Taylor said they prefer alkaline, caliche soil. Well, the soil there is right next to a plowed field and is nothing like the caliche outcrops and cliffs where other sandmat was seen. Regular West Texas soil, such as it is. Why would seed dispersal favor that area?

Posted on April 25, 2018 12:44 AM by