<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Portraits of Wildflowers]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Steve Schwartzman]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/author/wordconnections/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Cholla and creosote]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg"><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="24096" data-permalink="https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/cholla-and-creosote/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314/" data-orig-file="https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg" data-orig-size="550,924" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Steven Schwartzman&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1412337245&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Steven Schwartzman&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;50&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}" data-image-title="Cholla Remains and Flowering Creosote 3314" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg?w=179" data-large-file="https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg?w=550" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24096" src="https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg?w=550&#038;h=924" alt="Cholla Remains and Flowering Creosote 3314" width="550" height="924" srcset="https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg 550w, https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg?w=89&amp;h=150 89w, https://portraitsofwildflowers.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/cholla-remains-and-flowering-creosote-3314.jpg?w=179&amp;h=300 179w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></a></p>
<p>In the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park outside Tucson on October 3, 2014, I was fascinated by the highly textured remains of this cholla cactus. I don&#8217;t know which species of cholla it was, but I do know that the plant with the yellow flowers behind it was a <a href="http://www.desertusa.com/creoste.html" target="_blank">creosote bush</a>, <em>Larrea tridentata</em>.</p>
<p>© 2015 Steven Schwartzman</p>
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