Roadside Stop
While in Joshua Tree we stopped abruptly in the middle of the road and pulled the Lata Gris into the gravel and La Cucaracha Blanca followed. We stopped for this dark green blob that laid halfway in the dirt and on the pavement road. It was Datura wrightii (Sacred Datura) growing recklessly on the side of the road. It was an impromptu stop that lead to us seeing some of my favorite things of our trip. I was amazed by the presence of the Datura since it was on my list of plants to find. It contains poisonous alkaloids yet its use has been documented in sacred rituals of indigenous cultures. I thought it was bizarre to see something so special to a culture growing so close to the road that ran through the natural landscape. Our finds didn't stop at the Datura, we went on to see Sarcostemma hirtellum (hairy milkweed) with soft pastel flowers. Seeing flowers at all was always a treat but being able to see something so intricate in the middle of the desert was extremely rewarding.
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