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| There's a cactus on my flag! | | October
28, 2002. | In his lofty work entitled "Historia
Antigua de México" (Ancient History of Mexico), Mexican historian
and religious man, Francisco Javier Clavijero (1731-1787), captured the adventure
lived by the ancient Mexicans who were looking for the sign the oracle had given
them with regard to the place where they should found their religious and cultural
capital, Tenochtitlán, known today as Mexico City. In the middle of a lagoon,
they came across a cactus growing out of a rock, with an eagle perched on it. In
this story that is so beautifully illustrated within the seal on this nation's
flag, the presence that stands out is that of a living being that gives color
and life to an extensive part of the nation's territory, and I am not referring
to the effigy of the eagle with which I have dealt in other columns. I am talking
about the enigmatic and lovely figure of the nopal (or prickly pear). The
nopal is one of approximately 2,000 species of Cactaceae or cactus that cover
nearly exclusively the ground of the desert and semi-desert regions of the American
continent. We say they are "nearly" exclusive to the New World because
one single species, commonly known as the "fingers of the dead", also
grows in equatorial Africa, Madagascar, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
Most surely, the seeds were transported to those faraway lands by the birds who
fed on their fruit. However, it was not the birds that
introduced these fabulous plants to the world, the one responsible was navigator
Christopher Columbus and his sailors who brought some specimens back with them
on their return voyage to Spain. For his part, German W. F. von Karwinski introduced
these organisms to various European countries and he was lucky enough to get the
weight of a cactus in gold for a plant he had collected in the Mexican states
of Querétaro and San Luis Potosí. Cactaceae
are succulents, i.e.: they have modified their tissues to store great quantities
of water. Their skin is waterproofed to the max to avoid the loss of liquids.
Also, they have transformed their leaves into spines to avoid sweating while protecting
themselves from herbivore animals that would devour them to obtain food from them,
and more importantly, water. Another adaptation cacti
have developed in order to survive in arid environments is the superficial layout
of their roots, which enables them to absorb the water molecules derived from
environmental humidity and especially nighttime dew. On
the other hand, their colorful flowers generally sprout from the stalk in an isolated
manner, emitting strong scents to attract pollinating agents such as hummingbirds,
bees, night butterflies and bats. At times, their blossoms are nothing short of
spectacular, and up to 100 flowers may bloom on a single plant overnight. Most
of the 850 species of cactaceae that inhabit our country are endemic (84%), a
fact that places it as the country with the greatest number of this group in the
world, with 42% of the total. Of these, some specimens such as the "cactus
cardón" or the "cactus saguaro" are giants among their type
as they reach heights of up to 20 meters (60'). And what is even more spectacular
is that the specimens that reach that size may be as old as 500 years. Cactaceae
not only embellish our landscapes, they also mark our culture by playing starring
roles in our culinary and magical activities. With regard to those that are important
as food, there are the nopal, whose stalks are consumed as a vegetable and whose
fruit, known as the "tuna", is eaten fresh, in syrup, (as a sherbet
at "Once Upon A Time…" here in Vallarta), as a drink and it is
also used to make wine, vinegar and cheese. The "tuna"
has a sweet flavor, but if the flavor of the fruit is acidic, it will be called
"xoconostle". This latter form has various medicinal uses, against coughs
and flu, and to control diabetes and high blood pressure. On the other hand, cactus
like "peyote" are used nowadays by the "Wixaritari" or "Huichol"
natives, an ethnic group that lives in northern Jalisco, southern Durango, eastern
Nayarit and southwest Zacatecas, as part of its rituals and pilgrimages in search
of altered states of consciousness that connect them with the magical world of
the spirits. The "exotic" shape of cactaceae
have turned them into coveted items for illegal trade as decorative ornaments.
Moreover, they have fallen victim to farming and ranching activities that have
destroyed their habitats. To date, we know of the extinction of about seven species
of cactaceae in Mexico, and Mexican laws have categorized 83 species as being
in danger of extinction to some degree or other. Fortunately,
our country has made great efforts to conserve its wealth of cacti. We should
point out the work done by various botanical gardens (that protect some 454 species)
wherein they hope to reduce their illegal cutting and make their sale legal and
profitable. Finally, we should remember that last September
27th, 2001, we lost the eminent Mexican cactologist, the best in the world, Dr.
Helia Bravo Hollis. During the nearly 100 years of her fruitful life, she devoted
herself to the study of this formidable group of plants that owe part of their
survival and well-being to the efforts made by Dr. Helia in getting to know them,
understand them, study them and spread this knowledge to every corner of the planet. cupul@pvmirror.com Archives
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