Join Robert Kopfstein and Andy Siekkinen as they share details of their amazing, and sometimes harrowing, 4,000-mile adventure through 13 states in Mexico in search of Hechtia argentea.
This rare bromeliad was discovered in 1860 in a canyon north of Mexico City. The plant ended up in the Kew Gardens collection, winning Best in Show in Brussels at the Plant Exposition in 1864.
The purpose of the trip was to rediscover this iconic species and to study genetic diversity within its population. There appears to be much variation in this species, causing confusion among collectors (some have even discarded plants not thought to be the actual species). Another trip is planned to further study these plants before they report their findings to the World Bromeliad Conference in 2012.
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Yellow roads, by the way, refer to the secondary (rough) roads on maps of Mexico.
Registration is required by Nov. 17.
