Giant Cardon cactus seascape - Photos

Seascape with giant cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei), also known as Mexican Giant Cardon or Elephant Cactus. It is a species of cactus that is native to northwestern Mexico in the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, and Sonora. It is commonly known as Cardón, a name derived from the Spanish word cardo, meaning "thistle".The fruit of this cactus was an important food for the Seri people in Sonora, who call the cactus xaasj.The flesh of this cactus contains alkaloids, and may have been used as a psychoactive plant in Mexico.A symbiotic relationship with bacterial and fungal colonies on its roots allows P. pringlei to grow on bare rock even where there is no soil available at all, as the bacteria can fix nitrogen from the air and break down the rock to produce nutrients. The cactus even packages symbiotic bacteria in with its seeds.The cactus is growing on red volcanic ash and lava by the blue Sea of Cortez.