Woody Minnich

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Wendell S. Minnich, better known as "Woody" Minnich (born 1947), is an American field explorer, photographer, grower, and lecturer primarily known for his extensive field documentation of cacti and succulents.

Contents

Early life

Born in Ohio in 1947, Minnich was raised in the Mojave Desert by his father, an outdoorsman and a rocket scientist involved in the development of the Sidewinder missile, and his mother, a painter. [1] He developed an interest in desert flora and fauna during the 1950s when his father would bring him along to the desert areas surrounding the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake. [1] [2] During college he would commute home through the Simi Valley, driving by a house with a cactus garden. Bill and Ellen Lowe, the owners of the house, gifted him his first plants and introduced him to the cactus scene in Baja California. [1]

Later on he was noticed by Werner Rauh, then Director of Heidelberg's botanical gardens, who introduced him to field research and invited him on his expeditions. [1]

Contributions

Cactus Data Plants

Since 1975, Minnich has operated the nursery Cactus Data Plants. Started as a way to sell extra stock from his collection, Cactus Data Plants has become known for catering to hardcore cactus growers, collectors, and botanical gardens in search of show specimens and rare cacti. [2] Its main focus has been on Ariocarpus , Astrophytum , Mammillaria , Gymnocalycium , Turbinicarpus , Melocactus , Copiapoa , Fouquieria , Pachypodium , Euphorbia , Cyphostemma , Adenium, and Adenia . [3]

In 1986, CITES and ESA protected species Aztekium ritteri and Ariocarpus agavoides were found on the premises of Cactus Data Plants. Minnich was indicted on federal charges of unlawful importation, [4] fined $2,500, put on supervised probation for five years, and had his car confiscated. [5]

The nursery moved in 2017 when Minnich relocated from California to New Mexico. Now located in Edgewood, it downsized to 1,200 square feet, and only sells via wholesale and at selected shows and clubs. [3]

Field documentation

Minnich is primarily known for documenting cacti and succulents in their habitats on more than 128 major trips around the world. [6] While the majority have been in Mexico, [7] he has also explored Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Madagascar, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, the United States, and Yemen. [6] [8] During his trips he claims to have discovered three major species of Mammillaria, including Mammillaria minnichii, found in Oaxaca, Mexico and named after him. [2] However, Mammillaria minnichii is a nomen nudum .

Lecturing

Minnich has lectured extensively at conventions, events, and organizations around the world. [9] His lectures focus on his field documentation and the importance of conservation efforts, as well as the threats posed by habitat destruction, climate change, and over-collection. [10] [11]

Selected photographic bibliography

His field photographs have been published in many books and journals, including:

  • Cactus and Succulent Journal (various issues)
  • Mammillaria: the cactus file handbook (Pilbeam, 1999)
  • Echeveria Cultivars (Schulz and Kappitany, 2005)
  • The New Cactus Lexicon (Graham and Hunt, 2006)
  • Copiapa (Schulz, 2016)
  • Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed (Cactus Store, 2021)

Awards and leadership

Minnich is an honorary life member of 9 clubs and a life member of the CSSA (Cactus & Succulent Society of America). Over the course of his career, he has covered many leadership roles at various organizations, including being President of the Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society [7] and co-creator and current president of the Santa Fe Cactus and Succulent Club. [6]

Personal life

Minnich lives with his wife in Cedar Grove, New Mexico. Together, they have 3 children: Leah, Denver, and Sarah Minnich. [3]

He is of German and 1/64 Sac and Fox heritage. In the 60s he played guitar in The Humane Society (band). [1] For over 32 years he worked as a secondary school teacher of Graphics, Art, and Architecture, until he retired in 2003. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cactus</span> Family of mostly succulent plants, adapted to dry environments

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrel cactus</span> Type of cactus

Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert.

<i>Mammillaria</i> Genus of cactus mostly from Mexico

Mammillaria is one of the largest genera in the cactus family (Cactaceae), with currently 200 known species and varieties recognized. Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico, while some come from the Southwestern United States, the Caribbean, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Venezuela. The common name "pincushion cactus" refers to this genus and the closely-related Escobaria.

<i>Ariocarpus</i> Genus of cacti

Ariocarpus is a small genus of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Cactaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cacteae</span> Tribe of plants

Cacteae is a tribe of plants of the family Cactaceae found mainly in North America especially Mexico. As of August 2018, the internal classification of the family Cactaceae remained uncertain and subject to change. A classification incorporating many of the insights from the molecular studies was produced by Nyffeler and Eggli in 2010. The main threats to cactus species are poaching, farming, mining developments, and climate change.

<i>Ariocarpus fissuratus</i> Species of cactus

Ariocarpus fissuratus is a species of cactus found in small numbers in northern Mexico and Texas in the United States. Common names include living rock cactus, false peyote, chautle, dry whiskey and star cactus.

<i>Kroenleinia grusonii</i> Species of cactus

Kroenleinia grusonii, popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law’s chair", is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico.

<i>Cochemiea dioica</i> Species of cactus

Cochemiea dioica, also called the strawberry cactus, California fishhook cactus, strawberry pincushion or fishhook cactus, is a cactus species of the genus Cochemiea. Its common name in Spanish is biznaga llavina. Temperature along with precipitation are consequential factors in distributing plant species.

The Cactus and Succulent Society of America (CSSA) is a horticultural society which is based in Pasadena, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert Garden Conservatory</span> Botanical greenhouse in San Marino, California

The Desert Garden Conservatory is a large botanical greenhouse and part of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, in San Marino, California. It was constructed in 1985. The Desert Garden Conservatory is adjacent to the 10-acre (40,000 m2) Huntington Desert Garden itself. The garden houses one of the most important collections of cacti and other succulent plants in the world, including a large number of rare and endangered species. The 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) Desert Garden Conservatory serves The Huntington and public communities as a conservation facility, research resource and genetic diversity preserve. John N. Trager is the Desert Collection curator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succulent plant</span> Plants adapted to arid conditions

In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntington Desert Garden</span>

The Huntington Desert Garden is part of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. The Desert Garden is one of the world's largest and oldest collections of cacti, succulents and other desert plants, collected from throughout the world. It contains plants from extreme environments, many of which were acquired by Henry E. Huntington and William Hertrich in trips taken to several countries in North, Central and South America.

<i>Mammillaria spinosissima</i> Species of cactus from Mexico

Mammillaria spinosissima, also known as the spiny pincushion cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, endemic to the central Mexican states of Guerrero and Morelos, where they grow at elevations of approximately 1,600 to 1,900 metres. The species was described in 1838 by James Forbes, gardener of the Duke of Bedford. Botanist David Hunt collected a specimen in 1971, when he located one near Sierra de Tepoztlan, Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psychoactive cactus</span> Cactus containing psychoactive chemicals

Many cacti are known to be psychoactive, containing phenethylamine alkaloids such as mescaline. However, the two main ritualistic (folkloric) genera are Echinopsis, of which the most psychoactive species occur in the San Pedro cactus group, and Lophophora, with peyote being the most psychoactive species. Several other species pertaining to other genera are also psychoactive, though not always used with a ritualistic intent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erich Werdermann</span> German botanist (1892–1959)

Erich Werdermann was a German botanist.

<i>Pelecyphora sneedii</i> Species of cactus

Pelecyphora sneedii is a rare species of cactus known by the common names Sneed's pincushion cactus and carpet foxtail cactus. It is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is a small, variable cactus with a lengthy taxonomic history, and is often subdivided into a number of subspecies or varieties. It is usually found on steep, rocky habitats, primarily of limestone geology, in desert scrub or coniferous forest. A species of conservation concern, P. sneedii faces threats from poaching, urban encroachment, and wildfires.

Robert Runyon was an American photographer, botanist, and politician who served as the mayor of Brownsville, Texas from 1941 to 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinrich Poselger</span> German botanist (1818–1883)

Heinrich Poselger was a German botanist who specialized in studies of succulent plants.

<i>Mammillaria bocasana</i> Species of cactus

Mammillaria bocasana is a species of cactus in the subfamily Cactoideae. It is often sold as a "powder puff" cactus, and also as a "Powder Puff Pincushion." The plant is protected from collecting in the wild in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon Rowley</span> British botanist and writer (1921–2019)

Gordon Douglas Rowley (1921–2019) was a British botanist and writer specialising in cacti and succulents.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Cactus Store (2021). Xerophile: Cactus Photographs from Expeditions of the Obsessed (Revised ed.). Ten Speed Press. pp. 331–333. ISBN   9781984859341.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Eryn (2005-09-29). "He knows their every spine". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  3. 1 2 3 "Thorny Issues" (PDF). Sacramento Cactus & Succulent Society. 57 (7): 2. July 2016.
  4. Palermo, Dave (1986-05-30). "Rare Plants From Mexico : 9 Indicted in Cacti Smuggling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  5. "Cacti Collectors Fined" (PDF). Traffic Bulletin. 8 (3): 35. 4 November 1986.
  6. 1 2 3 "Woody Minnich | March 1st Speaker". Gates Cactus and Succulent Society. 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  7. 1 2 Woody Minnich - Bromeliads in the Americas - Sept 5, 2015 - Part One , retrieved 2024-03-14
  8. "Inside the Indiana Jones-like World of Cactus Explorers". PBS SoCal. 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  9. "Brief Biography of Wendell S. (Woody) Minnich" (PDF). New Mexico Cactus Society. 2011.
  10. "THE XEROPHILE, April–June 2020" (PDF). Cactus & Succulent Society of New Mexico. 2020. p. 7.
  11. Minnich, Woody (2017). "Cacti and other Succulents of Mexico" via CSSA.