EPISODE #221: ‘MATERIA MEDICA’ ON THE DESERT TRAIL
Dr. John Milton Bigelow did not shy away from hard work or adventure. At the age of 46, he signed on as surgeon and botanist for the Mexican Boundary Survey, following the U.S.-Mexican War that fulfilled the gold-hungry manifest destiny of the Americans.
This expedition of discovery took him through the Chihuahuan, Sonoran and Colorado deserts, where he catalogued the great variety of desert plants along with several other botanists — including C.C. Parry, namesake of Parry’s Nolina. Bigelow has a similar nolina plant to his name, and both are known for their tall, cream-colored plumes of flowers that can reach a dozen feet into the sky.
New soundscapes by RedBlueBlackSilver. Written & hosted by Ken Layne. Thanks for supporting this advertising-free podcast at our Desert Oracle Patreon page. Tune your High Desert radio to 107.7 FM, Fridays at 10 p.m., or listen to the podcast now: