Crested Saguaro

Carnegia gigantea (Englem.) Brit & Rose forma cristata, better known as a crested saguaro is a rarity, occurring only once in every 250,000 saguaro.

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/learn/nature/why_crested.htm

The cause of the mutation is not definitively known, with some biologists professing it is the result of a genetic mutation and others believing it is the result of either a lightning strike or a hard freeze.

Whatever the cause, the result is eye-catching, even to desert rats like myself who see saguaro cacti daily.

I find this one I came across a few years ago particularly humorous. I’ll leave it at that …

http://www.MarthaLochertPhotography.com

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