Natures Clues

[Hal Croves]

I read that early Spanish explorers searched for specific plants that's were said to grow near or on heavily mineralized areas. What are these plants and how is this possible?

Look for:
1. Pine trees that are stunted and produce no cones.
2.
....
Any help would be appreciated?

 

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[chlsbrns]

There are a lot of plants that grow in soils containing specific minerals. Horsetail grows in gold rich soils. Of course it also needs water. Horsetail can contain ounces of gold per ton of plant.

There is a list of plants and what metals they absorb at:

List of hyperaccumulators - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Hitndahed]

Hey chlsbrns,,,

I NEVER knew this tidbit..I had read somewhere that certain plants were used in environmental remediation, but I would have never thought about plants being an "accumulator" for heavy metals like gold.

THANKS

Hit

 

[chlsbrns]

If you search google you should find some articles.

 

[Hal Croves]

Hey chlsbrns,,,

I NEVER knew this tidbit..I had read somewhere that certain plants were used in environmental remediation, but I would have never thought about plants being an "accumulator" for heavy metals like gold.

THANKS

Hit

On a side note I just read that rice is a great absorber of the arsenic that was once used to protect southern cotton fields. Export rice.




Ok.
These plants are called indicators. Thank you for helping with my growing list!
Horsetail

Desert Trumpet - delange.org
Eriogonum inflatum, Buckwheat Family: ( Polygonaceae ), Also known as Umbrella Plant, Bladder Stem, Indian Pipe Weed, or Guinagua.

The swollen stem makes this an unusual and easily remembered plant. The swelling is said to be caused by irritation from a moth larva that lives inside the hollow stem; this claim by Stone and Mason (1979) to the larval feeding of gall insects, is not supported by the scientific evidence. Greenhouse studies have shown that stems of this and other species in the genus inflate without the presence of any insects.

NOTE: Just about every gold prospector in Arizona knows that GOLD IS OFTEN FOUND IN THE GROUND WHERE THIS PLANT GROWS! We do prospecting and have found gold near this plant!

The very tiny yellow flowers are often not even noticed except in years of unusually favorable rainfall when thousands of these tiny flowers give a yellow glow to the desert. 2005 was such a year.

Height: Up To About 3 Feet Tall.
Flowers: Flowers yellow with green or red midribs, 1/8 inch, densely hirsute with coarse curved hairs; perianth lobes monomorphic, narrowly ovoid to ovate. Stamens exserted, 1/16 - 1/8 inch; filaments sparsely pubescent to glabrous. Achenes lenticular to trigonous, light brown to brown, 1/8 - 3/16 inch, glabrous.
Blooming Time: March - June, Also Sometimes In September - October.
Leaves: Leaves basal; leaf-blades oblong-ovate to oblong or rounded to reniform, 1/2 - 3 inches × 1/2 - 2 1/2 inches, short-hirsute on both surfaces, sometimes less so to glabrous adaxially; margins occasionally undulate; petioles 1/4 - 2 1/2 inches, hirsute. Flowering stems erect, to 4 feet, often inflate , occasionally hirsute basally. Inflorescences cymose, open, 1/8 inch, occasionally with inflate branches; bracts 3, scalelike, 1/32 inch. Peduncles filiform to capillary, erect, straight, 1/32 - 1/16 inch. Involucres turbinate, 1/64 inch wide; teeth five, 1/64 inch.
Found: Arizona.
Elevation: 0 - 6600 Feet.
Habitat: The desert environs, where it occupies open, gravelly, rocky areas and roadsides.

Cactus Barrel - delange.org
Barrel Cactus. Ferocactus wislizenii, Cactus Family ( Cactaceae ), Barrel Cactus. Also called Arizona Barrel Cactus, Candy Barrel Cactus, Fishhook Barrel Cactus, Visnage Compass, Barrel Cactus, Wislizenus's Barrel Cactus, Biznaga, Bisnagre.

The plant leans toward the sun and thus turns south. It has the name Compass Plant because of that tendancy. Several desert plants have the same tendancy.

The plant is filled with a slippery alkaline solution instead of water. I tried it and it tastes awful. The fruits attract insects and rodents. The pulp can be used for cactus candy. There are three species in Arizona.

Cactus thorns are modified leaves. Their shape conserves water and adds protection to the cactus plant.

Height: Up To About 11' tall. Most are 2' to 3' Tall.
Stem: Up to 2' in diameter consisting of an interior framework of about 20 - 30 or more woody ribs supports the spongy tissue.
Flowers: Yellow, Orange, Red. About 2 1/2 -inch-wide flowers bloom during April - August. Day blooming, forming a crown of flowers on top of the cactus.
Flowering Time: April - August.
Fruit: The fruit is up to 1 3/4"X 1 3/8" in diameter, it is yellow and fleshy, it later dries becoming scale looking and brown.
Thorns: Gray to Red in Color, forming dense clusters along the ribs. They are large and slightly hooked.
Found: Lower Elevations of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California. Also Sonora, Mexico. On sandy desert, and gravel slopes in the deserts and grass lands.
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Elevation: 600 - 4,500 Feet.
Habitat: On sandy desert, and gravel slopes in the deserts and grass lands. Common xeriscape landscape plant.

Clover
Mustard?

 

[chlsbrns]

Clover, mustard

 

[sgtfda]

I read that early Spanish explorers searched for specific plants that's were said to grow near or on heavily mineralized areas. What are these plants and how is this possible?

Look for:
1. Pine trees that are stunted and produce no cones.
2.
....
Any help would be appreciated?

Trumpet plant like those next to goldfield mines

 

[Hal Croves]

Trumpet plant like those next to goldfield mines

Seems to be the most identified one. Eriogonum inflatum.

I am looking for one that is low growing, light green, almost moss like. I have not been able to id what I am looking at. In the Sups, it seems to grow on western facing walls. Not even sure if its an "indicator" plant.

 

[roadrunner]

I went with Kazcoro here from Tnet with our MDs, told him about the desert trumpet, and a week later he found a little placer where some where by a wash.

 

[rodoconnor]

Manzanita grows in heavy minerals

 

[Azquester]

There is a computer program that shows all the veins running underground through out Arizona. It uses a certain type of environment for processing this information but it works quite well. You can follow veins right to the mines or just follow them for miles and see where they lead. I use it quite often for my prospecting. I believe maybe the early Spanish had something to do with it. look very closely right above the road and almost parallel to the road. Your going to see Manzanita bush and some other light green plant's that make a line following the vein. Very hard to see but someone I assume the Spanish planted those along the veins.

Bill


View attachment 1130636

 

[Cubfan64]

There is a computer program that shows all the veins running underground through out Arizona. It uses a certain type of environment for processing this information but it works quite well. You can follow veins right to the mines or just follow them for miles and see where they lead. I use it quite often for my prospecting. I believe maybe the early Spanish had something to do with it. look very closely right above the road and almost parallel to the road. Your going to see Manzanita bush and some other light green plant's that make a line following the vein. Very hard to see but someone I assume the Spanish planted those along the veins.

Bill


View attachment 1130636

Do you think someone specifically planted the mesquite there, or did the mesquite just naturally preferentially grow in the mineralized area?

Could you share that program, or how to get access to it? It sounds very useful and interesting.

 

[Azquester]

Do you think someone specifically planted the mesquite there, or did the mesquite just naturally preferentially grow in the mineralized area?

Could you share that program, or how to get access to it? It sounds very useful and interesting.

Why Yes Cuban and Howdy.

The Program, and I'm not being a smart ass, is just plain old Google Earth satellite images. You'll have to get real close above the ground to see it by zooming in and you can't see it in any years prior to 2011 the last year of the drought we've been experiencing for a decade.

It only works at that time because that was when Google Earth went to high resolution images by satellite and it only works on a certain type of image with the right lighting. You'll find them all over once you lock onto one you better follow it because you can loose the line of plants real easy. At first I thought it was where they stitched the images together but once I found the seams and these lines of plants were not the seams I went out into the desert to verify the plants lined up on the veins. I started in an area I could drive to and sure enough these lines of plants go write to the mines and mining area's. So now I can just look for the plants and follow them but since we have no more drought it's almost impossible with all the greenery. They break and dip sideshift and curve but you can tell it's a copper bearing mineral under the plant lines. I don't know if the plants were put there on purpose by the Spanish but since we've all heard stories of it I assume this to be the answer. It could just be the drought doing it's damage but I believe the stories about them planting certain types of foliage are very true.

I didn't know if anyone else had spotted this but since we're no longer in those conditions what the heck I figured why not tell everyone and let them follow the copper gold veins to the Dutchman.

I already did.

(Joking)

I've seem them on photo's Hal and others have posted from Google.

You guys enjoy the hunt.

Bill

PS This image was taken from the Superstitions and those veins run all over in there. They're also in southern Arizona.

 

[Hal Croves]

Why Yes Cuban and Howdy.

The Program, and I'm not being a smart ass, is just plain old Google Earth satellite images. You'll have to get real close above the ground to see it by zooming in and you can't see it in any years prior to 2011 the last year of the drought we've been experiencing for a decade.

It only works at that time because that was when Google Earth went to high resolution images by satellite and it only works on a certain type of image with the right lighting. You'll find them all over once you lock onto one you better follow it because you can loose the line of plants real easy. At first I thought it was where they stitched the images together but once I found the seams and these lines of plants were not the seams I went out into the desert to verify the plants lined up on the veins. I started in an area I could drive to and sure enough these lines of plants go write to the mines and mining area's. So now I can just look for the plants and follow them but since we have no more drought it's almost impossible with all the greenery. They break and dip sideshift and curve but you can tell it's a copper bearing mineral under the plant lines. I don't know if the plants were put there on purpose by the Spanish but since we've all heard stories of it I assume this to be the answer. It could just be the drought doing it's damage but I believe the stories about them planting certain types of foliage are very true.

I didn't know if anyone else had spotted this but since we're no longer in those conditions what the heck I figured why not tell everyone and let them follow the copper gold veins to the Dutchman.

I already did.

(Joking)

I've seem them on photo's Hal and others have posted from Google.

You guys enjoy the hunt.

Bill

PS This image was taken from the Superstitions and those veins run all over in there. They're also in southern Arizona.

Bill,
Very curious. There is also another phenomenon on GE that I have found an can not explain. Have you noticed the lines of green and red dots that run through the SWA imagery? Only visible in certain imaging years but it's there.

 

[coazon de oro]

I read that early Spanish explorers searched for specific plants that's were said to grow near or on heavily mineralized areas. What are these plants and how is this possible?

Look for:
1. Pine trees that are stunted and produce no cones.
2.
....
Any help would be appreciated?

Howdy Hal,

I would like to add what the Chinese looked for, they went by some quotes of a 7th century book that read: "If upper soil contains cinnabar, the lower will contain gold." "If in the mountain grow spring shallots, there will be silver under the ground, if leek in the mountain, gold."

In the National Archives in Washington D.C., the first documented gold find in California was made in 1841 by Francisco Lopez in Placerita Canyon about 35 miles North of L.A. He has found a field of wild onions, and after pulling one, he noticed gold clinging to the roots.

The late Jim Hatt, and Kurt Painter found wild onions growing in the Superstitions while searching for Jessie, this was at the base of Tortilla Mountain. I don't mean to create a gold rush, but save me some if you don't get run over.

Homar

 

[chlsbrns]

Big sagebrush and four-wing saltbush have been used as indicator plants for gold. Sagebrush does not directly absorb gold, but rather arsenic and antimony in its twigs and stems, elements linked with Carlin-type gold deposits.

 

[Azquester]

Bill,
Very curious. There is also another phenomenon on GE that I have found an can not explain. Have you noticed the lines of green and red dots that run through the SWA imagery? Only visible in certain imaging years but it's there.

Explain in detail please Hal.

It's obvious though that these are cactus and bushes. I've seen them up close and followed those lines tripped over a few and spend many days and night's spray painting them for the satellite to see. Unless I'm following the nasty puke trails of some college fraternity I think I just struck green gold! Never mind those empty spray cans all over the Sups I'll pick them back up I swear I will!

Seriously we must all take a look.

Sorry these anomalies are very real it's really to bad since the drought is gone we can't verify it here in Arizona as those same bushes and cactus's are now all dark green again. I guess we could wait until the next drought but we have the photo's so why not use them don't discourage the people on here from using this valuable tool. If your not sure or you think that during a drought or drought conditions these plants don't turn these colors you've never been to the heart of New Mexico during those drought years you could see this on the ground in a massive scale and in person, I was there to see all of it Treasure Hunting.

Bill

 

[Hal Croves]

Explain in detail please Hal.

It's obvious though that these are cactus and bushes. I've seen them up close and followed those lines tripped over a few and spend many days and night's spray painting them for the satellite to see. Unless I'm following the nasty puke trails of some college fraternity I think I just struck green gold! Never mind those empty spray cans all over the Sups I'll pick them back up I swear I will!

Seriously we must all take a look.

Sorry these anomalies are very real it's really to bad since the drought is gone we can't verify it here in Arizona as those same bushes and cactus's are now all dark green again. I guess we could wait until the next drought but we have the photo's so why not use them don't discourage the people on here from using this valuable tool. If your not sure or you think that during a drought or drought conditions these plants don't turn these colors you've never been to the heart of New Mexico during those drought years you could see this on the ground in a massive scale and in person, I was there to see all of it Treasure Hunting.

Bill

Bill,
Unfortunately, I would only disappoint you if I were to attempt to explain it in detail. It could be an anomaly, it could be the image seams (doubtful), or it could be something unexplainable. These lines of green and red dots do have some connection to places that I consider "relevant" to the stone maps and that absolutely has me scratching my head.

Wouldn't it be funny if somehow, the sensor in the GE satellite was unknowingly able to record veins of mineralized material..... Not very realistic however.

This is the only sample that I have on my mobile. Obviously, I added the red & green arrows which point to the corresponding dot colors. I did not alter the image, or add anything other than the arrows. Many examples but only in specific imagery years.

Any guesses?

 

[Azquester]

Bill,
Unfortunately, I would only disappoint you if I were to attempt to explain it in detail. It could be an anomaly, it could be the image seams (doubtful), or it could be something unexplainable. These lines of green and red dots do have some connection to places that I consider "relevant" to the stone maps and that absolutely has me scratching my head.

Wouldn't it be funny if somehow, the sensor in the GE satellite was unknowingly able to record veins of mineralized material..... Not very realistic however.

This is the only sample that I have on my mobile. Obviously, I added the red & green arrows which point to the corresponding dot colors. I did not alter the image, or add anything other than the arrows. Many examples but only in specific imagery years.

Any guesses?

Don't scratch Hal,

It's something I've known about for a while I didn't know if anyone else knew. These red and green plants either had someone put them there or the slight changing of color by the faults and veins is a natural occurrence during stress. Either way these Google Satellite images of plants veins lead to mines. This whole thing reeks of De Re Metallica. If they used slave labor to dig down and find the rock faults then plant the cactus and manzanita bushes or creosote that would be awful hard. I suspect their knowledge of plants helped them find the Gold veins and we are all in the dark about this method. It's very hard to follow these on the ground unless maybe I could use my Drone. It would be easier to follow the plants if you were on Horse back.

But whatever they are I'm no expert on plants. Maybe we need one? I guess their method of prospecting could teach a modern Geologist and all of us something we never knew.

We need to study plants!

Drought can make the unseen visible and....

Know your plants and find the gold!

 

[Cubfan64]

I think the very first thing that should be done is to walk the location by foot and see if what's seen in person matches what's shown on Google Earth. Whatever the season is that the GE image is taken is the same season someone should walk to those locations and see what's there.