Did You Know? Trade in Mexico's cacti grew in the 1840s
A young Belgian botanist established a business exporting Mexican cacti to Europe back in the 1840s.
Prickly Pear Cactus Flower
Henri Guillaume Galeotti was born on September 10, ...
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Did you know? Mexico's Domesday Book
Mexico's equivalent of the Domesday book was compiled in the sixteenth century.
History shows that conquerors often have very little idea of what they have really acquired until it is firmly within th...
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Did You Know? Bouncing balls and Mexican ingenuity
Rubber balls wouldn't bounce very high if it wasn't for some Mexican ingenuity.
The Morning Glory
Ipomoea alba, the tropical white-flowering morning glory (moonflower or moon vine) is a perennial in ...
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Did You Know? Mexico's kapok trees aided the U.S. war effort
Mexican kapok trees once helped the U.S. war effort.
During the Mexican dry season, a peculiar and very distinctive leafless tree often attracts attention because it appears to have large balls of flu...
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Did You Know? - Castille Soap
From the late 17th century and throughout the 18th, Castille soap was the reigning soap of Europe. It surpassed even the French soaps that, at their peak, were considered supremely prized elements of t...
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Did You Know? - Henequen - Sisal
One of the greatest gifts the Indigenous peoples of Mexico shared with the world was their discovery and cultivation of natural fibers. One of these, henequén, continues to be used throughout the...
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Did you know? Many common garden flowers originated in Mexico.
Many common garden flowers were developed from samples collected in Mexico by a German botanist financed by Britain's Horticultural Society.
Karl Theodor Hartweg (1812-1871) came from a long line of g...
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Did you know? The first scientific account of Lake Chapala comes from 1839
The first detailed scientific account of Lake Chapala was written by Henri Guillaume Galeotti. It was based on a visit to Chapala in February-March 1837. The article was published first in French in 18...
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