In this land of little rain (a desert is defined by lack of precipitation rather than--as some people believe--heat), organisms often rely on a symbiotic relationship for their survival. In this instance (photo at left), I imagine that the windblown seed from a mesquite tree landed in the midst of this strawberry pitaya cactus and took root. The cactus would have provided shade for the young organism, and also water, which the cactus is expert at collecting.
Now that the young mesquite tree is leafing out, its canopy of leaves will provide shade for the cactus--preventing the loss of much-needed water from the cactus through evaporation--and the tree will help collect rainwater that both plants will need to survive.
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I've noticed this phenomenon in the land near our homes. Small pine seedlings will thrive amongst the scrub oak plants. I suspect that the scrub oak roots retain water and provide shade, allowing the pine to thrive. These small pine trees also seem to be healthier than trees that are not growing near/in a patch of oak. Perhaps there is something in the scrub oak that offers resistance to the scale that kill so many larger trees...
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