They're uniquely austere landscapes, in a famously austere region. Across the Chihuahuan Desert, exposures of gypsum create white dune fields, badlands, bleached hills, ridges and flats.

But that austerity conceals a surprise.

A half-century ago, botanists turned their attention to these pockets of harsh terrain – and began to find dozens of new plant species. Far from lifeless moonscapes, the gypsum outcrops are home to their own distinctive flora – unique, highly adapted plant communities.

Research on these “gypsophilic” plants continues. It's providing new insight into the fundamental mechanisms of evolution.

Texas' highest peaks rise dramatically ahead. The desert scr...