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diff --git a/old/53432-0.txt b/old/53432-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 381a115..0000000 --- a/old/53432-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4680 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Flowers of the Southwest Deserts, by Natt N. Dodge - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Flowers of the Southwest Deserts - -Author: Natt N. Dodge - -Illustrator: Jeanne R. Janish - -Release Date: November 9, 2016 [EBook #53432] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - FLOWERS _OF THE_ - SOUTHWEST DESERTS - - - By Natt N. Dodge - Drawings by Jeanne R. Janish - - SOUTHWESTERN MONUMENTS ASSOCIATION - POPULAR SERIES NO. 4 - - Globe, Arizona - 1954 - - _Copyright 1951, 1952, 1954 - by the Southwestern Monuments Association_ - - - U. S. Department of the Interior - National Park Service - Southwestern National Monuments - Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona - - -This booklet is published by the Southwestern Monuments Association in -keeping with one of its objectives, to provide accurate and authentic -information about the Southwest. - -Other numbers of the Popular Series now in print are: (2) “Arizona’s -National Monuments,” 1946; (3) “Poisonous Dwellers of the Desert,” in -its fourth printing, 1951; (5) “Flowers of the Southwest Mesas,” 1951; -(6) “Tumacacori’s Yesterdays,” 1951; (7) “Flowers of the Southwest -Mountains,” 1952; and (8) “Animals of the Southwest Deserts,” April, -1954. - -A Technical Series will embody results of research accomplished by the -staff and friends of Southwestern National Monuments. - -Notification of publications by the Association will be given upon date -of release to such persons or institutions as submit their names to the -Executive Secretary for this purpose. - - - Dale Stuart King, _Executive Secretary_ - Harry B. Boatright, _Treasurer_ - - - BOARD OF DIRECTORS - - John M. Davis, General Superintendent, Southwestern National - Monuments, National Park Service, Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona, - _Chairman_ - Horace M. Albright, New York City. - Adrey E. Borell, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. - Dr. Harold S. Colton, Flagstaff, Arizona. - Dr. Emil W. Haury, Tucson, Arizona. - Rev. Victor R. Stoner, Victoria, Texas. - Alexander V. Wasson, Santa Fe, New Mexico. - Executive Secretary _and_ Treasurer, _ex-officio_ - - - DALE STUART KING, Editor - Naturalist, Southwestern National Monuments - - First Edition, 5,000 copies, published April 9, 1951 - Second edition, revised, of 7,500 copies, January, 1952 - Third edition, revised, of 10,000 copies, March, 1954 - - Printed in the United States of America by - Rydal Press, Santa Fe, N.M. - - [Illustration: Map] - - _1. Big Bend National Park_ - _2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park_ - _3. Casa Grande National Monument_ - _4. Chiricahua_ “ “ - _5. Death Valley_ “ “ - _6. Joshua Tree_ “ “ - _7. Montezuma Castle_ “ “ - _8. Organ Pipe Cactus_ “ “ - _9. Saguaro_ “ “ - _10. Tonto_ “ “ - _11. Tumacacori_ “ “ - _12. White Sands_ “ “ - _13. Lake Mead Nat’l Recreation Area_ - -Desert Areas of the West—this booklet deals with the common plants of -three of them: (1) the Chihuahua; (2) the Sonoran; and (3) the Mojave. - -Plants of the higher plateau country of from 4,500 to 7,000-feet -elevation are shown and described in “Flowers of the Southwest Mesas,” -companion volume to this one, by Pauline M. Patraw and Jeanne R. Janish, -1951. - -Mountain zone vegetation (from the Ponderosa Pine belt, or about 7,000 -feet, on up) is the subject of “Flowers of the Southwest Mountains,” the -third of the triad, by Leslie P. Arnberger and Jeanne R. Janish. - - - - - FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS - - - By Natt N. Dodge - Drawings by Jeanne R. Janish - - - - - HOW TO USE THIS BOOKLET - - -In order that you may get full value from this booklet, it is important -that you understand how to make the greatest use of it. The purpose of -the booklet is double: (1) to introduce the common desert flowers to -newcomers to the Southwest; and (2), to give a little background of -information about the plants’ interesting habits and how they have been -and are used by animals, by the native peoples, and by the settlers. -Every effort has been made to present accurate, if not always complete, -information. - -Since there are more than 3,200 plants recorded from Arizona alone, and -this booklet attempts to introduce you to the common plants of desert -areas in Texas, New Mexico, and California in addition to Arizona, it is -apparent that you will find an enormous number of flowers which are not -included. Therefore, a painstaking effort has been made to select the -commonest or most spectacular; that is, those which you will naturally -stop to look at and say, “Who are you?” - -For ease in identification, flowers are arranged in this booklet -according to color of the flower petals. When you meet a flower to whom -you would like an introduction, first note the color of its petals. -Don’t jump too quickly to a conclusion, for what at first glance may -seem to be pink, careful examination may prove to be lavender, violet, -or purple. Once you feel reasonably sure of the color, turn to the -section of the booklet in which flowers of that color are listed and -examine the sketches. Find something that looks similar? - -Now check the size of the plant as indicated in the sketch and text. -Does the text list the flower as occurring in the particular desert area -(see map on next page) where you are? Is the blossoming season correct? -Do other details check? If so, the chances are that you have the right -flower—or at least a close relative. Close enough, anyway, so that you -may be reasonably safe in calling the flower by its common name. Of -course if a botanist happens along, he may point out that you have -_Penstemon parryi_ whereas you thought you had struck up an acquaintance -with _Penstemon pseudospectabilis_. However, it’s a penstemon, even tho’ -a sister of the one you thought you were meeting. Perhaps you’ll run -across a dozen other brothers and sisters before you happen onto the -member of the genus common enough to be listed specifically in our -Desert Who’s Who. - -Certain of the desert flowers change color with age. Also, during off -seasons, some of the really common flowers don’t show up in large -numbers while a few of the rarer ones may take their turn at brightening -up the desert. Furthermore, in a few cases such as the Oleander, the -species comes in two colors, red flowers on one plant and white on -another. The Bird-of-Paradise flower has yellow petals, but the rest of -the flower is red, so it’s a toss-up which color you might call it. The -Beavertail Cactus has magenta flowers while those of its very close -relative, Engelmann’s Prickly Pear, have yellow blossoms, yet in this -booklet it has been necessary to put them both on the same page in the -“yellow” section. - -So, this booklet makes no claims to perfection, and these discrepancies -add certain hazards to the game. You may strike out several times before -getting to first base. As you become accustomed to using the booklet, -home runs will come more frequently, and you will soon begin to have a -lot of fun. If any particular species especially interests you, once you -are certain of its identity you can readily find out more about it by -following up in one or more of the publications listed in this booklet -under the heading “References.” - -A few of the common desert flowers have been left out of this -booklet—purposely. The reason is that, although they are well -represented among desert flowers, they are even more common throughout -non-desert parts of the Southwest. You will find them all in a companion -booklet: Polly Patraw’s “Flowers of the Southwest Mesas.” They belong -principally to the following groups: Cottonwood, Rabbit-brush, -Snakeweed, Saltbush, Apacheplume, Clematis, Squawbush, Blanketflower, -Sunflower, Groundsel, Elder, Blazing Star and Morningglory. - - - - - PLANT NAMES - Be Serious About Plant Names—But Not Too Serious - - -It has often been said that “a rose by any other name would smell as -sweet.” Although the statement is literally true, we are often -disappointed, perhaps offended, when we find some flower friend of long -acquaintance called by another, and, to our minds, inferior name. Also, -we dislike the attachment of a name which we have long associated with a -certain plant to another, and perhaps less attractive, flower. - -Common names are by no means standardized in their usage, and a well -known plant in one part of the country may be called by an entirely -different name somewhere else. Also, certain names are applied to a -number of plants which more or less resemble one another. For instance, -the name “Greasewood” is applied to almost any plant that has oily or -highly inflammable leaves; and with the avid reading by eastern people -of Zane Grey’s and other “westerns,” any shrubby plant with grayish -foliage covering large areas of western land immediately becomes -“Sagebrush.” This is particularly irritating to inhabitants of the -desert areas treated in this booklet because true Sagebrush (_Artemisia -tridentata_) rarely grows below elevations of 6,000 feet. The loose -application of common names is a confusing annoyance to wildflower -enthusiasts. - -In an effort to avoid this confusion and to establish a method of naming -that will be uniform throughout the world, botanists have developed a -system using descriptive Latin names and grouping plants into genera and -families based upon their relationships to one another as determined by -their physical structure. Unfortunately for the layman, this system is -so technical and the Latin names so unintelligible that he becomes -completely bewildered. Furthermore, advanced botanical studies result in -continual regroupings and changes in names so that the amateur botanist -finds it impossible to keep up. Botanists who specialize in plant -nomenclature have a tendency to become so involved with the -technicalities of naming that their writings bristle with minute -descriptions of anatomical details and the reader searches in vain for -such basic information as a simple statement of the color of the -flowers. - -The majority of common flowers have several to many common names. This -is particularly true in the Southwest where some plants have names in -English, Spanish, and one or more Indian languages. In addition, of -course, each species has its scientific name. An effort has been made in -this booklet to give as many of the names applied to each selected -flower as are readily available. This not only aids in identifying the -plant, but adds to its interest. The reader then finds himself in the -enviable position of being able to scan the field and choose whichever -name appeals to him with the reasonable assurance that he is right—at -least in one locality. - -Since this booklet was written by a layman for the use and enjoyment of -other laymen, it violates a number of botanical, or taxonomic, -principles. These violations have been committed with no spirit of -disrespect, but in an effort to avoid confusion, conserve space, and -keep a complicated and involved subject as simple as possible. The -writer believes that the visitor to the desert who has a normal pleasure -in nature is interested in the flowers because of their beauty and their -relationships with other inhabitants of the desert, including mankind. - - - - - THE DESERT—WHAT AND WHERE IS IT? - - -In this booklet we are dealing with DESERT flowers, so it seems logical -to take a moment to check upon the desert itself. What is a desert, and -how may we recognize one when we see it? - -“A desert,” stated the late Dr. Forrest Shreve, “is a region of -deficient and uncertain rainfall.” Where moisture is deficient and -uncertain, only such plants survive as are able to endure long periods -of extreme drought. Desert vegetation is, therefore, made up of plants -which, through various specialized body structures, can survive -conditions of severe drought. In general, the deserts of the world are -fairly close to the equator, so they occur in climates that are hot as -well as dry. Plants in the deserts of the Southwest must endure long -periods of heat as well as drought. - -In North America, major desert areas are located in the general vicinity -of the international boundary between Mexico and the United States. Due -to various differences in elevation, climatic conditions, and other -factors, certain portions of this Great American Desert favor the growth -of plants of certain types. Based on these general vegetative types, -botanists have catalogued the Great American Desert into four divisions, -as follows (see map): - - 1. Chihuahuan Desert: Western Texas, southern New Mexico, and the - Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila. - 2. Sonoran Desert (Arizona Desert): Baja (Lower) California, northern - Sonora, and southern Arizona. - 3. Mohave-Colorado Desert (California Desert): Portions of southern - California, southern Nevada, and northwestern Arizona. - 4. Great Basin Desert: The Great Basin area of Nevada, Utah, and - northeastern Arizona. - -It is of especial interest to note that certain plants such as -Creosotebush (_Larrea tridentata_) seems to thrive in several of these -desert areas while others are found in great abundance in only one. -Plants that grow in profusion in only one desert are spoken of as -“indicators” of that particular desert. Any person interested in desert -vegetation soon learns the major indicators, not only of the different -deserts, but of different sections or elevations in the same desert. -Here are some of the better-known indicator plants: - - 1. Chihuahuan Desert: Lechuguilla (_Agave lechuguilla_); - 2. Sonoran Desert: Saguaro (_Carnegiea gigantea_); - 3. Mohave-Colorado Desert: Joshua-tree (_Yucca brevifolia_); - 4. Great Basin Desert: Sagebrush (_Artemisia tridentata_). - -This publication deals with the common plants and flowers of the -Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Mohave-Colorado Deserts. Since these names are -strange to many visitors to the Southwest, the writer has taken the -liberty of applying descriptive names as synonyms. In this booklet the -Chihuahuan Desert is called the Texas Desert, the Sonoran Desert is -referred to as the Arizona Desert, and the Colorado-Mohave Desert is -considered as the California Desert. - -Whenever possible, the desert in which a particular species of plant is -most common is indicated; however, this should not be interpreted too -rigidly as most of the plants in this book grow in more than one desert -and some grow in all. - -Because the Great Basin Desert is a region of higher elevation and is -influenced by other factors which are not common to the three portions -of the Great American Desert covered in this booklet, its vegetation is -more like that of the plateaulands and foothills of the Southwest. -Therefore, the flowers of the Great Basin Desert are included in a -companion booklet, Polly Patraw’s “Flowers of the Southwest Mesas.” - - - - - NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS - AS WILDFLOWER SANCTUARIES - - -Someone has called National Parks and Monuments “The Crown Jewels of -America.” A part of their beauty and irreplaceable value is because the -approximately 180 units of the National Park System which extends from -Florida to Alaska and from Hawaii to Maine, are and have been wildflower -sanctuaries. Not only do native plants live under natural conditions, -but they are protected from picking, from grazing of domestic livestock, -and from the competition of exotic species, and from other activities of -mankind that would disrupt their normal habitat or disturb their native -way of life. - -Men in the uniform of the National Park Service feel complimented -whenever visitors show an interest in the natural features of the areas -they protect, and are happy to assist them in locating rare species or -especially beautiful or spectacular specimens. Range and grazing -specialists are more and more using the natural vegetation of National -Parks and Monuments as “check plots” to aid them in studying ways and -means of preserving the level of grazing value on the open ranges. - -Within the desert areas of the Southwest there are a number of National -Parks and Monuments. Three Monuments (Joshua Tree in California, Organ -Pipe Cactus and Saguaro in Arizona) have been created primarily to save -from exploitation and destruction outstanding areas of typical desert -vegetation. Although the others have been established to protect and -preserve geologic, historic, or archeologic values of national -significance, they are all wildflower sanctuaries. In California, Death -Valley National Monument is outstanding in its variety of desert -flowers. Lake Mead National Recreation Area, of which Hoover Dam is the -center, has exceptional displays of various forms of desert plants. A -great variety of desert vegetation will be shown and, if desired, -explained to the interested visitor, by National Park Service rangers at -Chiricahua, Tonto, Montezuma Castle, Casa Grande, and Tumacacori -National Monuments in Arizona. Of course the really great displays of -desert botany and ecology are featured at Organ Pipe Cactus and Saguaro -National Monuments. - -In New Mexico, Chihuahuan Desert vegetation is particularly abundant at -Carlsbad Caverns National Park. A number of desert forms, especially -interesting because of the effect upon them of the ever-moving gypsum -dunes, are found at White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo. -Another outstanding Chihuahuan Desert wildflower sanctuary is Big Bend -National Park in southwestern Texas. - -Photography is encouraged in all of the National Parks and Monuments. By -asking a ranger, you will be able to learn where the various flower -displays may be found, the best time of day to obtain good results, and -other suggestions helpful in obtaining photographs of desert wildflowers -at their very best. - -Each year the following magazine and radio program present bulletins on -moisture and other pertinent conditions in the desert, spotlight areas -in which outstanding wildflower displays are developing, and advance -suggestions relative to areas in which spectacular displays may be -expected. - - Desert Magazine, Randall Henderson, Editor, Palm Desert, California. - Richfield Reporter, western radio stations. - - - - - DESERT PLANTS - - -Many people think of a desert as an area of shifting sand dunes without -vegetation except in areas where springs provide moisture. This is by no -means true of our Southwestern deserts which are characterized by a rich -and diversified plant cover. However, the majority of true desert plants -are equipped by Nature to meet conditions of high temperatures and -deficient and uncertain precipitation. The way in which desert plants, -closely related to common species found growing under normal temperature -and moisture conditions, have adapted themselves to meet the severe -requirements of desert life is truly remarkable and forms an absorbing -and fascinating study. - -Shreve groups desert plants into three categories based on the manner in -which they have contrived to conquer the hazards of desert life. - -These are: - - 1. Drought-escaping plants; - 2. Drought-evading plants; - 3. Drought-resisting plants. - -_Drought-escaping_ plants are the “desert quickies,” or ephemerals. -Taking advantage of the two seasons of rainfall on the desert (midsummer -showers and midwinter soakers) they develop rapidly, blossom, and mature -their seeds which lie dormant in the soil during the rest of the year, -thus escaping the season of heat and drought. There are two groups of -these “quickies,” the summer ephemerals and the winter ephemerals. The -former are hot-weather plants; the latter are species that thrive during -the cool, moist weather of winter and early spring. These “quickies” -present their spectacular floral displays only following seasons of -above-average precipitation. - -_Drought-evading_ plants (in common with the deciduous plants of -northern and colder climes which remain dormant while below-freezing -temperatures prevail), meet the heat and drought by reducing the bodily -processes to maintain life only, dropping their leaves, and remaining in -a state of dormancy until temperature and moisture conditions, suitable -to renewed activity, again prevail. - -The _drought-resisting_ plants are the bold spirits which take the worst -that the desert has to offer without flinching, or resorting to evasive -tactics. Chief among these are the cacti which store moisture in their -spongy stem or root tissues during periods of rainfall, using it -sparingly during drought. To reduce moisture loss to a minimum, they -have done away with their leaves, the green skin of their stems taking -over the function of foliage. Other plants, such as the Mesquite, -develop deep or widespread root systems that extract every drop of -moisture from a huge area of soil. The majority of the drought-resisters -either cut down their leaf surface to an irreducible minimum, or coat -the leaves with wax or varnish, thus restricting the loss of moisture. - -Methods, techniques, devices, or body modifications which desert plants -have developed or evolved to enable them to withstand the rigors of -long-continued drought and heat are legion. Many of them are known and -understood, but it is probable that there are many others which -scientists have not yet discovered. - - - - - ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - - -For numerous helpful suggestions, lists of common flowers, herbarium and -fresh specimens for use in preparing illustrations, and for assistance -in many other ways, the author and illustrator proffer sincere thanks to -the following: Glen Bean, L. Floyd Keller, Walter B. McDougall, and -William R. Supernaugh of the National Park Service; Dr. Norman C. -Cooper, research associate, Allen Hancock Foundation; Mrs. Robert Gibbs, -Isle Royale National Park, Mich.; Leslie M. Goodding, St. David, -Arizona; Edmund C. Jaeger, Riverside Junior College, California; Thomas -H. Kearney, California Academy of Sciences; Robert H. Peebles (who -kindly reviewed the manuscript), director of the U. S. Field Service -Station, Department of Agriculture, Sacaton, Arizona; Paul Ricker, -president, Wildflower Preservation Society, Washington, D. C.; and -Barton H. Warnock, head of biology department, Sul Ross State College, -Alpine, Texas. - - - - - [Illustration: Carnegiea gigantea] - - - Common Names: GIANT CACTUS, (SAGUARO) - Arizona desert. (_Carnegiea gigantea_). Waxy white. May-June. - Cactus family. Size: Up to 50 feet tall and 12 tons in weight. - -Largest of the U. S. cacti, this species occurs only in southern and -western Arizona and adjoining northwestern Mexico and sparingly in -extreme southeast California. It is an indicator of the Sonoran Desert. - -This giant is such a spectacular example of desert vegetation that it is -used as a trademark of the desert. It is the state flower of Arizona. -Blossoms unfold at night, remaining open until late the following -afternoon, attracting swarms of insects which in turn attract birds. -Fruits mature in July, resembling small, egg-shaped cucumbers. When -ripe, they burst open revealing a scarlet lining and deep red pulp -filled with tiny black seeds. Fruits are eagerly sought by birds and -rodents. - -Because of its enormous capacity for storing water in its spongy stem -tissue, the Saguaro (sah-WAR-oh) produces flowers and fruits even during -droughts of long duration. When other foods failed, the Pima and Papago -Indians could depend upon the Saguaro harvest. - - [Illustration: Dry weather, Rainy weather] - - [Illustration: skeleton, flesh] - -Saguaros are believed to live to a maximum age of 200 years, usually -succumbing to a necrosis disease transmitted by the larvæ of a small -moth. Grazing cattle trample out the young plants and much of the desert -occupied by Saguaros is being placed under cultivation. Both Saguaro -National Monument and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument preserve and -protect spectacular stands of these desert behemoths. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Peniocereus greggi] - - - Common Names: NIGHTBLOOMING CEREUS, (_Reina-de-la-noche_) - Arizona and Texas deserts. (_Peniocereus greggi_). White. June-July. - Cactus family. Size: 2 to 5 feet tall. - -One of the most delicately beautiful of the flowers for which the desert -is famous, “Queen of the Night” is waxy-white with thread-like stamens -that give it the appearance of wearing a halo. The night on which the -Cereus blooms is eagerly awaited by desert dwellers of long residence. -All of the buds on a single plant, from two to six or seven in number, -may open on the same night or may time their opening over a period of a -week or more, usually in late June or early July, depending upon the -season and other factors. - -It is not unusual for nearly all of the plants in one locality to -blossom on the same night. Buds unfold in the early evening, the flowers -wilting permanently soon after sunrise the following morning. Fragrant, -with a heavy, cloying perfume, they attract large numbers of -night-flying insects. - -The long, slender, fluted, lead-colored stems of the Nightblooming -Cereus are inconspicuous and unattractive. Usually growing upward from -beneath a Creosotebush or other desert shrub, they are partially -supported and almost entirely hidden by the larger plant. - -The beet-like root, which serves as a moisture-storage organ, may weigh -from 5 to 85 pounds and is reportedly eaten by desert Indians. Fruits -are podlike, pointed at the ends, and the size of a large pickle. They -turn dull red when mature. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Datura meteloides] - - - Common Names: WESTERN-JIMSON, THORNAPPLE, GIANT-JIMSON, SACRED DATURA - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts. (_Datura meteloides_). White. - May-October. - Potato family. Size: Up to 3 feet tall, and spreading over as much as - 50 square feet of ground. - -All portions of this coarse, vine-like herb are poisonous, and are used -by some Indians as a narcotic to induce visions. - -Seeds are sometimes administered to prevent miscarriage. - -The plants with their large, gray-green leaves and showy, white, -sometimes lavender-tinted flowers which open at night and close soon -after contact by rays of the morning sun, are a common and arresting -sight along roadsides and washes at elevations from 1,000 to 6,500 feet -in Texas, New Mexico, southern Utah, southern California, and Mexico. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Argemone] - - - Common Names: PRICKLYPOPPY, THISTLEPOPPY, (_CHICALOTE_) - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts. (Argemone platyceras). White. - Blooms all year. - Poppy family. Size: Up to 30 inches in height. - -One of the commonest and most noticeable perennials of the Southwest, -the Pricklypoppy ranges from South Dakota and Wyoming to Texas, Arizona, -southern California, and northern Mexico. A coarse, prickly plant with -large flowers and yellowish sap, it is easily recognized. - -It is sometimes facetiously called “cowboys’ fried egg.” - -Flowers are normally white with large, tissue-paper petals and yellow -centers. In southern Arizona an occasional plant with pale yellow petals -is found; and in Big Bend National Park, Texas, a form with rose-colored -petals and a deep red center is occasionally encountered. - -Plants are drought-resistant, unpalatable to livestock, and may be found -in blossom during any month in the year, although much more prolific -during the spring and summer. When abundant on cattle range, they are an -indication of over-grazing. Seeds are reported to contain a narcotic -more potent than opium. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Hesperocallis undulata] - - - Common Names: DESERTLILY, (_AJO_) - Arizona and California deserts. (_Hesperocallis undulata_). White. - March-April. - Lily family. Size: Narrow-leafed perennial, 6 inches to 2 feet. - -One of the showiest and most famous of the desert wildflowers, although -limited in distribution to sandy areas below 2,000 feet elevation, the -Desertlily greatly resembles the Easterlily of greenhouse habitat. - -In some seasons, the blossoms are abundant and their delicate fragrance -perfumes the surrounding atmosphere. During “off” seasons, visitors may -scour the desert to find only a very few of the fragile blossoms. - -Named “Ajo” by Spanish explorers because of the large, edible bulb -resembling garlic, the Lily has passed on its name to a mountain range, -a broad valley, and a thriving town in southwestern Arizona where it -grows in profusion. Its range is limited to southwestern Arizona, -southeastern California, and probably northern Sonora. - -Papago Indians eat the bulbs which have an onion-like flavor. Bulbs are -difficult to obtain because they grow at a depth of 18 inches to two -feet beneath the surface of the hard-packed desert soil. Flowers remain -open during the day, and propagation is principally by seeds. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Rafinesquia neomexicana] - - - Common Names: DESERT-DANDELION, GOATSBEARD - Arizona and Texas deserts. (_Rafinesquia neomexicana_). Bright white. - March-May. - California desert. (_Rafinesquia californica_). Dull white. April-May. - Sunflower family. Size: About a foot high. - -In early springs that follow winters of more than average rainfall the -Desert-Dandelion is one of the conspicuous annuals helping to carpet the -deserts with a ground-cover of flowers. - -Although much more delicate, longer stemmed, and less coarse and robust -than the common Dandelion, the flowers sufficiently resemble those of -the better-known yellow Dandelion to stimulate recognition. - -Desert-Dandelion is found below 4,000 feet in desert situations from -western Texas to Lower California and northward to southern Utah. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Nerium oleander] - - - Common name: OLEANDER - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts. (_Nerium oleander_). White, - yellow, or red. Spring and summer. - Dogbane family. Size: Robust, spreading shrub up to 20 feet high. - -Well known and widely grown because of its large clusters of red or -white blossoms and glossy, evergreen leaves, the Oleander is one of the -handsomest shrubs found under cultivation in towns and cities of the -desert. Requiring sub-tropical conditions, easily rooted from cuttings, -and rapid in growth, the Oleander thrives in Southwestern desert areas -if supplied with plenty of water. It is used individually and as -hedgerows in ornamental plantings. - -Although blossoms may be present at almost any time of year, the -principal flowering season extends from early spring well through the -summer. Both the red-flowered and the white-flowered plants are popular -and may be grown separately or intermixed. Recently a yellow-flowered -form has come into use. - -These handsome shrubs immediately attract the attention of northerners -visiting desert towns, and arouse their curiosity as to their identity. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Nemacladus glanduliferus] - - - Common name: THREADPLANT - Arizona desert. (_Nemacladus glanduliferus_). Purple-white. March-May. - California desert. (_Nemacladus rigidus_). Purple-white. March-May. - Bellflower family. Size: 2 to 12 inches tall. - -The tiny, slender-stemmed, profusely-branched Threadplant is so small -that it is completely overlooked by the majority of visitors to the -Southwest, yet it is one of the most common and most attractive of -desert flowers. Under a magnifying glass, the shape and coloring of the -minute, delicate flowers make them appear as beautiful as orchids. The -white flowers are touched with tints of red, brown, yellow, or purple. - -Plants are abundant below 1,800 feet elevation on dry, gravelly or rocky -soils, frequently along the shoulders of highways from Nevada throughout -western Arizona and southern California to Lower California. Be on the -lookout for this small but interesting and beautiful plant. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Cuscuta indecora] - - - Common name: DODDER - Arizona and Texas deserts. (_Cuscuta indecora_). White. July-August. - California desert. (_Cuscuta denticulata_). Pale yellow. July-August. - Convolvulus family. Size: Vine-like, covering host plant. - -Rootless, leafless, and with pale yellow to brownish stems which twine -in vine-like embrace about the host, the parasitic Dodders are -immediately noticeable because of their strange appearance. - -Frequently the automobile traveler’s attention is arrested by a pale -yellowish blotch in the green of the roadside vegetation. Examination -shows this to be caused by the matted yellowish stems and the white to -pale yellow, fleshy blossoms. These flowers are attractive and often -abundant enough to make a showy display. - -Dodder is found widespread throughout the United States and is often a -serious parasitic pest on crops of economic importance. Desert species -are usually found infesting Mesquite, Goldenrod, Aster, Burrobush, -Seepwillow, and Arrowweed. Although certain Dodders show a preference in -choosing hosts (_C. denticulata_ common on Creosotebush), most of them -grow readily upon various plants. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Yucca brevifolia] - - - Common Names: JOSHUA-TREE, TREE YUCCA, GIANT JOSHUA - California desert. (_Yucca brevifolia_). Green-white. February-April. - Lily family. Size: 15 to 35 feet high; spread of 20 feet. - -Because the presence of the grotesque Joshua-tree marks, more -effectively than any other plant, the limits and extent of the Mohave -Desert, this species is worthy of special recognition. This tree Yucca -holds, in the Mohave Desert, similar status to the Saguaro in the -Sonoran Desert. Strangely enough, in west-central Arizona, the Saguaro -and Joshua-tree are found growing together and there the Sonoran and -Mohave Deserts overlap. - -And, just as in southern Arizona an area has been set aside as Saguaro -National Monument to preserve and protect that species, so in southern -California we find the Joshua Tree National Monument. - -The Joshua-tree is outstanding among the many species of Yucca because -of its short leaves growing in dense bunches or clusters, and because -the plant has a definite trunk with numerous branches forming a crown. -Great forests of these sturdy trees are found in parts of southern -California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and northwestern Arizona -where rainfall averages 8 to 10 inches per year. - -Flowers of this Yucca develop as tight clusters of greenish-white buds -at the ends of the branches, but do not open wide as do the flowers of -other Yuccas. Joshua-trees do not bloom every year, the interval -apparently being determined by rainfall and temperature. Birds, a small -lizard, wood rats, and several species of insects are closely associated -with the Joshua-tree, making use of it for food, shelter, or -nest-building materials. Indians use the smallest roots, which are red, -for patterns in their baskets. - -The name “Joshua-tree” was given by the Mormons because the tree seemed -to be lifting its arms in supplication as did the Biblical Joshua. - - WHITE - - - - - [Illustration: Yucca torreyi - Yucca schidigera - Yucca arizonica] - - - Common Names: BROAD-LEAF YUCCAS, SPANISH BAYONET, (_AMOLE_), - (_DATIL_), SOAPWEED - Arizona desert. (_Yucca arizonica_). Creamy. April-May. - California desert. (_Yucca schidigera_). White-purple. March-April. - Texas desert. (_Yucca torreyi_). Creamy. March-April. - Lily family. Size: Reaches height of 10 to 15 feet. - -Although, in general, the Broad-leafed Yuccas do not reach tree size, -the Giant Dagger (_Yucca carnerosana_) of Big Bend National Park reaches -a height of 20 feet. In dense stands or “forests” these Yuccas, with -their huge clusters of creamy, wax-like, lightly scented, bell-shaped -flowers produce a never-to-be-forgotten display in blooming season. - -The Yucca is the state flower of New Mexico. - -Yuccas are often confused by newcomers to the desert with three other -groups of plants: the _Agaves_ (Century Plant), _Dasylirion_ (Sotol) and -_Nolinas_ (Beargrass). - -The plate on the opposite page has been devoted to a comparison of the -four groups, and by studying it carefully, the characteristics by which -each may be identified can be determined. - -Yucca leaf fibers have long been used by Indians for fabricating rope, -matting, sandals, basketry, and coarse cloth. Indians also ate the buds, -flowers, and emerging flower stalks. The large, pulpy fruits were eaten -raw or roasted, and the seeds ground into meal. - -Roots of the Yuccas have saponifying properties and are still gathered -by some tribes and used as soap, especially for washing the hair. -Flowers are browsed by livestock. (See Narrow-leaf Yuccas and -Joshua-tree). _Yucca baccata_, a broad-leaf species found in the -Southwest outside of the desert areas, is discussed in “Flowers of the -Southwest Mesas.” - - CREAM - - - Common Names: BEARGRASS, BASKETGRASS, (_SACAHUISTE_) - Arizona desert: (_Nolina microcarpa_). Tan-cream. May-June. - California desert: (_Nolina parryi_). White-cream. May-June. - Texas desert: (_Nolina erumpens_). White-cream. May-June. - Lily family. Size: Ragged clumps 4 to 8 feet in diameter and flower - stalks up to 8 feet high. - -The _Nolinas_ are sometimes confused with Sotol and the _Yuccas_ and -occasionally with the _Agaves_. However, the _Nolinas_ resemble huge -clumps of long-bladed grass, whereas Sotol leaves are ribbon-like and -_Yucca_ leaves taper to a sharp point. Flower stalks of the _Nolinas_ -are usually drooping and plume-like, and the numerous flowers are tiny. -The many papery, dry-winged fruits often remain on the stalk until late -autumn. - -Beargrass does not grow on the flat mesas or sandy flats as do the -Yuccas, but is confined to exposed locations on rocky slopes above the -3,000-foot elevation. The Parry Nolina of the California Desert is a -larger and more spectacular plant than the species found in the Arizona -and Texas-New Mexico Deserts. Indians are reported to use the very young -flower stalks for food. Leaves are browsed by livestock in times of -drought, sometimes with harmful results in the case of sheep or goats. - - [Illustration: Nolina parryi] - - CREAM - - - - - [Illustration: Dasylirion wheeleri - Agave palmeri - Yucca elata - Nolina microcarpa] - - - Common Names: SOTOL, SPOONPLANT - Arizona desert: (_Dasylirion wheeleri_). Creamy. May-August. - Texas desert: (_Dasylirion leiophyllum_). Creamy. May-August. - Lily family. Size: Leaves 3 feet; flower stem 5 to 15 feet. - -At first glance, this plant may readily be mistaken for a Yucca, but its -ribbon-like leaves (which are usually split at the tips instead of -sharp-pointed) and tiny flowers instead of the bell-like blossoms of the -Yucca, are distinguishing characteristics. The round heads of these -plants grow close to the ground with the thick, woody stem beneath the -soil. Leaves, when stripped from the head, come away with a broad, -curving blade. - - [Illustration: Plant silhouette] - -When trimmed and polished, they are sold as curios called “desert -spoons.” In some portions of the desert near large cities, exploitation -of the plants for this purpose has endangered the species and aroused -the ire of conservationists. - -The cabbage-like base, after the leaves are removed, is split and fed to -livestock as an emergency ration during periods of drought. - -The rounded heads of these plants are high in sugar which is dissolved -in the sap of the bud stalk. This sap, when gathered and fermented, -produces a potent beverage called “sotol,” which is the “bootleg” of -northern Mexico. - - CREAM - - - Common Names: NARROW-LEAF YUCCA, (_PALMILLA_), OUR-LORD’S-CANDLE, - SPANISH-DAGGER, SOAPWEED, SPANISH-BAYONET - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Yucca elata_). Creamy. May-July. - California desert: (_Yucca whipplei_). Creamy-white. May-June. - Lily family. Clumps 8-12 feet; _Y. elata_ sometimes to 20 feet. - - CREAM - -The Narrow-leaf Yuccas are frequently confused with the _Agaves_ -(Century plant), _Dasylirion_ (Sotol), and _Nolinas_ (Beargrass) but may -readily be recognized by the fibers protruding from the margins of the -leaves. To permit comparison and bring out the differences so that the -four groups may be recognized and confusion avoided, sketches of all -four appear on the same plate (p. 21). - -In many grassland areas of western Texas and southern New Mexico, _Y. -elata_ dominates the landscape for miles. This species has been used as -emergency rations for range stock during periods of drought, the chopped -stems being mixed with concentrates such as cottonseed meal. A -substitute for jute has been made from the leaf fibers. Indians eat the -young flower stalks, which grow rapidly and are relatively tender. - -In its relationship with a moth of the genus _Pronuba_, the Yucca -illustrates one of Nature’s interesting partnerships. The moth, which -visits the Yucca flowers at night, lays her eggs in the ovary of a -flower where the larvae will feed upon the developing seeds. But to be -sure that the seeds do develop, the moth must place pollen on the stigma -of the flower. Dependent upon the moth for this vital act of -pollenization, the Yucca repays its winged benefactor by sacrificing -some of its developing seeds as food for the moth’s larvæ. Fruits of the -Narrow-leaf are dry capsules in contrast to the fleshy fruits of the -Broad-leaf Yuccas. - - [Illustration: Plant silhouette] - -_Yucca whipplei_ is a much smaller plant than _Y. elata_, but produces a -stouter flower stalk with a great spreading plume of small, delicate -flowers. These graceful plumes appear at night as if aglow with an inner -light, hence the name “Our Lord’s Candle.” (See Broad-leaf Yucca [p. 19] -and Joshua-tree [p. 18].) - - - - - [Illustration: Clematis ligusticifolia - Clematis drummondi] - - - Common Names: CLEMATIS, LEATHERFLOWER - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Clematis drummondi_). Cream. - March-September. - California desert: (_Clematis ligusticifolia_). Cream. May-September. - Crowfoot family. Size: Climbing, vine-like perennial with stems 6 to 8 - feet long. - -By no means limited to the desert, Clematis is found throughout the -Southwest. Several species are grown as ornamentals, foliage, flower -clusters and the cotton-like masses of hairy fruits all being effective. -Petals are absent or rudimentary, the sepals which furnish color to the -blossoms being either creamy or purplish-brown. The name “Leatherflower” -has been applied to the latter group. - - CREAM - - - - - [Illustration: Phragmites communis] - - - Common Names: COMMON REED, (_CARRIZO_), RIVERCANE, GIANTREED - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Phragmites communis_). - Creamy. July-October. - Grass family. Size: 8 to 12 feet tall. - -Among the largest of the grasses, the Common Reed and its close relative -Giantreed (_Arundo donax_) with their jointed stems resembling Bamboo, -are coarse perennials with broad, flat, grass-like leaves found in -marshes and stock tanks, along irrigation canals, and on river banks -throughout the desert country of the Southwest. Common Reed is found -throughout the world where conditions are suitable. The flower stalks -are long, tassel-like, and at the ends of the stems. - -In Arizona and New Mexico, Common Reed is called _Carrizo_. The hollow -stems were used by the Indians for making arrow shafts, prayer sticks, -pipe stems, and loom rods. Mats, screens, nets, and cordage, as well as -thatching, are made from the leaves. The plants are useful as windbreaks -and in controlling soil erosion along streams. - - CREAM - - - - - [Illustration: Baccharis glutinosa] - - - Common Names: SEEPWILLOW, WATERMOTIE, WATERWALLY, WATERWILLOW, BROOM - BACCHARIS, ROSINBUSH, (_HIERBA-DEL-PASMO_) - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Baccharis glutinosa_). Creamy. - March-December. - California desert: (_Baccharis sarathroides_). Yellow-white. - September-February. - Sunflower family. Size: Up to 7 feet tall. - -Genus _Baccharis_ is composed, in the desert, of coarse shrubs with a -number of common species. The flowers themselves are not beautiful, but -the female plants with their flower heads that develop glaring-white -pappus hairs, are spectacular and quite attractive. - -_B. glutinosa_ is a common shrub along watercourses, often forming dense -thickets. The straight stems are used in native houses as matting across -ceiling timbers to support the mud roof. _B. sarathroides_ and several -other species are often referred to as the Desert Brooms. They are -common along desert washes and roadsides in sandy soil, their pale -yellow, bristly flower heads, during the fall and winter months, -appearing in sharp contrast to the vivid green branchlets and dark stems -of the bushes. Among some Indians, the stems are chewed as a toothache -remedy. - - CREAM - - - - - [Illustration: Plantago purshi] - - - Common Names: PLANTAIN, WOOLLY-PLANTAIN - Arizona desert: (_Plantago purshi_). Buff. February-July. - California desert: (_Plantago insularis_). Straw. January-May. - Texas-New Mexico desert: (_Plantago argyraea_). Straw. June-August. - Plantain family. Size: A few inches to 2 feet tall. - -Plantains are not noted for the beauty of their blossoms but the larger, -coarser species are sufficiently noticeable to attract attention, both -in their blossoming and fruiting stages. The smaller winter annuals -known as Indianwheat carpet the desert floor, in January and February, -in some places, producing a straw-colored “pile” of tiny blossom spikes. - - CREAM - - - - - [Illustration: Opuntia leptocaulis - Opuntia ramosissima - Opuntia bigelovi] - - - Common Names: (_TASAJILLO_), CHRISTMAS CHOLLA, DIAMOND CACTUS, - (TESAJO), DARNING-NEEDLE CACTUS, PENCIL-JOINT CHOLLA, - HOLYCROSS. - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Opuntia leptocaulis_). Green-yellow. - May-June. - California desert: (_Opuntia ramosissima_). Green-yellow. - May-September. - Cactus family. Size: Much branched, shrubby, 2 to 4 feet tall. - -Flowers of these small, slender-stemmed, shrubby chollas (CHOH-yahs) are -small, sparse, and so inconspicuous as to be rarely noticed. However, -the fruits, particularly those of _O. Leptocaulis_, are scarlet, -egg-shaped, about 1 inch in length, and occur in such profusion that -they immediately attract attention to the plants during the late fall -and winter months, giving these plants the appropriate name of Christmas -Cholla. - -A large Cholla, _O. bigelovi_, also has greenish to pale yellow flowers -but inconspicuous fruits and short, heavy joints so densely covered with -silvery spines as to give it the name Teddybear Cholla. Found in south -central and southwestern Arizona and westward into southern California, -southern Nevada, and south into Sonora and Lower California, the Silver -Cholla is noticeable at any season. Propagation is chiefly by joints -which drop from the plant and take root, the new plants forming dense -thickets on desert hillsides. Because the joints are so easily detached, -they actually seem to jump at a passerby, this characteristic giving the -plant the name Jumping Cactus. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Phoradendron californicum] - - - Common Names: MISTLETOE, DESERT MISTLETOE - Arizona and California deserts: (_Phoradendron californicum_). - Yellow-green. March. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Phoradendron cockerelli_). Yellow-green. - Spring. - Mistletoe family. Size: Pendant, vine-like strands several feet long. - -Because they form conspicuous, dense, shapeless masses in Mesquite, -Ironwood, Acacia, Cottonwood, or other trees (depending upon the species -of Mistletoe), these parasitic plants attract the attention and arouse -the curiosity of persons unfamiliar with the desert. _P. macrophyllum_, -which parasitizes Cottonwood trees, is widespread throughout the -Southwest, and, because of its large gray-green leaves and glistening -white berries is much in demand as a Christmas green. The Mistletoe is -the state flower of Oklahoma. - -The species of Mistletoe that parasitize such trees as Ironwood, -Mesquite, and Catclaw have small, scale-like tawny-brown leaves and -stems. The tiny yellow-green flowers which appear in spring are fragrant -and secrete nectar which attracts Honeybees and other insects. The -handsome coral-pink berries are a major food, during the winter months, -for Phainopeplas and other birds. The Arizona Verdin often builds its -nest in the protected center of a clump of Mistletoe. Birds are believed -to be instrumental in spreading this parasite from tree to tree. - -Mistletoe saps the energy of the host tree and, where abundant, may -cause considerable damage, killing branches and sometimes the entire -tree. Papago Indians dry the berries in the sun and store them for -winter food. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Nicotiana trigonophylla - Nicotiana glauca] - - - Common Names: DESERT-TOBACCO, TREE-TOBACCO - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Nicotiana glauca_). Pale yellow. All - year. - California desert: (_Nicotiana trigonophylla_). Green-yellow. All - year. - Potato family. Size: Tree-tobacco (_N. glauca_) up to 12 feet. - Desert-tobacco, 1 to 3 feet high. - -Several species of wild tobacco are found in the desert. Of these, -Tree-tobacco is conspicuous because of its rank growth, its large -leaves, and the spectacular clusters of tubular, yellow flowers. In -addition to nicotine, Tree-tobacco contains an alkaloid, anabasine. This -conspicuous plant occurs in moist locations below 3,000 feet elevation -and bears flowers throughout the entire year. Although now thoroughly -naturalized in the Southwest, it is a native of South America. - -Desert-tobacco, sometimes perennial in southwestern Arizona, is a -dark-green herb common and widespread throughout the desert areas of the -Southwest. It is not nearly as noticeable as its larger relative -although it, too, blossoms the year around. Flowers are a pale yellow, -almost greenish-white. It provides dense ground cover in rocky canyons -and along desert washes. - -Leaves, which are somewhat bad smelling, were smoked (and still are -during ceremonials) by the Yuma and Havasupai Indians who are reported -to have cleared land, burned the brush, and scattered the seeds of -Desert-tobacco in an effort to promote the growth of strong plants with -many large leaves. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Calycoseris wrighti - Calycoseris parryi] - - - Common Names: TACKSTEM - Arizona desert: (_Calycoseris wrighti_). White. March-May. - California desert: (_Calycoseris parryi_). Yellow. March-April. - Sunflower family. Size: 4 inches to a foot tall. - -One of the handsomest of desert spring annuals, _Calycoseris_ is common -on plains, mesas, and rocky slopes at elevations between 1,200 and 4,000 -feet from western Texas to southern Utah, southern California, and south -into Mexico. - -The name Tackstem comes from the presence of numerous tack-shaped glands -which protrude from the stems. - -Taking advantage of the cool, moist weather of winter, the Tackstems -produce their beautiful rose, white, or yellow blossoms in early spring, -and mature their seeds before the advent of hot, dry weather. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Brickellia coulteri - Brickellia californica] - - - Common Names: BRICKELLBUSH, DESERT BRICKELLIA, (_PACHABA_) - Arizona desert: (_Brickellia coulteri_). Yellow-white. September. - California desert: (_Brickellia desertorum_). Pale yellow. Midsummer. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Brickellia californica_). Yellow-white. - July-October. - Sunflower family. Size: Small, much-branched perennial shrub, up to 3 - feet in height. - -Intricately branched and brittle-stemmed, this shrub with blossom heads -holding from 8 to 18 yellowish flowers is common throughout the -Southwest from western Texas and Colorado to Nevada, Sonora and Lower -California. - -It grows among rocks and in rocky locations throughout much of the -desert country from 3,000 up to 7,000 feet. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Zinnia pumila] - - - Common Names: WILD-ZINNIA - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Zinnia pumila_). Pale yellow. - April-October. - Sunflower family. Size: Low, dense-growing perennials in rounded - clumps, 4 to 8 inches high. - -Closely related to the garden Zinnia, which is a native of Mexico, -desert Zinnias are attractive herbs suitable for trial as ornamental -border plantings. - -_Z. pumila_ prefers caliche soils and is found on dry mesas and slopes -from Texas westward to southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It is often -found blossoming in association with the Paperflower (_Psilostrophe -cooperi_) which it superficially resembles. The pale yellow flowers of -the Wild-zinnia turn white with age. - -_Z. pumila_ may be easily recognized by the single heavy rib running the -length of each narrow leaf. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Acacia greggi] - - - Common Names: CATCLAW, CAT’S-CLAW, TEARBLANKET, DEVILSCLAW - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Acacia greggi_). Pale - yellow. April-October. - Pea family. Size: Up to 20 feet tall. - -The numerous thorns, short and curved like a cat’s claw, serve readily -to identify this common, often abundant, shrub or small tree. - -There are several species, some with large, bright-yellow flowers, but -_A. greggi_ is the most common and occurs throughout all of the deserts -of the Southwest, at elevations below 4,000 feet, often forming thickets -along streams and washes. - -Flowers, like pale yellow, fuzzy caterpillars, are one of the important -sources of nectar for honeybees, the trees being alive with insects -during the period of heaviest blooming in April and May. - -In mid-August, the light green fruit pods begin to turn reddish and, if -abundant, make a colorful display. - -Seeds of the Catclaw were at one time widely used as food by the Indians -of Arizona and Mexican tribes. They were ground into meal and eaten as -mush or cakes. - -Catclaw is one of the most heartily disliked plants in the Southwest, -especially by riders and hikers, because of the strong thorns which tear -clothing and lacerate the flesh. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Ephedra trifurca - E. antisyphilitica] - - - Common Names: MORMON-TEA, BRIGHAM-TEA, JOINTER, (_POPOTILLA_), - (_TEPOSOTE_), (_CANATILLA_) - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Ephedra trifurca_). Pale yellow. Spring. - California desert: (_Ephedra californica_). Pale yellow. Spring. - Jointfir family. Size: Harsh, stringy perennials, from 2 to 10 feet - tall and sometimes 5 or 6 feet in diameter. - -Apparently leafless, these common Southwestern shrubs do have leaves, -although they are reduced to tiny scales. The harsh, stringy stems are -green to yellow-green and, when dried, were used with the flowers in -making a palatable brew, particularly by the Utah pioneers; hence the -names Mormon-tea and Brigham-tea. The beverage was also popular with -Indians and settlers in treating syphilis and other afflictions, as it -contains tannin and certain alkaloids. Flowers are small, pale yellow, -and appear in the spring at which time the plants are quite noticeable, -and attract large numbers of insects. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Heterotheca subaxillaris] - - - Common Names: TELEGRAPH PLANT, CAMPHOR-WEED - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Heterotheca subaxillaris_). Pale yellow. - March-November. - Sunflower family. Size: Grows 2 to 6 feet tall. - -The flowers are not particularly attractive, but become conspicuous as -the seed-heads develop, because of the white, densely-haired tufts. -Stems are tall and straight “like telegraph poles,” and the crushed -leaves give off a slight camphor-like odor. - -Although the plant occurs from the east coast across the southern -portion of the United States, it is found in the desert at elevations -between 1,000 and 5,000 feet. - -Camphor-weed is a tall, coarse, robust, straight-stemmed plant which is -abundant and conspicuous along roads and ditchbanks, and in the open -desert following winters of heavy precipitation. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Cercidium floridum - Cercidium microphyllum] - - - Common Names: PALOVERDE, YELLOW PALOVERDE, BLUE PALOVERDE - Arizona deserts: (_Cercidium microphyllum_). Pale yellow. April-May. - Arizona desert. (_Cercidium floridum_). Bright yellow. April-May. - Pea family. Size: Green-barked tree up to 25 feet high. - -Arizona Paloverdes (meaning green stick) are large shrubs or small trees -abundant along washes in the hotter, drier portions of the Sonoran -Desert. When in blossom in the springtime, they appear as masses of pale -yellow or golden bloom, and are a glorious sight, both as individual -trees and massed as borders along the courses of washes which they mark -with a line of color winding across the desert floor. During the dry -season, they are without leaves, but are readily recognized by the bark, -yellowish green in the case of _C. microphyllum_; blue green in _C. -floridum_. - -After the petals form, seeds form in bean-like pods which are not -relished by livestock, but are eaten during periods of drought and when -other forage is scarce. Indians ground the seeds into meal. - -When the trees are in blossom, they attract myriads of insects, some of -which, including Honeybees, seek the nectar. Wood is soft and the -branches are brittle and easily broken. It is unsuited for fuel as it -burns rapidly, leaves no coals, and gives off an unpleasant odor. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Polanisia trachysperma] - - - Common name: CLAMMYWEED - Arizona desert: (_Polanisia trachysperma_). Pale yellow. - June-September. - Texas desert: (_Polanisia uniglandulosa_). Pale yellow. - June-September. - Caper family. Size: 1 to 3 feet tall. - -Clammyweed is not limited in its range to desert areas, but is found as -far north as Saskatchewan and British Columbia. However, it is also a -common annual in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona at elevations between -1,200 and 6,000 feet, and is usually found in abundance in the sandy -channels of dry stream beds. - -It somewhat resembles both Yellow Beeweed (_Cleome lutea_) and -Jackass-clover (_Wislizenia refracta_.) - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Tribulus terrestris] - - - Common names: PUNCTUREVINE, BURNUT, BULLHEAD, (_TORRITO_) - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Tribulus terrestris_). Pale - yellow. Summer. - Caltrop family. Size: Prostrate, stems 2 to 6 feet long. - -A troublesome annual vine-like weed naturalized from southern Europe, -the Puncturevine has established itself throughout the Southwest below -7,000 feet. Although fairly readily controlled by cultivation, the plant -spreads rapidly in sandy, dry wastelands, often taking over vacant lots -in towns, and areas in the desert where it finds sufficient moisture. - -The fruits, which are produced in quantities, are armed with strong -spurs which become embedded in the feet and fur of animals and in -automobile tires. Fruits are also carried by irrigation or flood waters. -Although the spurs are too short to puncture automobile tires, they make -bicycles almost useless in some localities, and are an aggravation to -children who go barefoot—and to dogs. - -Flowers and fruits in various stages of maturity may be found on this -fast-growing plant at almost any time during the summer months. -Botanically, Puncturevine is closely related to the Creosotebush and -also to the Arizona-poppy. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Kallstroemia grandiflora] - - - Common names: ARIZONA-POPPY, CALTROP - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Kallstroemia grandiflora_). Bright - yellow. February-September. - Caltrop family. Size: 1 to 2 feet tall. - -Although superficially resembling in size, shape, and color the blossoms -of the Goldpoppy, the blossoms of the large-flowered Caltrop have five -petals instead of four, and the plant is a close relative of the -Puncturevine and the Creosotebush. One of the most attractive of the -desert’s summer annuals, Arizona-poppy is found at elevations below -5,000 feet in the drylands of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and northern -Mexico. - -Large-flowered Caltrop may be distinguished from Goldpoppy by (1) -sprawling open habit of growth, (2) compound leaves, (3) season of -blossoming, and (4) the fact that the plants grow singly rather than in -masses. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Larrea tridentata] - - - Common names: GREASEWOOD, CREOSOTEBUSH, (_HEDIONDILLA_) - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Larrea tridentata_). Yellow. - Spring. - Caltrop family. Size: Shrub, 2 to 8 feet high. - -No one could justifiably question the statement that Creosotebush is the -most successful, widespread, and readily recognized desert plant of the -hot, arid regions of North America. It often occurs over wide areas in -such pure stands as to constitute true _Larrea_ plains. Its common -companion is the grayish Burrobush or Bur-sage. - -Following winter rains, the Creosotebush may put out a few yellow -blossoms in January, but usually bursts into full flower in April or -May, to be followed in a short time with the equally spectacular fuzzy -white seed balls making the bushes appear to be covered with a light -frosting of snow. After a rain, the plants give off a musty, resinous -odor which is the basis of the Mexican name _Hediondilla_ (freely -translated, “Little Stinker”). Lac occurs as a resinous incrustation on -the branches, and was used by the Indians for mending pottery, making -mosaics, and for fixing arrow points. - -Leaves of the Creosotebush are covered with a “varnish” which often -glistens in the sunlight, and helps reduce evaporative moisture loss, -thereby enabling the plant to resist the desiccating effect of hot, dry -winds. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Wislizenia refracta] - - - Common name: JACKASS-CLOVER - Arizona desert: (_Wislizenia refracta_). Yellow. May-September. - Caper family. Size: Up to 4 feet in height. - -Conspicuous in late summer along roadsides and dry streambeds, the large -number of yellow flowers and the widespread presence of these much -branched, annual plants justify the inclusion of Jackass-clover in this -booklet as one of the common flowers of the desert. - -The plant ranges across the Southwest from western Texas to southern -California at elevations between 1,000 and 6,500 feet. The flowers -themselves are small, although the flower heads are quite conspicuous. - -Since the leaves somewhat resemble the tri-foliate leaves of Clover, the -plant is commonly called Jackass-clover. It is usually found in sandy -locations. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Oenothera primiveris - O. brevipes - O. deltoides - O. cardiophylla] - - - Common names: EVENING-PRIMROSE, SUNDROP - Arizona and California deserts: (_Oenothera brevipes_). Yellow. - March-May. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Oenothera primiveris_). Yellow. March-May. - Evening-primrose family. Size: Usually low, but some up to 5 feet. - -Among the commonest but most beautiful and delicate of the flowering -plants of the desert are the Evening-primroses. Flowers are usually -large, with the four petals either white or yellow, turning to red or -pink with age. Many species are low-growing herbs with large, delicate -petals; while others may be shrub-like, sometimes attaining a height of -5 feet. As the name implies, the flowers open in the evening and wilt -soon after sunrise. - -In the low, warmer sections of the desert, plants in blossom may be -found as early as February. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Berberis trifoliata - Berberis haematocarpa] - - - Common names: ALGERITA, BARBERRY, HOLLYGRAPE - Arizona desert: (_Berberis haematocarpa_). Yellow. February-April. - California desert: (_Berberis fremonti_). Yellow. May-July. - Texas desert. (_Berberis trifoliolata_). Yellow. Spring. - Barberry family. Size: Shrubs, 3 to 8 feet. - -The pendant clusters of golden blossoms are particularly noticeable -because of their delightful fragrance, and the small purple berries are -juicy and of pleasant flavor. They make excellent jelly and are readily -eaten by birds and some of the small mammals. Due to the holly-like -leaves and the fragrant blossoms and fruits, the plants would make -attractive ornamentals for landscape and decorative plantings were it -not for the fact that they are secondary hosts for the black stem rust -of the cereals, hence cannot be used in communities where grains are -grown. Indians use the root as a tonic, and obtain from it a brilliant -yellow dye. - -Some botanists prefer to use the generic name _Mahonia_ or _Odostemon_ -for this group of plants. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Lesquerella gordoni] - - - Common names: BLADDERPOD, BEAD-POD - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Lesquerella gordoni_). Yellow. - February-May. - California desert: (_Lesquerella palmeri_). Yellow. March-May. - Mustard family. Size: 6 to 8 inches high. - -Extensive sections of the desert are gilded in springtime with this -low-growing annual herb which is one of the earliest of the desert -flowers. - -Following moist winters, it covers dry mesas and plains below 4,000 feet -from Oklahoma west to Utah, and southward into northern Mexico. After -the seed pods have matured, the plant is reported to furnish valuable -forage for range stock. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Cucurbita digitata - Cucurbita foetidissima] - - - Common names: BUFFALO-GOURD, COYOTE-MELON, (_CALABAZILLA_), (_CHILI - COYOTE_) - Arizona desert: (_Cucurbita digitata_). Yellow. June-October. - California desert: (_Cucurbita palmata_). Yellow. July-September. - Texas desert: (_Cucurbita foetidissima_). Yellow. May-August. - Gourd family. Size: Trailing perennial with stems 4 to 15 feet long. - -Gourds are conspicuous, trailing, rank-growing plants common along -roadsides and in the open desert. Leaves are grayish-green, and blossoms -yellow and trumpet-shaped. The striped fruits are about the size and -shape of a tennis ball, although some are egg-shaped. - -The fruits which are very conspicuous after the vines and leaves have -been winter-killed, are sometimes collected, painted in gay colors, and -used as ornaments about the house. - -Although Indians considered the fruits as inferior and suitable only for -coyotes, they ate them either cooked or dried, and made the seeds into a -mush. Pioneers used the crushed roots of these plants as a cleansing -agent in washing clothes. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Amsinckia tessellata] - - - Common names: FIDDLENECK - Arizona desert: (_Amsinckia intermedia_). Yellow. Spring. - California desert: (_Amsinckia tessellata_). Yellow. Spring. - Borage family. Size: Bristly erect herbs, 8 to 18 inches. - -An annual of the Creosotebush belt, and very abundant on gravelly or -sandy soils in dry, open places, Fiddleneck is found from western New -Mexico to California and north to eastern Washington. - -_A. tessellata_ occurs also in Chile and Argentina. Plants are reported -to make good spring forage where they grow in heavy stands, but -indications have been found that cirrhosis of the liver may result in -cattle, sheep and horses that eat the nutlets. - -Following moist winters, Fiddleneck is often so abundant as to form vast -fields of yellow or orange-yellow blossoms, especially on the Mohave -Desert in southern California. - -The curling habit of the opening flower heads somewhat resembles the -neck of a violin, hence the name. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Flourensia cernua] - - - Common names: TARBUSH, VARNISHBUSH - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Flourensia cernua_). Yellow. - July-December. - Sunflower family. Size: A small shrub 3 feet, occasionally 6 or 7 feet - high. - -These resinous, much-branched, perennial shrubs are found on plains and -mesas at elevations around 4,000 feet from western Texas to eastern -Arizona and south into Mexico. The yellow, nodding flower heads are -small, and the leaves have a hop-like odor and a bitter flavor -unpalatable to cattle. - -In northern Mexico the leaves and dried flower heads are sold in the -drug markets under the name of _hojase_, recommended, in the form of a -brew, as a remedy for indigestion. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Prosopis pubescens - Prosopis juliflora] - - - Common names: MESQUITE, HONEY MESQUITE - Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Prosopis juliflora_). Yellow. - April-June. - Pea family. Size: Tree 15 to 25, rarely 30 feet high. - -Mesquite (mess-KEET) is one of the commonest and most widespread of -desert trees, often growing in extensive thickets. It occurs at -elevations below 5,000 feet, usually along streams, desert washes, or in -locations where the water table is relatively high, from Kansas to -California and south into Mexico. Roots are reported to penetrate to a -depth of 60 feet with more wood below ground than above. In some parts -of the desert, blowing sand settles around Mesquite clumps forming -hummocks through which rodents tunnel. - -The numerous branches are armed with sturdy, straight thorns. In the -spring when covered with bright green leaves and laden with catkin-like -clusters of greenish-yellow flowers, Mesquite is a particularly handsome -shrub or tree. Blossoms are fragrant and attract myriads of insects, -including Honeybees. - -During pioneer days, Mesquite wood was of the utmost importance to -settlers as fuel, and was also used extensively in building corrals and -in making furniture and utensils. With the exception of Ironwood, -Mesquite is the best firewood to be found in the desert, giving off a -characteristic aroma and forming a long-lived bed of coals. - -Fruits of the Mesquite, which resemble string beans, ripen in autumn and -are eaten by domestic livestock and other animals. They are rich in -sugar and still form a staple food among natives. Indians made wide use -of Mesquite, the fruits often carrying them over periods when their -crops failed. _Pinole_, a meal made by grinding the long, sweet pods, -was served in many ways. When fermented, it formed a favorite -intoxicating drink of the Pimas. The gum, which exudes through the bark, -was eaten as candy, and was used as a pottery-mending cement, and as a -black dye. - - YELLOW - - - Common names: SCREWBEAN, FREMONT SCREWBEAN, SCREWPOD MESQUITE, - (_TORNILLO_) - Arizona, Texas, and California deserts: (_Prosopis pubescens_). - Yellow. May-June. - Pea family. Size: Shrub, or tree up to 20 feet. - -Although the Screwbean, so called because of the tight spiral curl -formed by the seed pod, is not as common as Honey Mesquite, it is nearly -as widespread, being found below 4,000 feet from western Texas to -southern Nevada, and southern California to northern Mexico. The -majority of the trees are small and shrubby. - -Fruits, in common with those of Honey Mesquite, are used by Indians and -livestock for food. Bark from the roots was used by the Pima Indians to -treat wounds. Where abundant, the wood is used for fence posts, tool -handles, and fuel. Birds, particularly the Crissal Thrasher, make use of -the shreddy bark for nest-lining material. - -Where Screwbean and Honey Mesquite grow together, they may be -distinguished in the winter when trees are leafless and fruits have -fallen or been removed by animals, by the gray-barked twigs of the -Screwbean, those of the Honey Mesquite being brownish red. - -Some botanists prefer to classify Screwbean as genus _Strombocarpa_. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Baeria chrysostoma variety gracilis] - - - Common names: GOLDFIELDS - Arizona desert: (_Baeria chrysostoma_). Yellow. March-May. - Sunflower family. Size: Low growing, usually under 6 inches. - -After winters of particularly heavy precipitation, these small -close-growing annuals with their sunflower-like blossoms cover large -patches of desert with a carpet of gold. Individual flowers are so small -and so inconspicuous among larger plants that they are easily passed -unnoticed, but millions of the plants all in blossom at the same time -make a spectacular display that attracts visitors from considerable -distances. - -They occur in Arizona below 3,600 feet, westward to California, Lower -California, and north to Oregon. A plant of winter and early springtime, -Goldfields takes advantage of winter moisture and cool spring weather to -produce its flowers and mature its seeds. Thus it escapes the heat and -drought of the desert by lying dormant in the seed stage until the -moisture and cool temperatures of the following winter awaken it. - -In common with Goldpoppy and other annuals that mature their seeds -before the summer heat descends upon the desert, Goldfields cannot -correctly be called a “desert plant.” Actually these are plants of -cooler climes which have found winter conditions in the desert ideal for -their needs and have established themselves. - -These plants demonstrate effectively one method, that of escaping the -heat and drought, by which plants have adapted themselves to survival in -the desert. Like the winter tourist, they take advantage of ideal -climatic conditions of winter and spring. Since, unlike the winter -tourist, they cannot return north for the summer, they take the next -best course and pass through the hot, dry period in the dormancy of the -seed phase of their life cycles. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Enceliopsis argophylla] - - - Common name: SUNRAY - Arizona desert: (_Enceliopsis argophylla_). Bright yellow. April-June. - California desert: (_Enceliopsis covillei_). Lemon-yellow. April-June. - Sunflower family. Size: Perennial, 1 to 2½ feet tall. - -The large, solitary, coarse flower heads with their yellow petals make -the Sunrays among the most impressive composites of the desert. - -Flowers rise on stout stems above a luxuriant growth of leaves that make -the plants appear almost egotistical in their elegant arrogance. - -They are at their best in sandy washes and on dry slopes at elevations -between 1,000 and 3,500 feet, often where other plants seem too hard -pressed eking out an existence to produce the garish foliage and bloom -achieved by the Sunray. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Geraea canescens] - - - Common names: DESERT-SUNSHINE, DESERT-SUNFLOWER, DESERT GOLD, - HAIRY-HEADED SUNFLOWER - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Geraea canescens_). Yellow. - January-June. - Sunflower family. Size: An annual, 6 inches to 2 feet tall. - -One of the showiest of the Sunflowers. Desert-sunflowers often form -sweet-scented gardens of luxuriant bloom along roadsides and in sandy -basins early in the spring. - -Its seeds form a dependable source of food for small rodents, especially -Pocket Mice, which store them in quantities. Wild bees and Hummingbird -Moths are attracted to the fragrant flowers. - -This species is common in areas of sandy soil below 1,500 feet in -elevation from Utah and southeastern Colorado to southern Arizona and -Sonora, Mexico. It is one of the showy roadside flowers of Organ Pipe -Cactus National Monument. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Encelia farinosa] - - - Common names: BRITTLEBUSH, (_INCIENSO_) - Arizona and California deserts: (_Encelia farinosa_). Yellow. - November-May. - Sunflower family. Size: Perennial shrubs, 2 to 3 feet high. - -These low, branching shrubs with gray-green leaves are common on rocky -slopes and benches where they lighten the winter landscape with their -bright flower heads and create a spectacular mass of bloom during early -spring. Flower stems rise several inches above the brittle leaf-covered -branches, thus hiding the plant under a blanket of blossoms at the -height of the blooming period. - -Plants are abundant on rocky slopes below 3,000 feet from southern -Nevada to Lower California and eastward through Arizona. - -Stems exude a gum prized as incense by the early-day Catholic priests. -Indians chewed this gum, and also heated it to smear on their bodies for -the relief of pain. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Baileya multiradiata] - - - Common names: WOOLLY-MARIGOLD, DESERT-MARIGOLD, PAPER-DAISY - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Baileya multiradiata_). Yellow. - March-October. - California desert: (_Baileya pleniradiata_). Yellow. March-November. - Sunflower family. Size: 4 inches up to 2 feet high. - -This low-growing, woolly, annual herb with showy, yellow flowers on -long, solitary stems is one of the commonest bloomers gracing the desert -roadsides and making patches of bright color along otherwise drab and -dry, sandy desert washes. It is particularly noticeable because of its -luxurious crop of flowers and long period of bloom. - -At first glance, Desert-marigold may be confused with Crownbeard, to -which it is quite similar in color, size, and habit of growing in -groups. However, the regular, circular shape of Marigold blooms and the -considerable difference in leaf shape make the two readily -distinguishable. - -In California, Desert-marigold is cultivated for the flower trade. - -Fatal poisoning of sheep on over-grazed ranges has been laid at the door -of this plant, although horses crop the flower heads, apparently without -harmful effect. Blossom petals become bleached and papery as the -blossoms age, thus giving the plant in some localities the name -Paperdaisy. - -Desert-marigold, of which there are but few species, is common -throughout desert areas of the Southwest from Utah and Nevada to Lower -California, Sonora and Chihuahua. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Aplopappus heterophyllus - Aplopappus gracilis] - - - Common names: JIMMYWEED, RAYLESS-GOLDENROD, GOLDENBUSH, GOLDENWEED - Arizona desert: (_Aplopappus lacrifolius_). Yellow. August-November. - California desert: (_Aplopappus gracilis_). Yellow. February-November. - Texas-New Mexico desert: (_Aplopappus heterophyllus_). Yellow. - June-September. - Sunflower family. Size: Herbs or small shrubs 2 to 18 inches. - -The genus _Aplopappus_ (sometimes spelled _Haplopappus_) is represented -in the Southwest by a great many species, both annuals and perennials, -which range from elevations of 2,000 feet up to 9,000 feet. Desert forms -prefer open, dry canyon slopes and mesas. - -_A. linearifolius_ is conspicuous in the springtime, at elevations -between 3,000 and 5,000 feet because of its many, showy flower heads. - -_A. heterophyllus_ often takes over heavily grazed rangeland since it is -generally unpalatable to livestock and replaces vegetation destroyed by -overgrazing. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Psilostrophe cooperi] - - - Common name: PAPERFLOWER - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Psilostrophe cooperi_). Bright yellow. - Year around. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Psilostrophe sparsiflora_). Bright yellow. - May-September. - Sunflower family. Size: Rounded bush 12 to 18 inches high. - -One man of the writer’s acquaintance, confused by the great number of -yellow flowers on the desert, refers to them all as “yellow composites.” -The Paperflower is one of these. - -It is noticeable because of the conspicuous, bright yellow flowers which -sometimes cover the plants almost completely, often during periods of -the year when bloom is quite scarce on the desert. - -The flowers are persistent, petals become papery, fade to a pale yellow, -and remain on the plants intact for weeks. - -Although the Paperflower does not form great masses of color, the -blossom-covered clumps are conspicuous among the Cactus, Mesquite, and -Creosotebush of the desert. - -It is common at elevations below 5,000 feet from southern Utah to Lower -California, with similar species ranging eastward through southern New -Mexico and northern Chihuahua. - -Some species are reported to be poisonous to sheep. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Cassia lindheimeriana - Cassia bauhinoides] - - - Common names: DESERT-SENNA, RATTLEWEED - Arizona desert: (_Cassia bauhinoides_). Yellow. May-August. - California desert: (_Cassia armata_). Yellow. April-May. - Texas desert: (_Cassia lindheimeriana_). Golden. June-September. - Pea family. Size: Low, branching shrub up to 3 feet. - -Members of this large genus are chiefly tropical, the majority having -golden to bronze flowers and brown, woody seed pods. They are quite -common along desert roadsides, and a few species are cultivated as -ornamentals. - -In some localities, following moist winters, Desert-senna bursts into a -riot of color in April and May adding a golden glory to the spring -floral display. - -Representatives of the several desert species occur at elevations -between 2,000 and 5,000 feet from Texas westward to southern California -and south into Mexico. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Caesalpinia gilliesi] - - - Common names: BIRD-OF-PARADISE-FLOWER - Arizona desert: (_Caesalpinia gilliesi_). Yellow-and-red. May-August. - Pea family. Size: Shrub, up to 10 feet tall. - -Widely grown as a decorative shrub by the people of Mexico, this -spectacular import from South America is quite commonly used as an -ornamental in yards and around houses in desert areas of the Southwest. -Under suitable conditions, it may escape and grow wild. The very showy -blossoms with yellow petals and long, thread-like, red filaments are -certain to attract attention. - -In contrast to the striking showiness of the blossoms, the plant itself -is straggling and unsymmetrical, and gives off an unpleasant odor. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Opuntia engelmanni - Opuntia basilaris] - - - Common names: PRICKLYPEAR, (_TUNA_), BEAVERTAIL - Arizona desert: (_Opuntia engelmanni_). Yellow. April-June. - California desert: (_Opuntia basilaris_). Magenta. March-April. - Texas desert: (_Opuntia engelmanni_). Yellow. May-July. - Cactus family. Size: Clumps, sometimes 5 feet high and 10 feet in - diameter. - -The flattened pods, or stem joints, of the Pricklypears growing, as they -do, in huge clumps make them the best known of the Cacti throughout the -West. There are many species found throughout the United States, but the -plants reach their greatest size and luxuriant growth in the desert -areas of the Southwest. The large, red to purple and mahogany, juicy, -pear-shaped fruits are known as _tunas_, and are eaten by many animals -as well as by the native peoples. Flowers are large and spectacular. - -Although a number of species of Pricklypears are found in all of the -desert areas, _O. engelmanni_ with its bright yellow flowers is the -commonest form in both the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, while the -Beavertail cactus with its magenta flowers and lack of large spines is -the common and spectacular form of the Mohave Desert. - -Pricklypears are increasing in parts of the desert where conditions are -favorable, especially where heavy grazing has given them an advantage -over plants that are favorable to livestock. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Ferocactus wislizeni] - - - Common names: BARREL CACTUS, COMPASS CACTUS, DEVILSHEAD CACTUS, - (_BISNAGA_), (_BISNAGRE_) - Arizona desert: (_Ferocactus wislizeni_). Orange-yellow. - July-September. - California desert: (_Ferocactus acanthodes_). Yellow. March-May. - Texas desert: (_Echinocactus horizonthalonius_). Rose-pink. May-June. - Cactus family. Size: 2 to 8 feet high. - -Well known among the desert figures are the heavy-bodied Barrel Cacti -which are sometimes pointed out as sources of water for travelers -suffering from thirst. Under extreme conditions, it is possible to hack -off the tops of these tough, spine-protected plants and obtain, by -squeezing the macerated tissues, enough juice to sustain life. - -Growing faster on the shaded side, the taller-growing plants tend to -lean toward the south, hence the name “Compass” cactus. Flowers range in -color from yellow to orange and rose-pink, depending on the species, and -the pale yellow, egg-shaped fruits which ripen early in the winter, are -a favorite food of deer and rodents. Flowers, and the resulting fruits, -form a ring around the crown of the plant. - -The flesh of the Barrel cactus, cooked in sugar, forms the base of -cactus candy. - - YELLOW - - - - - [Illustration: Agave lechuguilla] - - - Common names: AGAVE, CENTURYPLANT, (_MESCAL_), (_LECHUGUILLA_) - Arizona desert: (_Agave palmeri_). Yellow-purple. July-Aug. - California desert: (_Agave deserti_). Yellow. May. - Texas-New Mexico desert: (_Agave lechuguilla_). Lavender-brown. - April-May. - Amaryllis family. Size: Flower stalks 8 to 25 feet tall. - -Many species of Agave are found in various parts of the desert, hence it -is difficult to settle on those which should be given particular -recognition. Their blossoms, in general, are various shades of yellow. -The larger species are called Centuryplant or Mescal (mess-KAHL), while -the small ones are spoken of as Lechuguillas (letch-you-GHEE-ahs). The -Lechuguilla, covering hundreds of square miles in Texas, New Mexico, and -northern Mexico, is an indicator of the Chihuahuan Desert, holding the -position in that desert which the Saguaro does in the Sonoran desert and -the Joashua-tree in the Mohave Desert. - -From its leaf fibers the Mexicans weave a coarse fabric. Its plumelike -flower stalks, relished by deer and cattle, form one of the spectacular -sights of the Chihuahuan Desert in springtime. - - YELLOW - - [Illustration: plant silhouette] - -Agave plants require a number of years to store sufficient plant foods -for the production of the huge flower stalk which grows with amazing -rapidity to produce the many flowers and seeds, after which the plant -dies. This long pre-blossom period of a dozen to 15 or more years is the -basis for the name “Centuryplant.” If the young flower stalk is cut off, -the sweet sap may be collected and fermented to form highly intoxicating -beverages, some of which are distilled commercially. Among these are -mescal, pulque (POOL-kay), and tequila (tay-KEEL-ah). Indians cut the -young bud stalks, and roast them in rock-lined pits. - - - - - [Illustration: Calochortus kennedyi - Calochortus flexuosus] - - - Common names: MARIPOSA, DESERT-MARIPOSA - Arizona and California deserts: (_Calochortus kennedyi_). Orange. - March-May. - Lily family. Size: Perennial, about 2 feet tall. - -Under favorable weather conditions, this short-stemmed Mariposa presents -a gorgeous display of spring color. Closely related to the -white-flowered Twisted-stem Mariposa (_C. flexuosus_) and to the -Sego-lily (state flower of Utah), the Desert-mariposa is found below -5,000 feet in Nevada, southern California, southern Arizona, and -northern Sonora. When growing beneath taller shrubs, it forsakes its -short-stemmed habit and forces its way up through the low branches, -displaying its blossom above. - -The Mariposas, of which there are several species, are among the most -beautiful wildflowers of the Southwest. - - ORANGE - - - - - [Illustration: Eschscholtzia mexicana] - - - Common names: GOLDPOPPY, DESERTPOPPY, (_COPRA-DE-ORO_), MEXICAN POPPY - Arizona desert: (_Eschscholtzia mexicana_). Orange. February-May. - California desert: (_Eschscholtzia glyptosperma_). Bright yellow. - March-May. - Poppy family. Size: 3 inches to a foot high, with many flower stems. - -Because of their abundance and dense growth, following winters of heavy -precipitation, these annual poppies often cover portions of the desert -with “a cloth of gold.” They are closely related to the well-known -California Poppy, state flower of California, and a common border or -bedding plant in home flower gardens. In the desert, Goldpoppies are -sometimes mixed with Owlclover, Lupines, and other spring flowers -forming a multi-colored carpet that attracts visitors from great -distances. (See cover.) - - ORANGE - - - - - [Illustration: Martynia arenaria] - - - Common names: DEVILSCLAW, UNICORNPLANT, ELEPHANT-TUSKS - Arizona desert: (_Martynia parviflora_). Orange-purple. April-October. - California desert: (_Martynia altheaefolia_). Coppery yellow. - July-September. - Texas desert: (_Martynia arenaria_). Coppery yellow. July-September. - Martynia family. Size: Trailing, with stems 2 to 5 feet long. - -The showy flowers, which are large enough to attract attention, are -relatively few. Even more spectacular are the large, black, woody pods -ending in two curved, prong-like appendages that hook about the fetlocks -of burros or the fleece of sheep, thereby carrying the pod away from the -mother plant and scattering the seeds. Young pods are sometimes eaten by -desert Indians as a vegetable, and the mature fruits are gathered by the -Pima and Papago Indians, who strip off the black outer covering and use -it in weaving designs into basketry. - -Blossoms of the small-flowered species are reddish purple to white -streaked with orange and yellow, while the large-flowered species have -coppery yellow blossoms, the throat spotted with purple and the edge of -the cup streaked with orange. - - COPPERY - - - - - [Illustration: Hymenoclea monogyra] - - - Common names: BURROBUSH, CHEESEWEED - Arizona and California deserts: (_Hymenoclea salsola_). Silvery red. - March-April. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Hymenoclea monogyra_). Silvery red. - September. - Sunflower family. Size: Much-branched shrub, 2 to 3 feet tall. - -Burrobush is another of the common desert shrubs whose fruits are much -more conspicuous than the blossoms. The shrub itself is bright green in -color, and somewhat resembles the common Russian-thistle. It is -widespread, and abundant in sandy washes, where it tends to form -thickets. - -In some localities it is called “Cheeseweed” because of the cheesy odor -of the crushed foliage. - -It occurs throughout the Southwest at elevations below 4,000 feet, from -western Texas to southern California and northern Mexico. - - RED - - - - - [Illustration: Fouquieria splendens] - - - Common names: OCOTILLO, SLIMWOOD, COACHWHIP, CANDLEWOOD, FLAMINGSWORD - Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Fouquieria splendens_). - Bright red. April-May. - Ocotillo family. Size: Up to 15 feet tall. - -One of the few flower families restricted to the desert, the unique -Ocotillo (oh-koh-TEE-oh) with its long, unbranching stems is found on -rocky hillsides below 5,000 feet from western Texas to southern -California and south into Mexico. It is one of the commonest, queerest, -and most spectacular of desert plants, especially when the tips of its -long, slender stems seem afire with dense clusters of bright red -blossoms. Following rains, leaves clothe the thorny stems with green, -but after the soil becomes dry, the leaves turn brown and fall. The -heavily thorned stems are covered with green bark which takes over the -functions of leaves during periods of drought. The plant thus becomes -semi-dormant during hot dry periods and, in sections of the desert -visited by showers, may go through this cycle several times during a -year. - -Because of its sharp thorns, strangers to the desert may think that the -Ocotillo is one of the Cacti, but it is more closely related to both the -Violet and the Tamarix than to the Cacti. - -Stems of the Ocotillo are used by natives in building huts. They are -sometimes cut and, when planted close together in rows, take root and -form living fences and corrals. - - RED - - - - - [Illustration: Allionia incarnata] - - - Common names: WINDMILLS, PINK THREE-FLOWER, TRAILING-FOUR-O’CLOCK - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Allionia incarnata_). Purple pink. - April-October. - California desert: (_Allionia albida_). Rose pink. July-October. - Four-o’clock family. Size: Spreading annual with branches 30 inches. - -Slender, trailing stems up to 30 inches in length with clusters of three -rose-purple to pink blossoms serve to identify the Trailing-four-o’clock -which is a conspicuous plant of the open plains and mesas. The plants -prefer dry, sandy benches where they are quite conspicuous with their -prostrate, somewhat sticky stems weighted with clinging grains of sand. -Blossoms are usually showy and colorful, rarely pale rose to white. - -Fruits of _A. incarnata_ are conspicuously toothed. - - PINK - - - - - [Illustration: Sphaeralcea ambigua] - - - Common names: GLOBEMALLOW, APRICOT-MALLOW, SORE-EYE POPPY, - DESERTMALLOW - Arizona and California deserts: (_Sphaeralcea ambigua_). Peach-pink. - February-May. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Sphaeralcea angustifolia_). Pink. - May-October. - Mallow family. Size: 1 to 5 feet tall, often clustered. - -Common throughout all of the Southwest, the Mallows range in size from -small herbs 5 or 6 inches high to coarse, straggling, woody-stemmed -plants with stems 4 or 5 feet long. Their flowers range in color from -white and pale yellow to lavender, apricot, and red. Some species, -including _Ambigua_, grow in large clumps with as many as 100 stems from -a single root. The smaller species often cover the desert floor in early -spring with a dense growth of flowers giving an apricot tinge to the -landscape. Several species flower in spring and again after the summer -rains. - -A local belief that hairs of the plant are irritating to the eyes has -given the name “Sore-eye Poppies,” an appellation carried out in the -Mexican name _Mal-de-ojos_. In Lower California, Mallows are called -_Plantas Muy Malas_, meaning very bad plants. In contrast, the Pima -Indian name is translated to mean “a cure for sore eyes.” - - PINK - - - - - [Illustration: Calliandra eriophylla] - - - Common names: FAIRYDUSTER, FALSE-MESQUITE, (_MESQUITILLA_), - HAIRY-LEAVED CALLIANDRA - Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Calliandra eriophylla_). - Pink. February-May. - Pea family. Size: From a few inches up to 3½ feet tall. - -This straggling, perennial shrub with fine, Mimosa-type leaves is common -over much of the desert, lining banks of arroyos or dotting open -hillsides. It is particularly conspicuous when in flower because of the -spectacular tassel-like blossoms which are white and scarlet, or -generally pink in appearance. The small leaves are nutritious and are -highly palatable to deer and to livestock. The petite Fairyduster adds -much to the color and springtime atmosphere of the desert. It is -particularly noticeable along the base of the Tanque Verde hills in -Saguaro National Monument. - - PINK - - - - - [Illustration: Eriogonum deflexum] - - - Common names: SKELETONWEED, DESERT BUCKWHEAT - Arizona desert: (_Eriogonum densum_). Pink. May-October. - California desert: (_Eriogonum deflexum_). Pink-white. All year. - Texas desert: (_Eriogonum polycladon_). Pink. June-November. - Buckwheat family. Size: 6 inches to 30 inches high. - -_Eriogonum_ is a very large genus, many species of which are common, and -contains both annuals and biennials. Although the flowers are small, -they are usually numerous and conspicuous. _E. densum_ is often very -abundant in semi-desert areas, particularly along roadsides, where it is -especially noticeable because it monopolizes the pavement edges for -miles. It is extremely resistant to drought and flourishes when many -other herbaceous plants have dried out completely. Although it bears -flowers at almost any time throughout the year, during the autumn months -the branches are loaded with myriads of pendant, pearly flowers the size -of rice kernels. In winter, the stalks turn maroon in color and are -quite conspicuous. - -_E. polycladon_ is often so common along roadsides and desert washes as -to color the landscape with its greyish stems and pink flowers. - -_E. inflatum_ always attracts attention because of its swollen stems -which resemble tall, slender bottles. - - PINK - - - - - [Illustration: Tamarix pentandra] - - - Common names: SALTCEDAR, TAMARISK - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Tamarix pentandra_). Pink to - white. March-August. - Tamarix family. Size: Shrubs to trees up to 15-20 feet high. - -Purists could object to inclusion of the Saltcedar in this booklet -because it is not native. However, due to a number of importations -(eight species being introduced by the Department of Agriculture between -1899 and 1915) and to its ability to spread rapidly under suitable -conditions, Saltcedar is now widespread throughout the Southwest. - -It grows as a graceful shrub or small tree with drooping branches -covered with small, scale-like leaves and is abundant in moist locations -below 5,000 feet. It prefers a hot climate, low humidity, and saline -soils. In river bottoms, it often forms dense thickets which require -immense quantities of water, hence rob the few desert streams of a high -percentage of their moisture. - -Honeybees obtain nectar from the blossoms, which are particularly -noticeable in the spring and early summer, as they completely cover the -branches which appear as light pink, drooping plumes. The thickets are -valuable as wind breaks and in erosion control, and once established, -are very difficult to control and because of the deep shade cast by -their dense growth and the heavy feeding of the shallow roots, they -prevent cropping. - -The name Tamarisk is often confused with the name of the Larch or -Tamarack tree. There is little similarity except in the name. - -The larger _Tamarix aphylla_ is similar in appearance but much larger -and suitable for cultivation as a shade and decorative tree. It is -subject to winterkill, but does not have the bad habit of spreading, -characteristic of _T. pentandra_. - - PINK - - - - - [Illustration: Phlox tenuifolia - Phlox mesoleuca] - - - Common name: DESERT-PHLOX - Arizona desert: (_Phlox tenuifolia_). White-lavender. Spring. - California desert: (_Phlox stansburyi_). Pinkish-red. May-July. - Texas desert: (_Phlox mesoleuca_). Pink-white. June-August. - Phlox family. Size: Low-growing perennials, in clumps; or shrubby - plants in tufts up to 3 feet tall. - -Representatives of the Phlox genus are found from the hot desert -lowlands to the mountain tops well above the timberline. Certain species -are limited in their range to the desert areas of the Southwest, and it -is in these that we are interested here. The plants sometimes present a -mass of heavy bloom twice yearly: heaviest in the spring, and again -following the summer rains. Several of the native species have been -brought under cultivation, particularly _P. tenuifolia_, in desert -gardens, as it grows naturally in a brushy habitat similar to that -formed by the shrubs planted around a house. Other forms grow as low, -creeping mats forming fragrant, colorful floral carpets. - - LAVENDER - - - - - [Illustration: Chilopsis linearis] - - - Common names: DESERTWILLOW, DESERT-CATALPA - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Chilopsis linearis_). - Pink-lavender. April-August. - Bignonia family. Size: Shrubby tree, 6 to 15 feet high. - -Although a close relative of the Catalpa, the willow-like foliage of -this small tree has given it the name Desertwillow. A small and -inconspicuous part of the desert vegetation when not in flower, -unnoticed among the heavier growth of trees and shrubs that crowd the -banks of desert washes, the tree’s beautiful orchid-like flowers of -white to lavender mottled with dots and splotches of brown and purple -bring exclamations of delight from persons viewing them for the first -time. Because of the beauty of the tree when in bloom, it is sometimes -cultivated as an ornamental. - -Leaves are rarely browsed by livestock, and the durable, black-barked -wood is used for fenceposts. In Mexico, a tea made by steeping the dried -flowers is considered to be of medicinal value. By early autumn, the -violet-scented flowers which appear after summer rains are replaced by -the long, slender seed pods which remain dangling from the branches and -serve to identify the tree long after the flowers are gone. - -Although Desertwillows are never found in pure stands, growing singly -and rather infrequently among other trees and shrubs lining desert -washes, the species is quite common below 4,000 feet across the entire -desert from western Texas to southern Nevada, southern California and -southward into Mexico. - - LAVENDER - - - - - [Illustration: Lemaireocereus thurberi - Lophocereus schotti] - - - Common names: ORGANPIPE CACTUS, SINITA; (_PITAHAYA DULCE_) - Arizona desert: (_Lemaireocereus thurberi_). Pink lavender. May-June. - Arizona desert: (_Lophocereus schotti_). Pink. April-August. - Cactus family. Size: In clumps, stems up to 15 feet. - -Two somewhat similar, columnar cacti occur in the United States only in -Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and in its immediate vicinity. Both -are fairly common in northwestern Mexico. - -These two spectacular desert giants with their clumps of erect branches -are sufficiently similar to be readily confused at first glance. -However, the stems of the Organpipe (_L. thurberi_) are longer and -contain more but much smaller ridges than do the stems of the Sinita or -“Whisker cactus.” The name “Sinita” (meaning old age) refers to the -long, gray, hair-like spines covering the upper ends of the Sinita -stems. - -Both species are night-blooming, the flowers, which appear along the -sides and at the tips of the stems, closing soon after sunrise the -following morning. Fruits of the Organpipe are harvested by the Papago -Indians. - -Although these two species of cactus are restricted to a very limited -area, they are sufficiently spectacular and interesting to be considered -worthy of inclusion in this booklet. It was to protect these species, -threatened with extinction in the United States, and other rare and -interesting forms of desert plants and animals, that Organ Pipe Cactus -National Monument was established. - - LAVENDER - - - - - [Illustration: Mammillaria microcarpa] - - - Common names: PINCUSHION CACTUS, FISHHOOK CACTUS, CORKSEED CACTUS, - NIPPLE CACTUS, BUTTON CACTUS - Arizona desert: (_Mammillaria microcarpa_). Lavender. June-July. - California desert: (_Mammillaria tetrancistra_). Lavender. June-July. - Texas-New Mexico deserts: (_Mammillaria micromeris_). Lavender. Early - summer. - Cactus family. Size: Cucumber-shaped and 3 to 10 inches high. - -Unlike blossoms of many of the Cacti, flowers of the little -_Mammallarias_ often last for several days. Blossoms are pink or -lavender, occasionally yellow, while the fruits are finger- or -club-shaped and red. Being small and forming low clumps, or with single -pincushion-like stems, they often escape attention except when glorified -with bright, comparatively large flowers, which often form a crown -around the top of the plant. The long spines are curved at the tips -giving the plant the appearance of being covered with unbarbed -fishhooks. - -The Pincushion cacti, of which there are a number of species throughout -the Southwest, occur in dry, sandy hills from southern Utah to western -Texas and in southern California and northern Mexico. The red fruits are -bare, without scales, spines, or hairs. - - LAVENDER - - - - - [Illustration: Gilia longiflora - Gilia filifolia] - - - Common names: GILIA, STARFLOWER - Arizona desert: (_Gilia filifolia_). Lavender. April-May. - California desert: (_Gilia latifolia_). Pink-lavender. March-April. - Texas desert: (_Gilia longiflora_). Blue-lavender. April-October. - Phlox family. Size: 6 to 24 inches high. - -Although the Gilias are not generally well known, they are common, quite -widely distributed throughout the Southwest, and their beauty deserves -wider recognition. There are a great many species (of which early -flowering _G. inconspicua_ is perhaps the commonest) at higher -elevations as well as throughout the desert. Many of these are worthy of -cultivation as ornamentals. Desert species, in general, are pale blue, -white, or lavender while those of the higher elevations are pink, coral, -or yellow to scarlet; although this is by no means a hard-and-fast rule. - -Following winters of above-normal precipitation, desert species -sometimes produce such heavy stands that the flowers cover large areas -with a delicate pale blue or lavender carpet. Some species are -attractive to Hummingbirds. - - LAVENDER - - - - - [Illustration: Phacelia crenulata] - - - Common names: PHACELIA, SCORPIONWEED, WILD-HELIOTROPE - Arizona desert: (_Phacelia crenulata_). Violet-purple. February-June. - California desert: (_Phacelia distans_). Blue-violet. March-May. - Texas desert: (_Phacelia coerulea_). Violet-purple. March-April. - Waterleaf family. Size: 4 to 16 inches tall. - -Although strongly scented, it is not accurate to refer to these annuals -as fragrant, for they are sometimes unpleasant in odor, and occasionally -actually foul-smelling. Some are described as having an onion-like odor. - -_P. crenulata_ with its rich, violet-purple flowers is conspicuous -across southern New Mexico, Arizona and California to Lower California. -This species is often called Wild-heliotrope. - -The name Scorpionweed comes from the curling habit of the blossoming -flower heads which somewhat resemble the flexed tail of a scorpion in -striking position. - - - - - [Illustration: Lycium andersoni - Lycium pallidum] - - - Common names: SQUAW-THORN, RABBIT-THORN, DESERT-THORN, WOLFBERRY, - SQUAWBERRY, (_TOMATILLO_) - Arizona desert: (_Lycium pallidum_). Green-lavender. April-June. - California desert: (_Lycium andersoni_). Lavender. February-April. - Texas desert: (_Lycium berlanderi_). Lavender-cream. March-September. - Potato family. Size: Thorny shrubs, stiff and brushy, up to 6 feet. - -Noticeable in winter because of their off-season greenery and early -flowers which cover the bushes and attract many insects, and attractive -in late spring and summer due to the numerous tomato-colored berries -hanging from their stiff, thorny stems, the Squaw-thorns are widely -distributed throughout the desert. - -These plants have contributed much to the subsistence of the Indians, -their insipid, slightly bitter, juicy berries being eaten raw or -prepared as a sauce. These berries are eagerly sought by birds, which -also use the stiff shrubs for cover and for protective roosts at night. - -Early spring is the normal blooming season, but some flower again -following summer or early fall rains. - - VIOLET - - - - - [Illustration: Leucophyllum frutescens] - - - Common names: CENIZA, SENISA, ASHPLANT, WILD-LILAC - Texas desert: (_Leucophyllum frutescens_). Lilac-violet. - August-October. (Leucophyllum texanum). Violet-purple. - August-October. - Figwort family. Size: Bushy shrub, 3 to 4 feet high. - -In southern Texas, thick patches of this shrub are sometimes found, -although they commonly occur singly or a few together, usually on -limestone soils. Since the leaves are a light gray-green, plants appear -to be ashy in color, giving rise to the name “Ceniza,” meaning “ashy.” -Spectacular in Big Bend National Park. - -So sensitive is this plant to moisture, that it may burst into blossom -within a few hours after a soaking rain, this phenomenon giving rise to -the local belief that the plant actually blossoms before the rain, -thereby forecasting precipitation; hence the name “Barometerbush.” -During recent years, Ceniza has become one of the popular native shrubs -used in landscaping. - -Under normal conditions, plants blossom in September. - - VIOLET - - - - - [Illustration: Erodium texanum - Erodium cicutarium] - - - Common names: FILEREE OR FILAREE, HERONBILL, (_ALFILERIA_) - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Erodium texanum_). Pink-violet. - February-March. - California desert. (_Erodium cicutarium_). Rose-violet. - February-March. - Geranium family. Size: 3 to 12 inches high. - -Believed to have been introduced from the Mediterranean countries at an -early date by the Spaniards, _Alfileria_ is now widespread and -extensively naturalized throughout the Southwest. In the desert, it is -one of the common winter annuals and furnishes excellent spring forage -especially following moist winters. The plants remain green for only a -few weeks, but are good forage even after the stems have dried. - -Although the blossoms are not large nor sufficiently numerous to make a -colorful display, they are attractive and welcome, as they are among the -first spring flowers to put in an appearance. “Tails” of the fruits are -long and slender, somewhat resembling a Heron’s bill, and upon maturity -twist into a tight spiral when dry. Upon becoming moist, they uncoil, -driving the sharp-tipped seeds into the soil. Seeds are gathered and -stored by Ants which discard the husks and coiled “tails” outside their -nests, thus building up a circular band of chaff around the Ant-hill. - - VIOLET - - - - - [Illustration: Olneya tesota] - - - Common names: IRONWOOD, DESERT-IRONWOOD, TESOTA, (_PALO-DE-HIERRO_) - Arizona and California deserts: (_Olneya tesota_). Violet-purple. - May-June. - Pea family. Size: Wide-crowned tree up to 35 feet. - -Ironwood is one of the desert’s most beautiful trees, being particularly -colorful when the new, dark-green leaves and violet, wisteria-like -flowers give it a lavender glow in late May or early June. Since the -tree survives only in warm locations, it has for years served as a guide -to citrus growers in selecting sites for orange, lemon, or grapefruit -plantings. - -Foliage of the Ironwood is dense and evergreen, and the wood is very -heavy and so hard that it cannot be worked with ordinary tools. When -thoroughly dry, it makes high-quality firewood, and as a result it has -been cut and removed over much of the desert, hence mature trees are -becoming relatively scarce. Indians used the wood for arrow points and -as tool handles. - -Ironwood trees grow along desert washes, often in company with Mesquite -and Paloverde. Blossoms are much more numerous in some years than in -others. Although the trees, when in bloom, make a spectacular showing, -they are very difficult to capture on color film, and photographs that -do them justice are rare. Seeds, which mature late in the summer, are -roasted and eaten by desert Indians who prize them for their peanut-like -flavor. They are eaten also by various desert animals. - -In Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and in some other parts of the -desert, Ironwood trees have become heavily infested with Mistletoe which -stunts or kills the branches and produces grotesque, tumor-like -swellings. - - VIOLET - - - - - [Illustration: Aster tephrodes - Aster abatus] - - - Common names: ASTER, DESERT ASTER, MOHAVE-ASTER, TANSY ASTER - Arizona desert: (_Aster tephrodes_). Amethyst blue. April-October. - California desert: (_Aster abatus_). Violet to lavender. March-May. - Texas desert: (_Aster tanacetifolius_). Bright violet. June-October. - Sunflower family. Size: Few inches to 2½ feet tall. - -Since the Aster is one of the most widespread and best-known of the -flowers, it is usually easily recognized. There are many species, -principally perennials, ranging from low-growing, single-stemmed plants, -sprawling, many-stemmed plants with large flowers, to tall bushes. -Desert species are found on dry, rocky hillsides and along roadsides and -on waste ground. - - [Illustration: Aster tanacetifolius leaf shapes] - -The Aster is by no means restricted to the desert. Over much of the -United States they are considered as fall bloomers, but many species -blossom in the spring while others are at their floral best in -midsummer. - - VIOLET - - - - - [Illustration: Pentstemon pseudospectabilis - Pentstemon fendleri] - - - Common names: PENTSTEMON, BEARDTONGUE - Arizona desert: (_Pentstemon pseudospectabilis_). Rose-purple. - April-July. - California desert. (Pentstemon thurberi). Blue-purple. April-June. - Texas desert: (_Pentstemon fendleri_). Blue-purple. April-June. - Figwort family. Size: Perennial herbs from a few inches high to 3 feet - or more tall. - -Widespread through the Southwest at nearly all elevations, the -Penstemons are conspicuous herbs or small shrubs with showy flowers that -attract attention and admiration when they are in bloom in the spring -and early summer on the desert. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Lupinus sparsiflorus - Lupinus havardi] - - - Common names: LUPINE, BLUEBONNET - Arizona desert: (_Lupinus sparsiflorus_). Violet-purple. January-May. - California desert: (_Lupinus odoratus_). Royal purple. April-May. - Texas desert: (_Lupinus havardi_). Blue-purple. March-April. - Pea family. Size: Bushy, and up to 2 or 2½ feet tall. - -Lupines are among the old dependables of spring display flowers of the -desert, usually mingling with other blossoming herbs to create the -bright color pattern for which the desert is famous in early spring, but -occasionally growing in pure stands. Ranging in color from pale pink to -deep purple, the Lupines are usually considered as blue flowers. - -The name “Lupine” comes from the Latin word meaning wolf and was applied -to these plants because they were believed to rob the soil of its -fertility. Actually, they prefer the poorer, sandy soils and, by fixing -in the soil nitrogen that they, in common with other plants of the pea -family, are able to obtain from the air, they actually improve the land -on which they grow. - -Perhaps the best known display of Lupines takes place each spring in -Texas. Here the “Bluebonnet” (_L. texensis_ and _L. subcarnosus_) has -been named the state flower of Texas, and the annual spring display -attracts thousands of people to the areas of heavy bloom. The majority -of Lupines have handsome flowers, some species are fragrant, and several -species are cultivated as ornamentals. The seeds of a few species -contain alkaloids which are poisonous to livestock, especially sheep. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Orobanche ludoviciana] - - - Common names: BROOMRAPE, BURROWED STRANGLER, CANCER-ROOT - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Orobanche ludoviciana_). - Brownish-purple. March-July. - Broomrape family. Size: 4 to 15 inches tall. - -This root parasite, although not common, is sufficiently strange and -striking in appearance to arrest attention. Its purple to -yellowish-brown, leafless flower stalks somewhat resembling coarse -shoots of asparagus rise above the desert soil, usually in open, sandy -locations. - -Broomrape, of which there are several species, is found throughout the -Southwest from southern Utah and Nevada to Texas, California, and -Mexico. - -The plant is parasitic on the roots of a number of different plants, but -the desert species usually parasitize Burrobush, Bur-sage, and other -composites. Flowers are small, purple with brown and white markings, and -monopolize the plant stalk in the absence of foliage. - -Underground parts of the plant were eaten by Southwestern Indians. The -name “Cancer-root” refers to the reported efficacy of treatment in -applying the stems of the plant to ulcers. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Astragalus mollissimus] - - - Common names: MILKVETCH, LOCOWEED, RATTLEWEED, WOOLLY-LOCO - Arizona and California deserts: (_Astragalus nuttalianus_). - White-purple. February-May. - Texas deserts: (_Astragalus mollissimus_). Purple. April-May. - Pea family. Size: 4 to 12 inches high. - -A very large genus of plants, with 78 species recorded in Arizona alone, -_Astragalus_ ranges from the driest, hottest parts of the desert to high -mountain peaks and the far north. _A. nuttalianus_ is the commonest of -the desert species and is found on dry plains, mesas, and slopes below -4,000 feet from Arkansas and Texas westward to California and south into -Mexico. - -Some of the species, of which _Mollisimus_ (Wooly-loco) is one, contain -a poisonous constituent causing the well-known and often fatal loco -disease of livestock, particularly horses. (Loco is a Spanish word -meaning “crazy.”) Other species which prefer soils rich in selenium take -up enough of that toxic mineral to make them poisonous to livestock, -especially sheep. - -Nearly all of the species are colorful and spectacular when in blossom, -and some of them have a rank, disagreeable odor. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Solanum elaeagnifolium - S. rostratum] - - - Common names: PURPLE NIGHTSHADE, GROUNDCHERRY, WILD POTATO, - (_TROMPILLO_), HORSENETTLE - Arizona and California deserts: (_Solanum xanti_). Purple. - April-August. - Texas desert: (_Solanum elaeagnifolium_). Purple-violet. - May-September. - Potato family. Size: Up to 3 feet. - -Quite showy when in flower, these common roadside plants attract -considerable attention during the late spring and summer. Some species -become troublesome in cultivated fields and are difficult to eradicate. -An alkaloid, solanin, reported as present in the leaves and unripe -fruits of several species, renders them poisonous. Pima Indians add the -crushed berries of _S. elaeagnofolium_ to milk in making cheese. - -The yellow-flowered _S. rostratum_ is heavily covered with spines, -including both stems and fruit, giving it the name of Buffalobur. This -species is said to be the original host of the now widespread pest, the -Colorado Potato Beetle. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Heliotropium curassavicum] - - - Common names: WILD-HELIOTROPE, QUAILPLANT, CHINESE-PUSLEY - Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Heliotropium curassavicum_). - Purple. March-April. - Borage family. Size: Spreading, weak stems up to 18 inches. - -Widely distributed on salty and alkaline soils throughout the warmer -parts of the Western Hemisphere, there are several species and varieties -of Wild-heliotrope. The flowers, which are almost white, shading to a -pale purple in the corolla throat, open as the spike uncoils, perfuming -the desert air with their fragrance. The name “Pusley” which is applied -to this plant in some localities is possibly a corruption of “Purslane.” - -Pima Indians are reported to powder the dried roots of these plants, -applying the dust to wounds or sores. The name “Wild-heliotrope” is also -applied to another desert flower, _Phacelia crenulata_ (which see), -causing no little confusion. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Pluchea sericea] - - - Common names: ARROWWEED, MARSH-FLEABANE - Arizona, California, and Texas deserts: (_Pluchea sericea_). Roseate - purple. Spring. - Sunflower family. Size: Perennial, 3 to 10 feet tall. - -Seldom found above 3,000 feet elevation, the rank-smelling Arrowweed -forms dense, willow-like thickets in stream beds and in moist, saline -soils. It is common in moist locations from Texas to southern Utah and -south into California and Mexico; usually in pure, dense stands. - -The green foliage gives off an agreeable odor, but when the plant dries -this becomes rank and unpleasant, clinging to the plant long after it -has been cut. This odor is often a characteristic of native dwellings -where Arrowweed has been used as a ceiling mat above the rafters. - -Arrowweed is browsed by deer, and sometimes by horses and cattle. The -straight stems were used by Indians in making arrowshafts, and are still -important as a construction material in the walls and roofs of mud huts. -The stems are used, also, by desert Indians in basketmaking, and in -fabricating storage bins and animal cages. From the foliage of the stem -tips, Pima Indians brewed a tea which they used as an eye wash. - -The flowers are reported to furnish considerable nectar gathered by -Honeybees. The blossoms are inconspicuous and develop into tawny-tufted -seed-heads. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Mimulus bigelovi] - - - Common name: MONKEYFLOWER - Arizona and California deserts: (_Mimulus bigelovi_). Red-purple. - February-April. - Texas desert: (_Mimulus glabratus_). Yellow. June. - Figwort family. Size: Branching, creeping annual up to 8 inches. - -Disproportionately large flowers for the size of the low-growing, -small-leafed plant make it particularly conspicuous in the open, sandy -locations where it blossoms in the springtime. - -Although the Monkeyflower is usually thought of as moisture-loving, -there are a number of desert species. The flowers are quite easy to -recognize, as they closely resemble the Monkeyflowers which grow in the -moist places surrounding seeps and springs, and they also are somewhat -similar in appearance to their close relatives the Snapdragons and -Pentstemons. - -The desert species are well worthy of consideration for cultivation as -garden ornamentals. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Nama demissum] - - - Common names: PURPLEMAT, PURPLE ROLL-LEAF - Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Nama demissum_). Red-purple. - March-May. - Waterleaf family. Size: Tiny plant, an inch or so high. - -Although the plants are very small, they grow close together and the -blossoms are often quite large in comparison. The reddish-purple color -of the flowers stands out in sharp contrast to the green of spring -vegetation so that a widespread growth of the plants forms patches or -mats of colorful desert carpeting. - -Masses of the plants are usually found on open flats, often among -Creosotebush, and on either clay or sandy soils. In dry years, growth is -restricted and a tiny plant may bear but a single flower, the blossom -sometimes almost as large as the rest of the plant. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Boerhaavia caribaea] - - - Common names: SPIDERLING, WEST INDIAN BOERHAAVIA - Arizona, California and Texas deserts: (_Boerhaavia caribaea_). - Red-purple. May-September. - Four-o’clock family. Size: Trailing stems up to 4 feet in length. - -A common roadside perennial, Spiderling becomes an annoying garden weed -when it invades open fields and areas of cultivation. Its trailing stems -and sticky foliage interfere with tillage. The flowers are small but -numerous and grow in attractive, colorful clusters. This species is -widely distributed, not only throughout the deserts of the Southwest, -but also in tropical and subtropical America. - -In addition to _B. caribaea_, other species of _Boerhaavia_ are -widespread throughout areas of the Southwest below 5,500 feet -elevations. The plants usually grow where they are exposed to full -sunlight, although sometimes found in open brushlands, and reach full -flower in late summer and autumn months. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Orthocarpus purpurascens] - - - Common names: OWLCLOVER, (_ESCOBITA_) - Arizona and California deserts: (_Orthocarpus purpurascens_). - Red-purple. March-May. - Figwort family. Size: 4 to 8 inches high. - -This short, leafy annual ranging in color from rich velvet red to purple -is noticeable even as an individual plant, but, following winters of -above average rainfall, it often grows en masse, covering portions of -the desert floor with a carpet of bright purple; sometimes in pure -stands, often mixed with Goldpoppy, Lupine, and other spring flowers. - -Since _Escobita_ is limited in range to southern and western Arizona, -California, and Lower California at elevations below 3,000 feet, Organ -Pipe Cactus National Monument is well within its range, and in that area -can be seen at its spectacular best. - -The California variety has the lower lip of the blossom tipped with rich -yellow. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Opuntia spinosior - Opuntia fulgida - Opuntia acanthocarpa] - - - Common names: CHOLLA, CANE CACTUS, WALKINGSTICK CHOLLA, BUCKHORN - CHOLLA - Arizona desert: (_Opuntia spinosior_). Red-purple. May-June. - California desert: (_Opuntia acanthocarpa_). Yellow-purple. April-May. - Texas desert: (_Opuntia imbricata_). Red-purple. May-June. - Cactus family. Size: Shrubby, from 3 to 8 feet high. - -Aside from the true Tree Cholla (_Opuntia fulgida_), which is the -largest of the branching, cylindrical-jointed cacti and is very common -in restricted portions of the desert in the Tucson-Phoenix area, the -species listed above are the largest, most representative, and most -widely spread of the Chollas (CHOH-yahs). - -The bright red to purple flowers of _O. spinosior_ and _O. imbricata_ -make them particularly attractive during the blossoming season, while -the extreme variability, from yellow to red and purple, of the flowers -of _O. acanthocarpa_ make its identification by this means always a -matter of uncertainty. Fruits of _spinosior_ and _imbricata_ are quite -large, yellow, and at a distance may be mistaken for blossoms. - -Flowers of _O. fulgida_ are small, pink, and appear in midsummer -followed by fruits which remain on the plant to form long hanging -clusters relished by cattle. A hybrid between _spinosior_ and _fulgida_ -is reported along the Gila River west of Florence, Arizona. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Cirsium neomexicanum - Cirsium undulatum] - - - Common names: THISTLE, WAVY THISTLE - Arizona desert: (_Cirsium neomexicanum_). Pink-purple. - March-September. - California desert: (_Cirsium mohavense_). Pink-white. Summer. - Texas desert: (_Cirsium undulatum_). Red-purple. October. - Sunflower family. Size: 2 to 4 feet tall, sometimes taller. - -Sometimes called Bullthistles, these biennials or perennials with spiny -stems, prickly leaves, and heavy flower heads ranging in color from -white to purple need no introduction to most people. - -The Mohave Thistle is the commonest form found in southern California, -being abundant, sometimes in dense stands, in open gravelly valleys, on -rocky slopes, or about alkaline seeps in the Mohave Desert. Range of the -New Mexico Thistle extends westward to the eastern borders of the Mohave -Desert. _Cirsium californica_, with white blossoms, occurs in Death -Valley National Monument at elevations between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. - -Navajo and Hopi Indians are reported to use the Thistle plant for -medicinal purposes. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Abronia villosa] - - - Common name: SANDVERBENA - Arizona and California deserts: (_Abronia villosa_). Pink-purple. - March-April. - Texas desert: (_Abronia angustifolia_). Pink-purple. March-July. - Four-o’clock family. Size: Trailing annual, stems sometimes 2 feet in - length. - -Sandverbenas are attractive, low-growing herbs with pink-purple to -lavender, fragrant flowers forming clusters or heads which cover the -plants. Desert species are conspicuous in the springtime when they line -roadsides and carpet open, sandy locations, such as dry streambeds, with -a mass of purple. Although they are often found in solid patches, they -frequently intermingle with other spring flowers such as the Bladderpod -producing a gay pattern of color. - -Other species are found at higher elevations and are common during the -summer months. - -Some of the desert species blossom a second time in September. - - [Illustration: plant silhouette] - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Echinocereus fendleri - Echinocereus rigidissimus] - - - Common names: HEDGEHOG CACTUS, STRAWBERRY CACTUS, CALICO CACTUS - Arizona and California deserts: (_Echinocereus engelmanni_). - Lavender-purple. March-April. - Texas desert: (_Echinocereus fendleri_). Pink-purple. May-June. - Cactus family. Size: 6 to 18 inches high. - -Growing in open clumps with stems resembling spine-covered cucumbers -standing on end, the Hedgehog is the first cactus to blossom in the -spring. Flowers vary considerably in color ranging from lavender through -purple to a rich red. - -Fruits (called “pitayas” in Texas) are dark mahogany red, juicy, rich in -sugar, and may be eaten like strawberries, hence the name Strawberry -Cactus. They form an important item in the diet of birds and rodents. -Pima Indians consider them a delicacy. - -A close relative, the Rainbow Cactus (_Echinocereus rigidissimus_) is -restricted in its distribution to elevations between 4,000 and 6,000 -feet. It is called “Rainbow” Cactus because of alternating bands of red -and white spines encircling the stem and marking growth of different -seasons and years. The blossoms of the Rainbow Cactus are pinkish -(yellow in western Texas) and are large and showy in comparison with the -small size of the single-stemmed plant. - - PURPLE - - - - - [Illustration: Dichelostemma pulchellum] - - - Common names: DESERT-HYACINTH, PAPAGOLILY, BLUEDICKS, COVENA, - GRASSNUTS - Arizona and California deserts: (_Dichelostemma pulchellum_). Light - blue. February-May. - Lily family. Size: About 1 foot high. - -Very common and abundant in early spring, the pale blue to violet -flowers of this small, delicate perennial Lily are conspicuous on open -slopes and mesas. Found below 5,000 feet from southwestern New Mexico to -California and northward to Oregon, they are widely scattered over the -desert areas of the Southwest. Pima and Papago Indians ate the small -bulbs, as also did the early white settlers who named them Grassnuts. - - BLUE - - - - - [Illustration: Evolvulus arizonicus] - - - Common name: WILD-MORNINGGLORY - Arizona desert: (_Evolvulus arizonicus_). Sky blue. April-October. - Texas desert: (_Evolvulus alsinoides_). Azure blue. April-September. - Convolvulus family. Size: Spreading perennial herbs up to 2 feet. - -Although _E. arizonicus_ is considered one of the desert’s most -beautiful wildflowers, members of the genus are by no means limited to -the desert. They are found in sunny locations on desert grasslands, open -plains and dry mesas below 5,000 feet from the Dakotas and Montana to -Argentina. - -The flowers, although rarely more than ½ inch in diameter, are bright -azure or sky blue, and seem large in comparison with the small leaves -and weak, spreading stems of the plant that bears them. - -Although the genus _Ipomoea_ is the true Morningglory, blossoms of -_Evolvus_ are similar in appearance, although flattened, hence are -sometimes called Wild-morningglory. - - BLUE - - - - - [Illustration: Salvia carnosa - Salvia columbariae] - - - Common names: CHIA, SAGE, DESERT-SAGE - Arizona desert: (_Salvia carnosa_). Sky-blue. Spring. - California desert: (_Salvia columbariae_). Blue. March-April. - Texas desert: (_Salvia arizonica_). Indigo blue. July-September. - Mint family. Size: Herbs and shrubs up to 3 feet high. - -The word “Sage” is derived from the idea that these plants had the power -to make a person wise or sage. Please do not confuse the Desert-sage -with Sagebrush (_Artemisia_) which does not grow in low-elevation -deserts but which, due to popular writings and “western” movies, is -associated in the public mind with any brushy plant found in the west. - -Seeds of the Chia at one time formed a staple article of diet among -southwestern Indians, and are still used by natives in Mexico for food -and for making mucilaginous poultices. - -The flowers of several species of Chia are very ornamental and the -plants are quite common, usually in sandy soil. - - BLUE - - - - - [Illustration: Delphinium amabile - D. scaposum] - - - Common names: LARKSPUR, WILD-DELPHINIUM - Arizona desert: (_Delphinium scaposum_). Royal blue. March-May. - California desert: (_Delphinium parishi_) Sky blue. Spring. - Texas desert: (_Delphinium carolinianum_). Blue. Spring. - Crowfoot family. Size: Up to 2 feet in height. - -Desert Larkspurs are low-growing, spring or early summer-flowering in -habit, often occurring in colonies, and frequently intermingle with -other spring flowers thereby adding their blue to the colorful tapestry -of ground cover. They are readily recognized because of their -resemblance to the cultivated varieties called Delphiniums, and because -of the tubular extension or “spur.” _D. amabile_ is the most -drought-resistant of all southwestern species and may blossom in the -desert as early as February. - -Because they contain delphinine and other toxic alkaloids, Larkspurs are -poisonous to livestock, particularly sheep. On the desert, the plants -are small and bear few but beautiful blossoms. They prefer open, -gravelly soil. - -It is reported that the Hopi Indians grind Larkspur blossoms with corn -to produce blue meal. - - BLUE - - - - - [Illustration: Dalea mollis - Dalea spinosa - Dalea formosa] - - - Common names: SMOKETREE, INDIGOBUSH, PEABUSH - Arizona and California deserts: (_Dalea spinosa_). Blue-violet. - April-June. - Texas deserts: (_Dalea formosa_). Purple. March-June. - Pea family. Size: Up to 10 or 12 feet tall. - -Famous, although not common, throughout the frostless areas of the -desert, the Smoketree, because of its gray-green, leafless, plume-like -growth resembles at a distance a gray cloud of smoke hovering over a -desert campfire. When in flower, in May or June, it is one of the -handsomest of desert shrubs. It is always found in the bed of a sandy -wash where it obtains moisture from runoff following summer showers or -winter rains. - -In California, it occurs in portions of both the Mohave and the Colorado -Deserts, and in Arizona is restricted to the western part of the state. -It is fairly abundant near Quitobaquito in the southwestern corner of -Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. - -Other species of Indigobush, of which there are many, are less famous -than the Smoketree, but all have purple or indigo flowers and most of -them are beautiful and noticeable when in blossom. Indians used an -extract from the twigs for dyeing basket material and ate the roots of -_D. terminalis_. - - BLUE - - - - - [Illustration: Rumex hymenosepalus] - - - Common names: WILD-RHUBARB, DOCK, SORREL, _CANAIGRE_ - Arizona and California deserts: (_Rumex hymenosepalus_). Pink-green. - March-April. - Texas desert: (_Rumex mexicanus_). Pink-green. Summer. - Buckwheat family. Size: Coarse perennial up to 2 feet tall. - -Sturdy, conspicuous flower and seed heads together with the large leaves -of these coarse, roadside plants, although hardly to be considered as -beautiful, attract considerable attention and arouse the curiosity of -the observer. Some species are garden weeds introduced from Europe. In -the desert, the large, coarse leaves and pinkish flower stalks make -quite a showing in sandy washes and along the roadsides as early as -March and April. The plant is being considered as a source of tannin -(from its tubers) to replace that formerly obtained from Chestnuts. - - GREEN - - - - - [Illustration: Simmondsia chinensis] - - - Common names: GOATNUT, DEERNUT, (_JOJOBA_), WILD-HAZEL, COFFEEBERRY - Arizona and California deserts: (_Simmondsia chinensis_). - Green-yellow. December-July. - Box family. Size: Shrub, 2 to 5 feet high. - -_Jojoba_ (hoh-HOH-bah) is another of the desert plants which is -noticeable, not because of its flowers, but due to its leathery, -gray-green foliage which persists throughout the year. These shrubs are -numerous at elevations between 1,000 and 4,300 feet in the lower levels -of desert mountain ranges, particularly on the alluvial fans at the -mouths of canyons. - -The acorn-like nuts, which taste something like filberts, but are bitter -because of their tannin content, were long an important item of food -among the Indians and the early settlers. The thickly set, evergreen -leaves are browsed by Deer and other animals, and the nuts are gathered -by Ground Squirrels. - -The nuts contain an edible oil (actually a liquid wax) which has some -medicinal value and is used in small quantities in the manufacture of -hair oil. Attempts to raise the nut in commercial quantities have not -proved successful. On occasions the nuts have been roasted and used as a -substitute for coffee. - - GREEN - - - - - [Illustration: Asclepias subulata - Asclepias erosa] - - - Common names: DESERT MILKWEED, BEDSTRAW MILKWEED, (_AJAMENTE_) - Arizona desert: (_Asclepias subulata_). Green-yellow. April-October. - California desert: (_Asclepias erosa_). Green-white. - September-October. - Texas desert: (_Asclepias texana_). Green-white. Autumn. - Milkweed family. Size: Perennials, up to 5 feet. - -Readily recognizable because of their milky sap and the pods filled with -silky-winged seeds, the Milkweeds are generally considered as poisonous -to livestock, although rarely eaten. Appreciable quantities of rubber -are found in the sap of some species. - - GREEN - - - - - [Illustration: Koeberlinia spinosa - Holacantha emoryi] - - - Common names: ALLTHORN, CROWN-OF-THORNS, CRUCIFIXION-THORN, - (_CORONA-DE-CRISTO_) - Arizona desert: (_Koeberlinia spinosa_). Greenish. May-June. - California desert: (_Holacantha emoryi_). Yellow-green. June-July. - Texas desert: (_Koeberlinia spinosa_). Greenish. May-June. - Koeberlinia is Junco family. - Holacantha is Simaruba family. Size: From 2 to 10 feet high. - -Two intricately branched, thorny shrubs with green bark and leaves -reduced to small scales and otherwise resembling each other are both -popularly known by the names of Crown-of-thorns and Crucifixion-thorn, -although they are not closely related botanically. - -Flowers of both are small and inconspicuous, although when the bushes -are in full bloom, they are quite noticeable. Even so, it is the unusual -and eye-arresting appearance of these shrubs which appear as leafless -masses of robust thorns, making them a conspicuous feature of the desert -and arousing the interest and curiosity of observers. - -In some locations these shrubs are sufficiently abundant to form -thickets which repel livestock. Fruits of _H. emoryi_ remain on the -plant for years, and it is usually possible to identify each season’s -fruit clusters by the degree of weathering. These masses of brown to -black fruits are very noticeable and are often mistaken for parasitic -growths or the results of a disease. A somewhat similar shrub, sometimes -attaining tree size and superficially resembling the Paloverde (see p. -36), is the Mohave-thorn (_Canotia holocantha_). It is found at -elevations between 2,500 and 4,500 feet, over much of southern and -western Arizona and northern Sonora, and blossoms from May to August. - - - - - [Illustration: Franseria dumosa] - - - Common names: BUR-SAGE, BURROWEED, BURROBUSH - Arizona desert: (_Franseria deltoidea_). Greenish. December-April. - California desert: (_Franseria dumosa_). Greenish. April-November. - Sunflower family. Size: Up to 3 feet high. - -Noticeable because of its ashy foliage, Bur-sage is a low, rounded, -white-barked shrub, the several species of which are very common on the -dry plains and mesas up to 3,000 feet. The flowers are small, without -petals, and colorless inasmuch as they are wind-pollenated and do not -need to attract insects. - -It is classed by A. A. Nichol as one of the major plants of the -Paloverde-Bur-sage-Cacti plant association, one of the three plant -communities of the Sonoran Desert. - -Bur-sage is one of the favorite foods of burros and sheep, and is said -to be preferred also by horses. - - GREEN - - - - - [Illustration: Suaeda torreyana] - - - Common names: INKWEED, SEEPWEED, IODINEBUSH, (_QUELITE-SALADO_) - Arizona and Texas deserts: (_Suaeda suffrutescens_). Greenish. - March-July. - California desert: (_Suaeda torreyana_). Greenish. July-September. - Goosefoot family. Size: Up to 6 feet tall, and branching. - -Seepweed, which is usually an indicator of alkaline soil, is browsed to -some extent by cattle when other feed is scarce. The young plants are -used for greens by the Pimas and other desert Indians, sometimes eaten -with cactus fruits. _Pinole_ was made by roasting the seeds. Coahuila -Indians extracted from the plants a black dye which they used in art -work. - -Flowers of the Seepweed are small, greenish, and without petals. Since -the pollen is carried by the wind, color to attract insects to the -flowers is not necessary. Because of its tolerance for somewhat salty or -alkaline soils, Seepweed thrives along the margins of dry lakes and on -salt flats where moisture is near the surface. On the desert of southern -California it is often associated with Mesquite and Quailbrush, the -sooty-green to brown plants standing out in sharp contrast. - -Because it is so common in moist locations throughout the Southwest, and -sufficiently unusual in appearance to arouse curiosity as to its -identity, Seepweed is included in this publication regardless of the -fact that its flowers are small and inconspicuous. - - GREEN - - - - - REFERENCES - - -Benson, Lyman; and Darrow, Robert: _A Manual of Southwestern Trees and - Shrubs_; University of Arizona, 1944. - -Benson, Lyman: _The Cacti of Arizona_; University of Arizona, Second - Edition, 1950. - -Black, Homer: _Common and Larger Plants Near the Cavern Entrance_; - Carlsbad Caverns National Park; mss. 1944. - -Cooper, Norman C.: _Check List of Plants of Organ Pipe Cactus National - Monument_; mss. 1942. - -Jaeger, Edmund C.: _Desert Wildflowers_; Stanford University Press, - Revised Edition, 1944. - -Joint Committee on Horticultural Nomenclature: _Standardized Plant - Names_; Second Edition, 1942. - -Kearney, Thomas H.; and Peebles, Robert H.: _Flowering Plants and Ferns - of Arizona_; Government Printing Office, 1942. - -McDougall, W. B.: Vegetation of White Sands National Monument; mss. - 1939. - -McDougall, W. B.: Check List of the Plants of Death Valley National - Monument; mimeo. 1945. - -McDougall, W. B.; and Sperry, Omer E.: Plants of Big Bend National Park; - Government Printing Office, 1951. - -Nichol, A. A.: _The Natural Vegetation of Arizona_; University of - Arizona Technical Bulletin No. 68, 1937. - -Shantz, H. L.; and Piemeisel, R. L.: _Indicator Significance of the - Natural Vegetation of the Southwestern Desert Region_; Government - Printing Office, 1925. - -Sperry, Omer E.; and Warnock, Barton H.: _Plants of Brewster County, - Texas_; Sul Ross State Teachers College Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 1, - Alpine, Texas, 1941. - -Taylor, Walter P.; McDougall, Walter B.; and Davis, William B.: - _Preliminary Report of an Ecological Survey of Big Bend National - Park_; March-June, 1944; mimeo. - - - - - INDEX - - - A - Abronia 96 - Acacia 28, 33 - Acknowledgement 8 - Agave 19, 21, 22, 61 - Ajamente 105 - Ajo 13 - Alfilaria 80 - Algerita 43 - Allionia 67 - Allthorn 106 - Amole 19 - Amsinckia 46 - Amaryllis family 61 - Aplopappus 55 - Apricot-mallow 68 - Arizona Desert 5 - Arizona-poppy 38, 39 - Argemone 12 - Arundo 24 - Arrowweed 17, 88 - Artemisia 4 - Asclepias 105 - Ashplant 79 - Aster 17, 82 - Astragalus 86 - - B - Baccharis 25 - Baeria 50 - Balleya 54 - Barberry 43 - Barberry family 43 - Barrel cactus 60 - Barometerbush 79 - Basketgrass 20 - Bead-pod 44 - Beardtongue 83 - Beargrass 20, 22 - Beavertail cactus 59, 60 - Bedstraw milkweed 105 - Bellflower family 16 - Berberis 43 - Bignonia family 73 - Bird-of-paradise flower 58 - Bisnaga 60 - Bisnagre 60 - Bladderpod 44, 96 - Bluebonnet 84 - Bluedicks 98 - BLUE flowers 98-102 - Blue paloverde 36 - Boerhaavia 92 - Borage family 46 - Box family 104 - Brickellbush 31 - Brickellia 31 - Brigham-tea 34 - Brittlebush 53 - Broadleaf yucca 19 - Broom baccharis 25 - Broomrape 85 - Broomrape family 85 - Buckhorn cholla 94 - Buckwheat family 70, 103 - Buffalo-bur 87 - Buffalo gourd 44 - Bullhead 38 - Bullnettle 87 - Bullthistle 95 - Burnut 38 - Burrobrush 17, 40 - Burrobush 40, 65 - Burroweed 107 - Burroweed strangler 85 - Bur-sage 40, 85, 107 - Button cactus 75 - - C - Cactus family 9, 10, 26, 59, 60, 74, 75, 94, 97 - Caesalpinia 58 - Calabazilla 44 - Caliandra, 69 - Calico cactus 97 - California Desert 6 - California-poppy 63 - Calochortus 62 - Calycoseris 30 - Caltrop 39 - Caltrop family 38, 39, 40 - Camphor-weed 35 - Canaigre 103 - Cancer-root 85 - Canatilla 34 - Candelilla 34 - Candlewood 66 - Canotia 107 - Caper family 37, 41 - Cane cactus 94 - Carnegiea 9 - Carrizo 24 - Cassia 57 - Catclaw 28, 33 - Cat’s-claw 33 - Ceniza 79 - Century plant 22, 61, 62 - Cercidium 36 - Carnegiea 6, 9 - Cheesewood 65 - Chia 100 - Chicolote 12 - Chihuahuan Desert 5 - Chili Coyote 44 - Chilopsis 73 - Chinese pusley 88 - Cholla 26, 94 - Christmas cholla 26 - Cirsium 95 - Clammyweed 37 - Clematis 23 - Cleome 37 - Coachwhip 66 - Coffeeberry 104 - Colorado-Mohave Desert 6 - Common reed 24 - Compass cactus 60 - Convolvulus family 17, 99 - COPPERY flower 64 - Copra-de-oro 63 - Corkseed cactus 75 - Corona-de-Cristo 106 - Cottonwood 28 - Covena 98 - Coyote-melon 44 - CREAM-colored flowers 19-25 - Creosotebush 17, 38, 39, 40, 91 - Crowfoot family 23, 101 - Crownbeard 54 - Crown-of-thorns 106 - Crucifixion-thorn 106 - Curcurbita 44 - Cuscuta 17 - - D - Dalea 102 - Darningneedle cactus 26 - Dasylirion 19, 21, 22 - Datil 19 - Datura 11 - Deernut 104 - Delphinium 101 - Desert, Arizona 5 - Desert, California 6 - Desert, Chihuahuan 5 - Desert, Colorado-Mohave 6 - Desert, Great Basin 6 - Desert, Sonoran 5 - Desert, Texas 5 - Desert, Mohave-Colorado 6 - Desert aster 82 - Desert brickellia 31 - Desert-broom 25 - Desert-buckwheat 70 - Desert-catalpa 73 - Desert-dandelion 14 - Desert Gold 52 - Desert-hyacinth 98 - Desert-ironwood 81 - Desertlily 13 - Desertmallow 68 - Desert-marigold 54 - Desert-mariposa 62 - Desert-milkweed 105 - Desert-mistletoe 28 - Desert-phlox 72 - Desert Plants 7 - Desertpoppy 63 - Deserts, Location of 2, 5 - Deserts, What Are They? 5 - Desert-sage 100 - Desert-senna 57 - Desert Spoon 21 - Desert-sunflower 52 - Desert-sunshine 52 - Desert-thorn 78 - Desert-tobacco 29 - Desertwillow 73 - Devilsclaw 33, 63 - Devilshead Cactus 60 - Diamond Cactus 26 - Dichelostemma 98 - Dock 103 - Dodder 17 - Dogbane family 15 - - E - Echinocactus 60 - Echinocereus 97 - Elephanttusks 63 - Encelia 53 - Enceliopsis 51 - Ephedra 34 - Eriogonum 70 - Erodium 80 - Eschscholtzia 63 - Escobita 93 - Evening-primrose 42 - Evening-primrose family 42 - Evolvulus 99 - - F - Fairyduster 69 - False-mesquite 69 - Ferocactus 60 - Fiddleneck 46 - Figwort family 79, 83, 90, 93 - Fileree 80 - Fishhook Cactus 75 - Flamingsword 66 - Flourensia 47 - Fouquieria 66 - Four-o’clock 67 - Four o’clock family 67, 92, 96 - Franseria 107 - Fremont screwbean 48 - - G - Geraea 52 - Geranium family 80 - Giant cactus 9 - Giant-dagger 19 - Giant-jimson 11 - Giant Joshua 18 - Giantreed 24 - Gilia 76 - Globemallow 68 - Goatnut 104 - Goatsbeard 14 - Goldenbush 55 - Goldenweed 55 - Goldfields 50 - Goldpoppy 39, 63, 93 - Goosefoot family 108 - Grass family 24 - Grassnuts 98 - Gourd 44 - Gourd family 44 - Great Basin Desert 6 - Greasewood 40 - GREEN flowers 103-108 - Groundcherry 87 - - H - Hairy-leaved Calliandra 69 - Hairy-headed sunflower 52 - Haplopappus 55 - Hedgehog cactus 97 - Hediondilla 40 - Heliotropium 88 - Heronbill 80 - Hesperocallis 13 - Heterotheca 35 - Hierba-del-pasmo 25 - Holacantha 106 - Hollygrape 43 - Holycross 26 - Honey-mesquite 48, 49 - Horsenettle 87 - How to use this booklet 3 - Hymenoclea 65 - - I - Incienso 53 - Indianwheat 25 - Indigobush 102 - Inkweed 108 - Iodinebush 108 - Ipomoea 99 - Ironwood 28, 81 - - J - Jackass-clover 37, 41 - Jimmyweed 55 - Jimson 11 - Jimsonweed 11 - Jointfir family 34 - Jojoba 104 - Joshua-tree 5, 6, 18, 61 - Jumping cactus 26 - Junco family 106 - - K - Kallstroemia 39 - Koeberlinia 106 - - L - Larkspur 101 - Larrea 40 - LAVENDER flowers 72-76 - Leatherflower 23 - Lechuguilla 5, 6, 61 - Lemaireocereus 74 - Lesquerella 44 - Leucophyllum 79 - Lily Family 13, 18, 19, 21, 22, 61, 98 - Little-stinker 40 - Locoweed 86 - Lophocereus 74 - Lupine 63, 84, 93 - Lupinus 84 - Lycium 78 - - M - Mahonia 43 - Mal-de-ojos 43 - Mallow family 68 - Mammillaria 75 - Marigold 54 - Mariposa 62 - Marsh-fleabane 88 - Martynia 63 - Martynia family 63 - Mescal 61, 62 - Mesquite 28, 49, 81 - Mesquitilla 69 - Mexican-poppy 63 - Mexican-tobacco 29 - Milkvetch 86 - Milkweed 105 - Milkweed family 105 - Mimulus 90 - Mint family 100 - Mistletoe 28, 81 - Mistletoe family 28 - Mohave-aster 82 - Mohave Desert 6 - Mohave-Thorn 107 - Monkeyflower 90 - Mormon-tea 34 - Mustard family 44 - - N - Nama 91 - Narrowleaf Yucca 22 - National Monuments 6 - National Parks 6 - Nemacladus 16 - Nerium 15 - Nicotiana 29 - Nightblooming Cereus 10 - Nipple cactus 75 - Nolina 20, 21 - - O - Ocotillo 66 - Ocotillo family 66 - Odostemon 43 - Oenothera 42 - Oleander 15 - Olneya 81 - Opuntia 26, 27, 59, 94 - ORANGE flowers 62-63 - Organpipe cactus 74 - Orobanche 85 - Orthocarpus 93 - Our-Lord’s-candle 22 - Owlclover 63, 93 - - P - Pachaba 31 - Palmilla 22 - Palo-de-hierro 81 - Paloverde 36, 81 - Papagolily 98 - Paperdaisy 54 - Paperflower 32, 66 - Peabush 102 - Pea family 33, 36, 48, 49, 57, 58, 69, 81, 84, 86, 102 - Pencil-joint cholla 26 - Peniocereus 10 - Pentstemon 83, 90 - Phacelia 77, 88 - Phlox 72 - Phlox family 72, 76 - Phoradendron 28 - Phragmites 24 - Pincushion cactus 75 - PINK flowers 67-71 - Pink three-flower 67 - Pitaya 97 - Pitahaya dulce 74 - Plantain 25 - Plantain family 25 - Plantago 25 - Plantas-muy-malas 68 - Plant names 4 - Pluchea 88 - Polanisia 37 - Popotilla 34 - Poppy family 12, 63 - Potato family 11, 29, 78, 87 - Pricklepoppy 12 - Pricklypear 59, 60 - Prosopis 48, 49 - Psilostrophe 32, 56 - Puncturevine 38, 39 - PURPLE flowers 83-97 - Purplemat 91 - Purple-nightshade 87 - Purple roll-leaf 91 - - Q - Quailplant 88 - Queen-of-the-night 10 - Quelite-salado 108 - - R - Rabbit-thorn 78 - Rafinesquia 14 - Rainbow cactus 98 - Rattleweed 57, 86 - Rayless-goldenrod 55 - RED flowers 65-66 - References 109 - Reina-de-la-noche 10 - Rivercane 24 - Rosinbush 25 - Rumex 103 - Russian thistle 65 - - S - Sacahuiste 21 - Sacred datura 11 - Sage 100 - Sagebrush 5 - Saguaro 5, 6, 9, 61 - Saltcedar 71 - Salvia 100 - Sandverbena 96 - Scorpionweed 77 - Screwbean 48, 49 - Screw-pod mesquite 48 - Seepweed 108 - Seepwillow 17, 25 - Sego-lily 62 - Senita 74 - Seniza 79 - Simaruba family 106 - Simmondsia 104 - Skeletonweed 70 - Slimwood 66 - Smoketree 102 - Soapweed 19, 22 - Soaptree Yucca 22 - Solanum 87 - Sonoran Desert 5 - Sore-eye-poppy 68 - Sorrel 103 - Sotol 20, 21, 22 - Spanish-bayonet 19, 22 - Spanish-dagger 22 - Sphaeralcea 68 - Spiderling 92 - Spoonplant 21 - Squawberry 78 - Squaw-thorn 78 - Starflower 76 - Strawberry cactus 97 - Strombocarpa 49 - Suaeda 108 - Sundrops 42 - Sunflower family 14, 25, 30, 31, 32, 35, 47, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, - 56, 65, 82, 88, 95, 107 - Sunray 51 - - T - Tackstem 30 - Tamarisk 71 - Tamarix 71 - Tansy aster 82 - Tarbush 47 - Tasajillo 26 - Tearblanket 33 - Teddybear cholla 26 - Telegraph-plant 35 - Teposote 34 - Tesajo 26 - Tesota 81 - Texas Desert 5 - Thistle 95 - Thistlepoppy 12 - Thornapple 11 - Threadplant 16 - Tomatillo 78 - Tornillo 48 - Torrito 38 - Trailing four-o’clock 67 - Tree-cholla 94 - Tree-tobacco 29 - Tree-yucca 18 - Tribulus 38 - Trompillo 87 - Tuna 59 - - U - Unicornplant 63 - - V - Varnishbush 47 - VIOLET flowers 77-82 - - W - Wait-a-minute 33 - Walkingstick cholla 94 - Waterleaf family 77, 91 - Watermotie 25 - Waterwally 25 - Waterwillow 25 - Wavy-thistle 95 - Western-jimson 11 - West Indian boerhaavia 92 - Whisker cactus 74 - WHITE flowers 9-18 - Wild-delphinium 101 - Wild-hazel 104 - Wild-heliotrope 77, 88 - Wild-lilac 79 - Wild morningglory 99 - Wild-potato 87 - Wild rhubarb 103 - Wild-zinnia 32 - Windmills 67 - Wislizenia 37, 41 - Wolfberry 78 - Woolly-marigold 54 - Woolly-loco 86 - Woolly plantain 25 - - Y - YELLOW flowers 26-61 - Yellowcups 42 - Yellowpad 59 - Yellow paloverde 36 - Yellow-wood 43 - Yucca 6, 18, 19, 21, 22 - - Z - Zinnia 32 - - -The traveling public is becoming increasingly aware of the National - Monuments, which have received less publicity than the great, - well-known National Parks, yet which possess extremely - interesting features. - -Many of these are in the Southwest; we hope you will take the - opportunity to visit one or more of them on your trip. - -_Administered as a group by the General Superintendent, Southwestern - National Monuments, Box 1562, Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona_ - - IN UTAH: - Arches National Monument, Moab - Natural Bridges National Monument (care of Arches) - Rainbow Bridge National Monument (care of Navajo) - IN NEW MEXICO: - Aztec Ruins National Monument, Aztec - Capulin Mountain National Monument, Capulin - Chaco Canyon National Monument, Bloomfield - El Morro National Monument, El Morro - Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (care of General Supt.) - Gran Quivira National Monument, Gran Quivira - IN ARIZONA: - Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Chinle - Casa Grande National Monument, Coolidge - Chiricahua National Monument, Dos Cabezas - Coronado National Memorial (care of Tumacacori) - Montezuma Castle National Monument, Camp Verde - Navajo National Monument, Tonalea - Sunset Crater National Monument (care of Wupatki) - Tonto National Monument, Roosevelt - Tumacacori National Monument, Tumacacori - Tuzigoot National Monument, Clarkdale - Walnut Canyon National Monument, Rt. 1, Box 790, Flagstaff - Wupatki National Monument, Tuba Star Route, Flagstaff - -_Other areas administered by the National Park Service in the Southwest -follow:_ - - IN ARIZONA: - Grand Canyon National Monument, Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ajo - Petrified Forest National Monument, Holbrook - Pipe Spring National Monument, Moccasin - Saguaro National Monument, Rt. 8, Box 520, Tucson - IN COLORADO: - Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument (care of Colorado - National Monument) - Colorado National Monument, Fruita - Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Box 60, Alamosa - Mesa Verde National Park - IN NEVADA: - Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Boulder City - Lehman Caves National Monument, Baker - IN NEW MEXICO: - Bandelier National Monument, Santa Fe - Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Carlsbad - White Sands National Monument, Box 231, Alamogordo - IN OKLAHOMA: - Platt National Park, Sulphur - IN TEXAS: - Big Bend National Park - IN UTAH: - Bryce Canyon National Park, Springdale - Capitol Reef National Monument, Torrey - Cedar Breaks National Monument (care of Zion) - Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Pleasant Grove - Zion National Monument (care of Zion) - Zion National Park, Springdale - - - This booklet is published by the - SOUTHWESTERN MONUMENTS ASSOCIATION - - which is a non-profit distributing organization pledged to aid in the -preservation and interpretation of Southwestern features of outstanding - national interest. - -The Association lists for sale interesting and excellent publications -for adults and children and very many color slides on Southwestern -subjects. These make fine gifts for birthdays, parties, and special -occasions, and many prove to be of value to children in their school -work and hobbies. - -May we recommend, for instance, the following items which give -additional information on the Southwest? - - ****3. ARIZONA’S NATIONAL MONUMENTS. King, ed. Comprehensive $3.00 - chapters, written by rangers, on the 16 monuments in the - state and Grand Canyon. Beautifully illustrated, eight - color pages, maps, 116 pp., cloth cover - ***60. FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST MESAS. Patraw and Janish. $1.00 - Companion volume to the Deserts flower booklet, but - covering the plants of the plateau country in the - Southwest. More than 140 species are beautifully - illustrated in the 100 plates of line drawings by Jeanne - R. Janish, with descriptive text, 112 pp., color cover, - paper - ***61. FLOWERS OF THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS. Arnberger and Janish. $1.00 - Descriptions and illustrations of plants and trees of the - southern Rocky Mountains and other Southwestern ranges - above 7,000 feet elevation, the third book of the flower - triad. 112 pp., color cover, paper - ***64. POISONOUS DWELLERS OF THE DESERT. Dodge. Invaluable $0.50 - handbook for any person living in the desert. Tells the - facts about dangerous insects, snakes, etc., giving - treatment for bites and stings, and dispels myths about - harmless creatures mistakenly believed poisonous. 48 pp., - color cover - ***67. ANIMALS OF THE SOUTHWEST DESERTS. Olin and Cannon. $1.00 - Handsome illustrations, full descriptions, and life - habits of the 42 most interesting and common species - which make up the strange animal population of the lower - desert country of the Southwest below the 4,500-foot - elevation. 112 pp., 60 illus., color cover, paper - **107. TUMACACORI’S YESTERDAYS. Jackson. The interestingly $0.75 - written story of the 18th and early 19th century Indian - and Spanish life in southern Arizona and Sonora as - reflected in the history of the mission of San Jose de - Tumacacori, now Tumacacori National Monument. 96 pp., - color paper cover, 53 excellent illus. - **131. NALAKIHU. King. Thorough and concise reports on an $4.00 - interesting pueblo in Wupatki National Monument. - Technical but has interesting summaries and discussions. - 183 pp., 81 plates, 17 tables - **650. FOR THE DEAN. Reed and King, eds. Handsome volume of $6.00 - anthropological essays by 23 of his former students in - honor of the noted Dr. Byron Cummings of the U. of - Arizona. Valuable contribution to science, consisting - mostly of Southwestern subjects. Authors include Haury, - McGregor, Hawley, Wedel, Willey, Spicer, etc., and - subjects cover wide field: Pueblo witchcraft, Cocopah - history, Papago physical status, Great Kivas, etc. 319 - pp., illus., cloth - -For the complete list of almost 100 publications and 1700 color slides -on Southwestern Indians, geology, ruins, plants, animals, history, etc., -write the - - SOUTHWESTERN - MONUMENTS ASSOCIATION - - Box 1562 D—Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona - - [Illustration: Petroglyph logo] - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - ---Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook - is public-domain in the country of publication. - ---Corrected a few palpable typographical errors. - ---Slightly relocated species images before descriptive text, and flower - color after the descriptive text, where they had been dislocated - because of page layout issues in the printed exemplar. - ---In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Flowers of the Southwest Deserts, by Natt N. 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