Part 12

Some species are reported to be poisonous to sheep.

YELLOW

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

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

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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.