Part 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

YELLOW

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

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.

The Mariposas, of which there are several species, are among the most beautiful wildflowers of the Southwest.

ORANGE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.