Living with Desert Plants - Open...

Special Supplement - Living withDesert Plants Through the Year

Item Type Article

Publisher University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)

Journal Desert Plants

Rights Copyright © Arizona Board of Regents. The University of Arizona.

Download date 19/07/2018 06:22:56

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/550770

http://hdl.handle.net/10150/550770

(AN ANNUAL READER PARTICIPATIONSUPPLEMENT TO DESERT PLANTS)

Living with

Desert PlantsThrough the Year

AWARDS OF $50 UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS. In general, the major articlespublished in Desert Plants are written by persons who work with desert plants everyday. To provide a forum for increased reader participation, including persons whomay or may not work with plants as a profession, this series is being established.Material submitted for this series should be written in cameo essay style and shouldbe limited in subject matter to some aspect of using desert plants. When an essay is

selected and published in the "Livin With Desert Plants Through the Year" series,the author will receive an award $5- United States Savings Bond. Employees ofthe Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum may submit essays but are not eligible forthe award. Unsigned essays will be produced by the editor. All essays publishedbecome the property of the Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum and may be reprintedin book form.

CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

Landscaping With Wildlife in Mind 220Holding Soil on a Bank With a Feather Duster 220A Living Fence of Ocotillo 220Attract Hummingbirds by Planting Shrubs and Herbaceous

Perennials Having Flowers in the Red -Yellow Segmentof the Color Spectrum 221

Environmental Restitution as a Hobby 222Transplanting Creosotebush 222Grow an Extra Room for Fresh -Air Living 222Seri Ironwood Carvings 222Cut the Heat Load and Cut the Cooling Bill 223Heating the House With Wood of Mesquite and Ironwood 223

Using the Ribs of Saguaro Skeletons 224Growing Saguaros and Barrel Cacti From Seed 225The Odor of Rotten Meat 226Start a Collection of Baskets Made From Desert Fibers 227

Make a Lamp From Cholla Wood 227Bunny Ears in Sheep's Clothing 228Don't Let Leucaena From Oaxaca Cause Your Hair to Fall Out 228Rather Than Drinking it, Why Not Bake it

For 76 Hours in a Pit in the Ground? 229The Jojoba Revolution in Care of Skin and Hair 229Using Aloe vera to Treat Burns 230

Does "Chaparra Tea" Have a Real Value? 230It Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hands 230The Museum Theory; -- Subject Yourself to a LearningExperience by Visiting a Museum of Living Plants 230

220SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

LANDSCAPING WITH WILDLIFE IN MIND. Growthof cities in desert areas and encroachment ofsuburbs into natural plant communities resultsin destruction of habitat for wildlife. Buteven the most densely populated cities even-tually develop a fauna linked to the plantswhich have been used in landscaping. Wheresuburbs meet the natural desert or wheredwellings have large yards, it is particularlyfeasible to modify the landscape to attractcertain forms of wildlife or to discourageothers. Landowners frequently want to eli-minate rattlesnakes and skunks. Skunks oftenare attracted by an abundance of insects forfood, the insects often having been attractedby lights at night. Rattlesnakes come inwhere mice, rats and other small animals areabundant. Cutting down on outdoor lightingand using blackout shades or heavy drapes atwindows can reduce the prevalence of flyingand crawling insects as well as skunks. Do-

mestic cats are often kept to keep down thepopulation of mice and rats but they alsotend to kill birds, small rabbits and lizards.Landscaping with plants which do not providefood for mice and rats will select againstrattlesnakes as well. Packrats, rabbits andporcupines can be scourges to desert gardeners.On the other hand, songbirds, quail, doves,raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks and lizardsare considered desirable by many suburbanites.Although larger forms of wildlife such asdeer, mountain lion, bighorn sheep, bobcatand javelina will come into suburban areas,particularly at night, they are far- rangingand little can be done by a small landownerto keep them on a particular property. DesertHackberry (Celtis pal=ida) provides cover forsmall wildlife and produces abundant small

edible fruits. Saguaro Cactus (Carnegieagigantea) has spines oriented to discouragedamage to the plant by javelinas, packratsand rabbits and is an important provider of

fruit for wildlife in summer. Where rabbitsand packrats are abundant it is difficult togrow less spiny forms of cacti, succulentsor herbaceous perennials. Desert Penstemon(P. parryi) can be used as a free- flowering

spring perennial, however, since chewinganimals often pass it by. In general, long -

lived stiff- branched trees and shrubs areprobably best at providing =excess of leaves,twigs and fruits for wildlife while retaininga quantity of biomass necessary for the pl ants

to succeed in the landscape. Persons desiringto encourage particular forms of wildlife ontheir property should observe the animals innature and do some detective work to discoverthe kinds of plants they use for food andcover.

HOLDING SOIL ON A BANK. 'WITH A FEATHERDUSTER. The desert Feather 'Duster (Calliandraeriophylla) has small leaflets arranged pin -

nately somewhat like those of Mesquite. In-

deed, Calliandra is often referred to by

cowboys as "False Mesquite" because of a

superficial resemblance to a more or less

prostrate form of Mesquite which grows in

Texas. The name "Feather Duster," which is

more commonly used for the plant, refers to

LIVING WITH DESERT PLANTS

the pink or whitish flowers with stamensclustered to resemble a miniature featherduster. The plant spreads by means of under-ground rhizomes to form a virtual mat ofvegetation on hot dry banks. The mat of rhi-

zomes and roots was recognized by ArboretumDirector F. J. Crider, formerly Head of theDepartment of Horticulture at the Universityof Arizona, as of especial significance forcontrolling erosion of soil in the Southwest.He set up a cooperative nursery to grow thisand similar soil erosion control plants at

the Arboretum, a nursery staffed by coopera-ting government agencies. This proved sosuccessful that the federal government wantedto duplicate it elsewhere on a larger scale.Crider resigned his position at the Arboretumto become one of the "founding fathers" ofthe Soil Conservation Service of the U. S.

Department of Agriculture. Partly becauseof Crider's historic work at the Arboretumwith Calliandra and similar erosion - controlground covers, the Arboretum is listed in theNational Register of Historic Places main-tained by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

A LIVING FENCE OF OCOTILLO. The Ocotillo(Fouquíeria splendens) grows in the ChihuahuanDesert, Sonoran Desert andMojave Desert. It

can also be grown in the Middle East, SouthAfrica, Australia and South America. The manywand -like branches can be cut two or threefeet above the ground and used for making aliving fence. Late summer is a good time tobegin. In some jurisdictions (particularlyArizona) a permit may be required to ensurethat persons have legal ownership of anyOcotillos which they cut. It is customary to

cut 42 -foot long sections and to weave themwith wire to resemble snow- fencing, the red-wood lath being replaced by the Ocotillowands. Care should be taken to have the

bottom ends of the wands all pointing in thesame direction and that the bottom end of the

fence is eventually planted in the ground.The other end will not root. As soon as it

is woven, the Ocotillo fencing should berolled up like a rug and stored upright in adry shady place for two weeks to one month.During this period the cut ends will healover. While the fencing is curing, the fence-posts should be set into the ground eight toten feet apart. Two strands of wire are thenstretched tight and nailed on the outer sideof the posts 12 feet and 3 feet high respec-tively. Then a one -foot deep trench is dug

the length of the fence line directly underthe wires. The soil removed should be screenedto remove roots, gravel and trash, with thebest 5/8 in volume saved and mixed with 1/8sand, 1/8 perlite or pumice and 1/8 organic

mulch. This amended soil is then returnedto the trench. The cured fencing can thenbe stretched along the fence line and wiredto the two fence wires already installed.Each cane should be allowed to settle down

into the amended soil to about one inch indepth. After two weeks the fence can belightly watered. Eventually the fence willleaf out and new branches will grow at top

and bottom. Mature fences produce flowers.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT LIVING WITH DESERT PLANTS 221

ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS BY PLANTING SHRUBS ANDHERBACEOUS PERENNIALS HAVING FLOWERS IN THERED- YELLOW SEGMENT OF THE COLOR SPECTRUM. Ingeneral, the red end of the color spectrumis most visible under (desert) conditions ofhigh light intensities, whereas the blue endis more visible under (non- desert) conditionsof low light intensity. In colloquial terms,the "hot" colors are at the red end and the"cool" colors at the blue end. There arered, orange and yellow oil globules in thecones of the retina of the hummingbird eye.These effectively filter out the other colorsof the rainbow so that hummingbirds are truly"colorblind" to colors in the "cool" segmentof the spectrum. Within nature's animalkingdom both insects and birds are noted forfeeding on the nectar secretions of flowers.Within the insect hierarchy, those classedas bees are totally dependent for food onflowers, and within the hierarchy of birdsthe hummingbirds are equally dependent. Butinteresting enough the commonest types ofbees respond to the "cool" end of the colorspectrum opposite that which attracts humming-birds . This allows man to modify his landscapeto differentially attract either hummingbirdsor bees. Desert plants which can be used toattract hummingbirds include FirecrackerPenstemon (P. eatonii). Desert Penstemon (P.parryi), Chuparosa (Beloperone californicaj,Desert Honeysuckle ZAni_sacanthus thurberi),Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), Tree Tobacco(Nicotiana glauca), and the many species ofAloe. In the Sonoran Desert hummingbirdsused to be absent on migration during thewinter because of a scarcity of winter -bloomingnative food plants. Importation of TreeTobacco from South America and so many kindsof Aloe from Africa have made winter -blooming

Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae) pollin- bird plants so commonplace that many humming -ating Firecracker Penstemon (Penstemon birds now spend winters in the Sonoran Desert,eatoni). Drawing by Carol D. Crosswhite. failing to migrate.

222 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL RESTITUTION AS A HOBBY. Whena home is purchased or newly built or a mobilehome placed on a lot, the occupant may wishto restore a portion of the environment toits original condition before bulldozers orconstruction trucks and heavy equipment mod-ified it. If a person chooses to do this andenough land surrounds the dwelling, it isoften possible to divide the landscape intothree concentric zones, 1) that nearest thehome where native and introduced desert plantswith domestic functions are planted, 2) a

transition zone, and 3) an outer zone wherethe original desert has been restored. Oftenthe contractor has planted vegetation in Zone1 according to specifications of a landscapearchitect. For Zone 3 to be properly restoreda bit of detective work may be necessary todetermine the phytosociologic parameters ofthe original native plant community whichonce was present. This phase of landscapingcan very effectively be done by the landowneras a hobby over a long period of years. Per-sons have done this effectively by studyingmodel desert plant communities at the BoyceThompson Southwestern Arboretum. Aside fromseveral natural Sonoran Desert communitiesalready present, model communities for otherdeserts are now on the drawing board for con-struction at the Arboretum. After a propertyowner has restored Zone 3, various enhance-ments or modifications not honestly fittinginto Zone 3 can be established in Zone 2.This area of transition can benefit fromdesert plants which are not native to the areaor from native plants in altered associations.In this zone, where neither domestic needsnor natural associations are overriding fac-tors, the landowner can experiment and expressindividuality. This can be the place to trygrowing that fascinating plant seen on a va-cation or business trip.

TRANSPLANTING CREOSOTEBUSH. Although itis commonly stated that Creosotebush (Larreatridentata) can not withstand transplanting,there exist nurserymen with "trade secrets"of how to do it. A careful investigationreveals that 5- gallon size plants of thisspecies favored by landscape contractors haveoften been dug. The very common nature ofthis plant over so many square miles of Chi -huahuan Desert, Sonoran Desert, Mojave Desert,and in South America, makes it a good speciesto transplant with little fear of making anysubstantial decrease in its abundance. Never-theless, persons digging the bushes need per-mission of the landowner. Although some ofthe trade secrets will perhaps always remainsecret, some pointers can be given for personswho want to transplant a bush or two fromareas where bulldozing is scheduled or fromone part of their property to another. Trans-planting is most successful from heavy claysoil which will hold together when wet. Thefirst rule for transplanting Creosotebush isto do it in the winter but to plan for it insummer. Obtain heavy 5- gallon size plasticpails used in the construction industry.During summer draw a circle around a smallCreosotebush equal to the pail's diameter.Pour a bucket of water so that it soaks in


within the circle. Repeat in one week. Witha deep and narrow spade the third week cutdown at points along the circle a foot or moredeep to sever many of the lateral roots.Continue watering within the circle over theensuing months to encourage internal rootformation within the soil enclosed by thecircle and eventually sever all remaininglateral roots. If the plant looks healthyin mid -winter, cut half of the top away andremove the plant from the ground, making cer-tain that the clay is moist enough to allowthe root ball to remain relatively intact.Place this root ball into the 5- gallon pail,filling any space as well as the top fewinches with moist sawdust and fine wood shav-ings mixed with soil from the hole. Keep wetthrough the winter. If the Creosotebush isalive in spring it can be planted safely withvery high probability of surviving in its newlocation.

GROW AN EXTRA ROOM FOR FRESH -AIR LIVING.Living plant materials can be manipulatedjust like cement blocks, lumber and otherbuilding materials. A blueprint can be drawnup just like that for masonry or wood con-struction. For a landscaped "room" to beready to use, however, it may need some timeto grow. An outdoor room can be furnishedwith a portable barbecue or a permanent brickfireplace, outdoor chairs, benches, loungesand tables. Or perhaps it could be the focusfora spa or swimming pool. The sides of sucha room can be grown by planting the AustralianAcacia stenophylla five feet apart. A shaderoof can be grown by planting a tree of ChileanMesquite (Prosopis chilensis) or HimalayanCedar (Cedrus deodara) in the center of the"room" and cutting enough of the lower branchesto allow walking under the spreading boughs.There are numerous other possibilities whichcould be obtained from a landscape architector which could be discovered by personal de-tective work to fit the particular type of"room" which the landowner might want andwhich would be compatible with the land.

SERI IRONWOOD CARVINGS. Seri Indians livingon the coast of Sonora, Mexico make beautifulhand - carved items from aged heartwood ofIronwood (Olneya tesota). These can be pur-chased directly from their makers in Mexicoor in a few shops in the United States suchas the gift shop of the Arizona State Museumoperated by the University of AriLcna inTucson. The carvings are usually in the formof various animals known to the Seri and aremeticulously sculpted and polished with oil.The wood is extremely hard, dense, heavy,tight - grained and red -brown in color. It isso heavy that it will sink in water. TheIronwood tree grows in relatively frost -freeareas where there is little concentration ofcold at night resulting from cold air drainagefrom higher elevations. The carvings are soexpressive of the character of the wood andthe Ironwood tree so characteristic of theSonoran Desert that a well- selected carvingmakes an exceptional conversation piece whenused as a table centerpiece at dinner withguests.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Mesquite (Prosopis velutina)is an excellent food and energyresource of the desert. It notonly shades homes to make themcool in summer but lets lightand heat through in winter. Thehard wood is also a very goodsource of BTUs when burned. Thebeans are used as food by manand livestock and the flowersyield a copious nectar whichbees store as honey. A: branchwith pinnately compound leavesand flower clusters. B: pair ofleaflets. C: flower. D: maturebean pods. Drawings courtesy ofthe College of Agriculture ofthe University of Arizona.

LIVING WITH DESERT PLANTS 223

CUT THE HEAT LOAD AND CUT THE COOLING BILL.In the Sonoran Desert homes are frequentlycooled in the summer by refrigeration or by

evaporative cooling. The heat load from thesun can be reduced by painting buildingswhite, including the roof, and by interceptingthe rays of the sun before they strike the

building. Trees of Mesquite (Prosopis) arevery good at shading buildings in the summerand letting the sun's energy through in the

winter because, being deciduous, the leaves

are present in summer and absent in winter.

The colder the winter, the more completelydeciduous are the Mesquite trees. Prickly

Pear cacti (Opuntia spp.) planted near the

foundation of- outer house walls can servevery effectively to insulate that portion ofthe house. Plants which cut heat loads to

promote domestic energy conservation are a

current area of investigation at desert re-search centers.

HEATING THE HOUSE WITH WOOD OF MESQUITE

AND IRONWOOD. With energy costs escalating,many desert residents are re- discovering theBTU's locked up in wood of Mesquite and Iron-wood. Ironwood dulls saws rather quickly andis not as abundant as Mesquite. Much of the

land which supported Ironwood in central andsouthern Arizona was cut over and convertedto Citrus groves and later to housing sub-divisions and trailer courts. Much of the

mature Ironwood near civilization has resultedfrom stump- sprouting of trees cut at the turnof the century for firewood. Although Iron-wood has apparently declined with increasingsettlement, Mesquite has increased dramati-cally. Mesquite's historic increase is largelydue to its being spread by cattle. As Mes-quite is cut for firewood it begins to growback and so is a valuable renewable naturalresource. It makes one of the very bestfirewoods of the entire world. It is goodfor use in Franklin stoves, fireplaces andoutdoor grills. At the turn of the centuryMesquite was considered valuable for firewood.With the advent of cheap oil, gasoline, naturalgas and electricity in this century, Mesquitebecame little used for energy and it took ona reputation of being a rangeland pest thatwas difficult to eliminate. With Mesquitewood now again commanding a high price, ranch-ers have the opportunity to sell cutting rightsby the cord. Some jurisdictions now requirea permit for the cutting of Mesquite or Iron-wood to ensure that persons cutting it havepermission of the landowner to do so.


USING THE RIBS OF SAGUARO SKELETONS. Sinceprehistoric times the wooden skeletons ofSaguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea), once theplants have died, have been broken apart andthe vascular ribs trued up by a little whit-tling or sanding to be used in constructionof walls, fences and ceilings (often withaddition of plaster or stucco) or in makinga variety of household items. They are goodfor making trellises and shade canopies, orcan be used as poles for staking tomatoes;indeed use of Saguaro ribs in desert areaswhere the plants grow is ubiquitous. Walkinto Pete King's drugstore in Florence, Ari-zona and look for his diploma or pharmacist's


license. Yes, the frame is made from Saguaroribs. Encounter a happy retiree enjoying ahike on the desert in the winter sun. Yes,his walking stick is made from aSaguaro rib.And what do ranchers prefer to use as spacersin fences between heavy posts? You guessedit, -- Saguaro ribs. Saguaro ribs are wellsuited for making a variety of craft items.Chances are good that you can think of someentirely new use in your particular situation.And all who see it will say "Why, you madethat from Saguaro ribs, didn't you? Howimaginative!" How many times were those samesentences uttered in prehistoric times, andin how many languages?

Saguaro skeletons with exposed ribs were frequentlyillustrated in books written by people who had travelledto far -off Arizona in the nineteenth century. The ribshave provided an easily worked wood which has been usedby inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert for making variousutilitarian articles for centuries.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT LIVING WITH DESERT PLANTS

GROWING SAGUAROS AND BARREL CACTI FROMSEED. A recent article in the Smithsonianmagazine focused on digging of cacti such asSaguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) or Barrel (Fero -cactus spp.) and its deleterious effect onthe natural desert landscape. These plantsare protected by law in many jurisdictions,particularly in Arizona, but the harvestingof seeds is almost universally allowed. Asa hobby, indeed even as a "good deed" tonature, persons should be encouraged to pro-duce these plants from seed so that abundantmaterial will eventually be available in futureyears for landscaping purposes. Since thistakes time, it is a long -term hobby. Seedsare very abundantly produced by these plantsand they germinate readily under proper con -dtions. Barrel cacti have golden fruitswhich can be twisted off in winter. Splitor cut the fruit open and spread the seedsout on a newspaper in the house to ensurethat they are well dried before storage. Thefruits of Saguaro split open, naturally fallfrom the plant in summer, and should be gath-ered at once so the seeds are not eaten byanimals. Since Saguaro fruits have a moistpulp, the seeds should be washed in waterimmediately and the clean seeds spread outon newspaper to dry.

The Saguaro (right) and Barrel (left) are cacti of the SonoranDesert which are not readily propagated from cuttings. Therehas been recent publicity concerning the illegal digging of themfor landscaping purposes without necessary governmental permits.Although it takes a number of years for these plants to growlarge enough for landscaping purposes, they are very easilygerminated and grown from seed. Directions are given which shouldallow a person to grow specimens Zarge enough to plant out inabout seven years from seed. Sketch by Carol D. Crosswhite.

225


Since some mortality can be expected to

occur during the years that will be neededto produce Saguaros and Barrels large enoughto use in landscaping, it is advisable tostart by germinating a large number of seeds.A full nursery flat (18" x 18 ") of each specieswould be a good quantity to germinate. Todo this, build a box large enough to accom-modate the number of flats desired on its

floor. The top and bottom should be made ofplywood spaced 15 inches apart with all foursides left open to be covered with transparentsheet plastic after the seeds are sown. Placethe box under a Palo Verde or Mesquite treeon the north side of the canopy and begingermination in June or July. Fill the flats3/4 full with a soil mix of 1/4 peat moss,1/4 vermiculite, 1/4 perlite and 1/4 sand.A teaspoonful of slow -release fertilizer ratedat 8 -9 months duration should be mixed intothe soil of each flat. Water each flat, letdrain and sprinkle the seed evenly over the

surface. Sprinkle a thin layer of chickengrit over the seed so that some seeds stillshow and the layer is not more than one grit

thick. This can be achieved by watering theseed and grit together with a-misting nozzleon the end of a garden hose. Misting nozzlesused in produce departments of grocery storesare about the right type. The water shouldform a cloud with absolutely no drip untilcondensing on the seed and grit. After set-tling the seed and grit together, the plasticsheeting should be tacked onto the box to

produce a high humidity chamber. Let theplastic hang free like a window shade on oneside weighted down by a length of Saguaro ribstapled to the bottom. Lift this up once aday to check on humidity and germination,repeating misting when necessary to keep seedmoist and humidity high. When most of theseed is up, cut down on misting, lettingplants and soil dry out between waterings.When seedlings nearly fill the flat, changeto watering with a flaring rose nozzle andremove one of the plastic sides of the box.

Nine months after germination, separate theseedlings into clumps of 7 -15 each withoutdisturbing roots within the clumps, then pluginto 49 evenly spaced (7 x 7) holes in freshsoil mix in new 18" x 18" flats (providedwith slow-release fertilizer rated at 14 monthsor more). A large number of "clump flats"can be produced from one seed flat. After14 -18 months, separate the cacti of each clump,placing large ones each into separate 24 -inchdiameter square plastic pots and small onesin groups of 2 -3 in 2 -inch diameter pots.Each succeeding year re -pot into larger con-tainers, from 2 -inch to 24 -inch to 2 3/4 -inchto 4 -inch to 6 -inch (= "one- gallon" size) to8 -inch or "two-gallon" size. The cacti shouldbe large enough to plant for landscaping inabout seven years from germination.

THE ODOR OF ROTTEN MEAT. Species of Sta-pelia from Africa are succulents generallyquite attractive to humans in appearance butnot in odor. The flowers are often huge andhairy. When protected from frost, plants


become highly branched and clustered. Largeold specimens are frequently seen on porchesin desert regions. When a person walks by ablooming Stapelia, suddenly the person thinks

that there is a dead mouse or a piece ofrotten meat somewhere nearby. Even peoplewho have grown Stapelia plants for yearsforget and may start looking for a dead mouse.The odor carries for some distance and maycompletely permeate the air in closed quar-ters. It may take a long time for the personto associate the smell with the bloomingplant. The genus Stapelia and its relatives,rather than attracting bees for pollinationby producing nectar and a sweet fragrance,attract flies for pollination by duplicatingthe odor of rotten meat. The flies lay theireggs on the flower and in so doing carryStapelia pollen from the anthers to the

stigma. There are numerous relatives ofStapelia which are rare in cultivation but

which are sometimes displayed in public

greenhouses. Some of these have vibrant(moving) structures within the flower whichresemble writhing fly larvae. These unusualplant parts further deceive flies into visit-ing the flowers and in combination with thefoul odor guide the insects to the stamensand stigmas. The genus Stapelia and itsrelatives are known as "Carrion Flowers" inEnglish.

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Sketch of Starfish Flower (Stapelia nobilis)showing the erect stems, an unopened flowerbud and an open putrescent flower. Sketch byCarol D. Crosswhite.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

START A COLLECTION OF BASKETS MADE FROMDESERT FIBERS. The Papago Indians of theSonoran Desert make fine baskets using a coiledfoundation of split Beargrass leaves (Nolinamicrocarpa) sewed with white (sun -bleached)Yucca leaf strips, green (shade- dried) Yuccaleaf strips, and black Devil's Claw (Probos-cidea) strips from the fruit. The sewing isdone with either a split open stitch whichleaves the Beargrass coils ".risible or a tightclosed stitchwhich hides the foundation work.Apaches make baskets using a foundation ofNever - Break -Bush (Rhus trilobata) stems sewedwith strips of Willow (Salix) or Cottonwood(Populus) bark. These are frequently madewaterproof by calking with Pinyon pitch. SeriIndian baskets are made from fibers of Torote(Jatropha), frequently dyed. Hopi Indianbaskets are made by different methods in dif-ferent villages, including a loose weave ofYucca for sifting, wickerwork and coiling.Colorful designs in Hopi baskets are generallyachieved by dying the fibrous strips beforeweaving. Twill plaited baskets of split Sotolleaves (Dasylirion) are made by the TarahumaraIndians of Chihuahua, Mexico without decora-tive colors and are obviously intended foreveryday utilitarian use. Baskets made fromdesert fibers by North American Indians arebecoming less common and good examples commandincreasingly higher prices from collectors.

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MAKE A LAMP FROM CHOLLA WOOD. The skeletonof Jumping Cholla (Opuntia bigelovii) orChain -Fruit Cholla (O. fulgida) is cylindricaland consists of an attractive network ofvascular tissue with intervening spaces. Athree -foot long section can be cut from sucha skeleton, preferably incorporating some ofthe wider base of the plant. The cylindershould be reamed out with a stiff brush at-tached to a pole. The outer surface of thecylinder should be sanded with first coarseand then fine sandpaper. Clean the creviceswith the high pressure nozzle of a garden hoseand if necessary pass a stiff bottle brushthrough the many spaces. Select a board touse as a pedestal for the lamp, cut it to adesired size, do any carving or decoratingdesired, and drill a half -inch hole in theexact center. Stretch a lamp cord throughthe cactus wood cylinder and through the holein the pedestal. Then center the bottom ofthe cylinder on the hole in the pedestal andnail the two pieces of wood together from thebottom of the pedestal. Attach a combinationbulb socket and lampshade holder to the upperend of the cord and anchor it onto the upperend of the cholla wood cylinder. Varnish allwooden surfaces to display the g-,:oi n andcharacter of the wood. Place the l nshadeon the holder and an electrical plug on theend of the cord. Have an electrician or theelectrical inspection department of the cityor county check the lamp for safety. Afterit has been criticized and you have made anysuggested improvements, you are all set tomake lamps as gifts for friends and relatives.They make excellent souvenirs of the desert,once not at all uncommon but now rather rarelyseen in gift shops.

Plant scientist George Engelmann used thisdrawing of the wood of Jumping Cholla(Opuntia bigelovii) to characterize thenewly discovered species 125 years ago.Reproduced from the government document of1856 entitled "Reports of Explorations andSurveys For a Railroad From the MississipiRiver to the Pacific Ocean.

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228 SPE -..IAL SUPPLEMENT

The Bunny Ear Cactus(Opuntia microdasys)of the ChihuahuanDesert has a polkadot pattern of glochidsbut lacks the longspines which most otherspecies of pricklypear cacti have. Sketchby Carol D. Crosswhite.

BUNNY EARS IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. The Englishname for one of the commonest cacti sold forornamental use is "Bunny Ears" (= Opuntiamicrodasys) , a plant of the Chihuahuan Desert.The plants are of the prickly -pear type withflat "pad- like" stem segments. A young plantgrown from a cutting is normally sold at thestage when two new segments are emerging fromthe older one, the whole plant then havingthe appearance of a rabbit's head with ears.Normal spines are entirely absent but theareoles are filled with many glochids ofeither white, yellow, chestnut -red, or cin-namon -brown coloration. The glochid patternsmake the plants look like stuffed animalscovered with polka dot cloth. Other commonEnglish names which forms of the plant go byare Yellow Polka Dots, White Polka Dots,Angel Wings, Cinnamon Bear, or Hob -NailCactus. A person who has never encounteredthe species before usually strokes the sur-face as if petting an animal. Unfortunately,the glochids become embedded in the skin andcause what many persons describe as the mostpainful itching they have ever experienced.After an initial encounter, people are loatheto touch the plant again in any way withoutgloves or tongs. But even among knowledgeablepersons it remains a popular ornamental cactuswhen treated with respect.

DON'T LET LEUCAENA FROM OAXACA CAUSE YOURHAIR TO FALL OUT. Could this be a Samsonand Delilah story? The state and city inMexico named Oaxaca have long been associatedwith Leucaena. Indeed, the name "Oaxaca" issaid to be an old Aztec word which can be.translated "place where Leucaena can befound." Leucaena leucocephala is a tallshrub or small tree- in the Legume family.Like Mesquite, it has pinnately compoundleaves with many tiny leaflets. The younglegume pods can be boiled and eaten like"green beans." Livestock relish the foliageas a fodder. Leucaena apparently was a IvIeso-American crop plant long before Columbusdiscovered the New World. It can now befound growing in yards of Latin Americanpersons throughout the warmer parts of theAmericas. In the desert it is coliuuon in


communities in Sonora and can also be seenin yards in Arizona in Tucson, Casa Grande,Superior, Yuma, and less frequently in Phoenix.The plant has little natural resistance tofreezing weather. Recently, however, scien-tists have hybridized it with the Texas LeadTree (L. pulverulenta) to produce a varietywhich may possibly become economically im-portant in the horse - latitude deserts whichare characteristically colder than the naturalhome range of Leucaena. In historic timesthis Aztec crop was spread through the world`stropics. U. S. soldiers saw young tendershoots being eaten by Vietnamese.Leucaena has one drawback which scientists

are trying to eliminate. When the plant iseaten exclusively without other foods tobalance the diet, it causes the hair to fallout. One sheep rancher in Australia decidedto turn this fact to his advantage. He fedhis sheep on Leucaena, after which they couldbe sheared "with a simple stroke of the hand."Unfortunately, the separation of the woolfrom the sheep was so complete that theanimals had no protection from the sun andin true "Samson and Delilah" fashion becamepowerless to cope with their environment.Readers are referred to the book Ieucaena,Promising Forage and Tree Crop for the Tropicspublished by the National Academy of Sciences(Washington, D.C.) in 1977 for further detailsof this almost unbelievable happening.

Branch of Leucaena leucocephalashowing a spherical flowercluster in bud, the pinnatelycompound nature of the foliage,and two mature pods. Drawing byCarol D. Crosswhite.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

RATHER THAN DRINKING IT, WHY NOT BAKE IT

FOR 76 HOURS IN A PIT IN THE GROUND? Mostpersons know of the mescal liquor bottled inthe Tequila district of Mexico. CenturyPlant (Agave) species are adapted to siteswhich are periodically very dry and theseplants exhibit numerous "desert plant" adap-

tations. The Century Plants are monocarpic,i.e. they flower once and die. Just beforecertain kinds flower they are pried out ofthe ground and the leaves cut away so thatonly the heart remains, the latter resemblingsomewhat an oversized pineapple. These heartsare very high in carbohydrate which had beenstored to allow growth cf a tremendous flowerstalk. A sweet drink from the plant is knownas "agua miel." The juice can be fermentedto produce an intoxicating beer -like drinkknown as "pulque." Distilled beverages aremarketed under the name "mescal." In someparts of Mexico a bottle can be purchasedlabelled "Legitimo Mescal con su Proprio

Giisano." In the bottom of the bottle is aworm, actually the larva of an Agave- boringinsect. This is added to prove that themescal is "legitimo," i.e. that it is reallymade from Agave rather than being a watered -down drink adulterated with Sophora or some

other substance. A premium mescal producedfrom a particular kind of Agave in a certain

district is labelled "tequila," just as a

particular kind of wine produced in a certain

Photographs of Agave murpheyi which accomp-anied the original scientific descriptionof the species in the 1935 volume of theContributions From Boyce Thompson Institute

7 (i): 83 -85. Fred Gibson, photographer.


district of France is labelled "burgundy."Although "mescal" is used as the name of aliquor, the same name is used for a nutritiousfood which can be produced from hearts ofAgave. Some kinds of Agave make a good mescalfood but others are inedible.Agave murpheyi is easy to grow from bulbils,

i.e. little plants produced on the floweringstalk, and may be an ancient Indian cultivarof the Sonoran Desert. It has been foundnear prehistoric Indian ruins, being origi-nally discovered as a species new to sciencegrowing in a natural area at the Boyce Thomp-son Southwestern Arboretum. Mescal food hasbeen experimentally produced at the Arboretumfrom A. murpheyi using the Indian recipe ofbaking the heart in a covered pit in theground for 76 hours. This slow "cooking" isdone at a temperature low enough so thatenzymes are not de- activated but hot enoughto cause the carbohydrates to be convertedto sugar. If not left in the heated pit longenough the food is reminiscent of sweet pota-toes with an after -taste. When "cooked"longer it tastes more like molasses. Mescal

food cakes similar to ones prepared by theTarahumara Indians of Chihuahua in :istorictime have been excavated from pee. rstoricIndian ruins in Arizona. Perhaps scme dayAgave will be developed as a field food crop.It is very resistant to drought and will growin deserts with rather low annual rainfall.

THE JOJOBA REVOLUTION IN CARE OF SKIN ANDHAIR. Personal cleanliness in Homo sapiensinvolves the intentional use of water to bathethe skin and wash the hair. Invention of soapand later of various detergents and shampooshad a truly revolutionary impact on humancleanliness. But a relatively insoluble waxyform of "sebum" which is associated with hairfollicles may become compacted when onlycommon soaps and shampoos are used. "Sebum"derives from the Latin name for tallow. Anextreme sebum problem is referred to asseborrhea, but minor problems are apparently'commonplace and have a significant impact onhuman grooming and appearance. Recently itwas discovered that a liquid wax from Jojobaseeds could be used to break up, dissolve,modify, condition and replace the sebum de-nosits. Companies which manufacture cosmetics,soaps and shampoos have conducted "proprie-tary" research, the details of which have beenguarded from falling into the hands of com-petitors, and a number of patents have beenissued. Many products in the personal groomingmarket are now beginning to incorporate Jojobain their manufacture. Jojoba enthusiastsbelieve that a new revolution is now occurringto put human skin and hair care into a thirdphase following the first phase of water useand the second phase of soap, detergent andshampoo use. The Jojoba plant is a desertshrub native to the grounds of the BoyceThompson Southwes tern Arboretum. The landmarkdiscovery of the unusual liquid wax in Jojobaseeds resulted from a cooperative researchproject between the Arboretum and the Univer-sity of Arizona.


USING ALOE VERA TO TREAT BURNS. The sci-entific name Zr-this plant indicates that itis the "true" (= vera) Aloe used for hundredsof years in medicine. It can be distinguishedfrom other species of Aloe by the combinationof its mature leaves being relatively tooth-less, gray -green, upright and without spots,and its yellow flowers pointing downward.Many housewives feel that a plant or two ofAloe vera ought to be grown within a few steps76T-very kitchen. Victims of serious burnsshould see a medical doctor at once, buttraditionally Aloe vera has been used as firstaid for a wide variety of burns. One of thethick fleshy leaves is broken open to exposea succulent inner tissue which resembles Jello.This gel is applied to the burn, care beingtaken that none of the hard outer part of theleaf scrapes across the burn. Aloe vera hasbeen used for treating grease burns, sunburn,and even the radiation burns which can resultfrom cancer radiation therapy.

DOES "CHAPARRAL TEA" HAVE A REAL VALUE?Recently an unusual calcium form of Vitamin -Cmanufactured at Prescott, Arizona was discussedon television as a possible breakthrough intreatment of arthritis. Vitamin -C functionsas an anti -oxidant but there is apparentlysome question as to the body's ability tofully utilize it in common chemical non - calciumconfigurations. Persons who use "ChaparralTea" (actually made from Creosotebush leaves,Larrea tridentata) for arthritis, rheumatismand as a tonic point out that Larrea leavescontain an unusual anti -oxidant, nordihydro-guaiaretic acid (NDGA). Creosotebush occurson desert soils having a calcium carbonate( "caliche ") layer. Visitors to the BoyceThompson Southwestern Arboretum can observenatural "textbook examples" of its presenceon calcium carbonate soils and absence fromsoils not having the calcium carbonate stratum.Use of "Chaparral Tea" by health enthusiastsdeserves further study by medical researchers.

IT MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH, NOT IN YOUR HANDS.Euphorbia antisyphillitica was named for itsuse by cowboys and early settlers in theChihuahuan Desert and adjacent regions as asupposed preventative of syphillitic infec-tion. In an unusual twist of history it laterbecame used by millions of people in theUnited States, Mexico and elsewhere aroundthe world for a quite different reason. Per-haps most readers of this paragraph have con-sumed a substance from this desert plant.Where the plant is native in Mexico harvestersmake treks out to the hills where it growsand rip it up, roots and all, from the desert.The plants are bundled and lashed high on thebacks and sides of burros to be transportedto a camp in the desert where they are boiledin water to which sulphuric acid has beenadded. A wax from the plant forms as a scumon the surface. This is raked off, throwninto buckets and taken to Candelilla wax col-lection centers to be purified. This ediblewax remains hard under conditions of highheat and humidity as opposed to chocolate andother coverings of candies and confections


which stick to wrappers and hands. Becausethe wax is water soluble it has been widelyused as a covering for pellet -sized gums andcandies which "melt in your mouth, not inyour hands." Although chocolate bars arepopular in cold regions or in winter, theCandelilla wax covered items have proven moremarketable in hot desert regions or in summer.

THE MUSEUM THEORY; -- SUBJECT YOURSELF TOA LEARNING EXPERIENCE BY VISITING A MUSEUMOF LIVING PLANTS. Botanical gardens and ar-boretums are classified as museums of livingplants. They teach in a subtle way by meansof the museum theory. It is possible foreveryone, from the most ignorant and under-educated child to the most knowledgeable pro-fessor or technical researcher to learn moreabout desert plants and their place in na-ture's landscape by visiting an appropriateliving museum. A museum is a unique kind ofinstitution devoted to the encouragement oflearning and research in a special field ofknowledge. When the botanist John Tradescantin England first used the term "museum" inits modern sense for his collection of mate-rials assembled to invite study and research,he resurrected the word from its classicaluse to describe the temple of the sevendaughters of Zeus, each daughter or "Muse"residing there having been regarded in Greekreligion and mythology as having the capa-bility of filling a respondent with knowledgein a particular branch of art or science.The theory behind the establishment of museumsis that the objects assembled and displayedfill the visitor with knowledge. Thus themuseum represents the ultimately pragmaticform of education: people will learn or dofruitful research if the very best materialsunderlying a branch of knowledge are assembledand made available under inviting circumstan-ces. How better to learn than to be filledwith knowledge by materials having a substanceso real, pure and attractive as one of thedaughters of Zeus! In a museum the materialsthemselves teach and inspire. Curators ofmuseums provide structure and guidance to thecollection, assemble it, make it availablefor study, and interpret it. Such persons,although highly specialized teachers and re-searchers, are the keepers of the daughtersof Zeus and of the temple, providing the cir-cumstances for the union of respondent andMuse with the intention that the appropriatedaughter of Zeus (i.e. the substance of thecollection) will be instilled into the com-municant to fill that person with true andlasting knowledge of benefit in life. Althoughit is considered grammatically incorrect tosay that a student is learned by a teacher,the unique passive method of teaching whichis at the heart of the museum results in theillusion that the museum is "learning thestudent" because the keepers of the templeare typically lurking behind the scene. TheBoyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum strivesto be effective as a museum of living desertplants, making available appropriate materialsfor study by the public and by visiting sci-entists.

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