Kunzt: THE Desert FLORA OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA 303 
few are scattered among the sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata and 
another species, growing in a sandy loam ; these cacti sometimes 
attain a barrel-shape, weighing from 150 to 200 pounds each. 
Such individuals, however, are rare. The flesh of this cactus is by 
Mexicans made into candy, much like the sugar-coated calamus 
or sweet flag. Parched travelers of our deserts often cut open 
large plants of &. Wislizent to suck the moist pulp, when water- 
holes cannot be reached or found. The yellow flowers appear in 
May and often again in September, for a second time, followed by 
a yellow fruit, dry and insipid. 
Another species, Achinocactus Emoryi, or barrel cactus, is 
sparingly found in this valley, and occurs in preference on sandy 
sagebrush desert. The large central spines of 4. Emoryi are not 
of such a bright roseate color as those of 4. Wrslizeni but fully as 
formidable. The flowers of 4. EAmoryt, which are red, are suc- 
ceeded by a yellow fruit, also dry and insipid. This species is 
found farther south, in Sonora, Mexico, more abundantly than 
in Arizona. Another very spinose cactus found on this desert 
is Echinocereus Engelmannt, growing in clumps of from two to 
twenty joints, as thick as one’s arm, and a foot in length. In 
April it is covered with many large, fragrant, roseate flowers. 
Near by and generally under cover of a sagebrush or other plant, 
is seen the pretty cinereous Cactus Grahami. Individuals of 
single joints grow to the height of eight inches, but more fre- 
quently a number are growing from a common base, covered by 
many fragrant little flowers in May, if not earlier; color, light 
roseate, with a white stripe in center of each petal. The small red 
fruit, naked and elongate, is quite persistent. This cactus flowers 
a second time after the July rains, if such occur. During the 
season of drouth in 1900, when we had only three good rains 
in twelve months, this Cactus prolonged its second time of 
flowering until a late November rain, and at Christmas time it was 
in full bloom on the Phoenix desert. A goodly number of Covillea 
Mexicana,the evergreen greasewood or creosote bush, was also 
blooming there for the second time. Both of these plants, in 
lateness of flowering, vie with our garden roses and chrysanthe- 
mums. 
Of Opuntia, several species occur in this vicinity, of which the 
