304 Kunzt: Tue Desert Frora oF PHOENIX, ARIZONA 
‘most noteworthy is the arborescent prickly pear, Opuntia arbores- 
cens, with its color variations. These plants grow from three to 
five feet high, have twisted joints, and may be found in any soil 
from comminuted granite to sandy loam. The flowers are eaten 
by several beetles, so that frequently very few perfect flowers are 
seen ona plant. Plants having flowers of magenta color represent 
O. arborescens, and the plant usually is known as the candle 
cactus. Another plant, with reddish-crimson flowers, is O. arbo- 
rescens versicolor, which is also called candle cactus. Opuntia 
Whipplei spinosior has greenish-yellow flowers, and the branches 
are fortified with long and stout spines. 
Opuntia Bigelovii is the dreaded “ cholla”’ of the Mexicans. Its 
branches are thickly covered by long, barbed and sheathed spines, 
whitish and pendulous on large plants. These break off readily 
and adhere to clothing ; the ground all around is covered with these 
spines, and woe to the unlucky one treading on them with any 
but the heaviest of shoes. The pain is greater in withdrawing the 
spine than when they enter the flesh. Plants grow from two to 
twelve feet high or higher. Cowboys wear stout leather leggings 
to protect their limbs against the cholla. The flowers are greenish 
and the fruit greenish-yellow. <A very slender Opuntia growing 
along the arroyos of our desert is O. /eptocaulis, two feet high, 
with long stems of the thickness of a stout pencil. It has greenish 
flowers, succeeded by very small scarlet fruit, of strawberry shape, 
which remain long on the stem and look pretty. This plant 
grows in thick bunches. Opuntia Engelmanni, a plant of spread- 
‘ ing habit, is found on the edges of the Phoenix desert, near the 
foothills. Its large ovate joints bear yellow flowers, and a large 
scarlet fruit the size of a pullet’s egg. The latter is edible, refrig- 
erant and yields a fine jelly. Animals, birds and even mankind 
resort to this fruit when provisions give out. 
Cereus Greggit, our only night-blooming Cerews, is found spar- 
ingly on the sagebrush desert. Its flower is salvershaped, white 
and fragrant, over five inches in diameter. It seldom fruits; 
the fruit is in shape like a miniature torpedo, scarlet and contain- 
ing many black, flattish seeds. 
size, and is fleshy like a beet. 
cans the “ Montezuma yam.” 
The root grows to very large 
It is called by Indians and Mexi- 
I have dug up plants with a root 
