354 the study OF plant communities • Chapter XII 



TABLE 11— Potentialities of Lands for Crop Production as Indicated by the 

 Principal Plant Communities of the Southwestern Desert (after Sampson 212 ). 



Vegetation 



Creosote bush 



Desert sage 



Mesquite and 

 chamiso 



Chamiso 



Mesquite thicket. 



Seep weed 



Saltbush and 

 arrowweed . 

 Pickleweed . . . 



Saltgrass 



Yucca-cactus . 



Giant cactus- 

 paloverde . . . 



Predominant species 



Larrea divaricata 



Atriplex polycarpa 



Prosopis glandulosa 

 Atriplex canescens 



Atriplex canescens . 

 Prosopis glandulosa 



Dondia intermedia . 



Probable success 

 under irrigation 



Atriplex lentiformis 



Pluchea sericea 



Allenrolfea occidentalis 



Distichlis stricta 



Yucca mohavensis 

 Ferocactus acanthodes 

 Oppuntia bigelovii . . . 



Carnegia gigantea 

 Cercidium torreyanum 



Successful where na- 

 tive cover is luxuri- 

 ant; of doubtful suc- 

 cess on lands of rock 

 outcrop or with rock 

 layers or hardpan 

 Successful where 

 native cover is lux- 

 uriant; of low value 

 on hardpan soil 

 Partly successful; 

 special crops on 

 level tracts 

 Successful 

 Successful when 

 salts leached out 

 Not successful ; 

 much abandoned 

 farm land on this 

 cover. Successful 

 when salts leached 

 out 



Successful when 

 drained 



Successful when 

 drained and leached 

 Successful when 

 drained and leached 

 Partly successful; 

 land usually too 

 steep or soil too 

 rocky 



Successful when 

 drained 



