191 ■•] TRELEASE— THE DESERT GROUP XOLIXE.^. 411 



Uses. 

 Though none of the XoHnese can be considered as of great 

 present economic importance, many of them are utilized in one 

 way or another and it is probable that more use can be made of 

 some species than is now the case. In the great bend of the Rio 

 Grande I have seen the trunks of Dasylirioii split open to give stock 

 access to the rather watery pith ; and they are sometimes cut for 

 feeding.-'"'-^ In Mexico the trunks of Dasylirion are roasted and 

 eaten similarly to those of the mezcal agaves ; and Dr. Gregg notes 

 a similar use of a Xoliiia on the label accompanying a specimen of 

 it. From such roasted trunks of Dasylirion, after fermentation, an 

 alcoholic beverage very similar to mezcal spirits is distilled, and 

 under the name of sotoP--^^'^*--^ it is very commonly used through 

 the extensive ^Mexican territory over which this genus occurs. As 

 in Yucca, Agave, and .some other plants, the sap of those now under 

 consideration contains, as a water conservation provision, a saponi- 

 fying substance, and the roots of Xolina Pahncri are said to serve 

 as an amole.^^ The leaves of Dasylirion and Nolina — and presum- 

 ably of Beaucarnca — are used for thatching,^^ basket work, coarse 

 hats and similar plaited-ware, either entire or shredded. ''•^-'^^ 

 Though less employed than that of yuccas and agaves, their fiber is 

 also somewhat used locally, and the narrow leaves of the eastern 

 bear-grass have long been used in their entirety for hanging meat 

 and similar domestic purposes for which strength rather than 

 finished cordage is needed. Some thought seems to have been given 

 also to the preparation of paper pulp from the fiber of Dasxlirion.^ 



SvsTEM.VTic Revision. 

 In revising the forms known to me I have had the privilege of 

 seeing an unusual amount of typical material, for which I am greatly 

 indebted to Professor Radlkofer of Munich (Zuccarini types), Dr. 

 Robinson of Cambridge (Watson types), Dr. Rose of the National 

 Herbarium (types of his own species) and Mr. Brandegee of 

 Berkeley, whose collection contains numerous critical forms. Ow- 

 ing to Engelmann's early interest in the vegetation of the Texano- 

 Mexican region, his herbarium, now at the Missouri Botanical 



