the eastern foothills and uplands to the western uplands 
and barrancas. Subsequent assimilation of former tribes 
of that region may have included additions to Tarahu- 
mara 4 gave nomenclature. The similar names for Af. 
multifilifera and A. Vilmoriniana may reflect the wide 
familiarity of the leaf, fibre and soap products of the 
plants. These plants and products would probably be 
encountered in travel, transport and trading. The other 
species provide food and beverage prepared and gener- 
ally eaten near dwellings and usually not traded or 
offered to strangers. 
‘Two species of f4gave produce sucker shoots, and the 
Western Tarahumara have used this characteristic to ad- 
vantage in their propagation. The antiquity of propaga- 
tion of 4. americana var. expansa is unknown, but its 
presence in northwestern Mexico is thought to be only 
a century old. ‘The much valued “f. pacifica has been 
propagated closer to the locality of its preparation and 
consumption and at higher elevations than its normal 
range. 
SPECIMENS AND PHOTOGRAPHS 
Voucher specimens were collected, prepared and iden- 
tified by R. Bye. Dr. H. S. Gentry was very helptul 
in instructing him in the preparation and identification 
of sterile and fertile plants and specimens. ‘The speci- 
mens are deposited in the Economic Botany Herbarium 
of Oakes Ames in the Botanical Museum, Harvard Uni- 
versity (KCON). Duplicates will be distributed to the 
Jniversidad Nacional Aut6noma de México (MENU), 
Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (GH), and the 
Herbarium of H. S. Gentry in Phoenix, Arizona. 
All photographs were taken by Don Burgess. 
