322 ] The Fascination of Flowers 



to enjoy the flowers of a cactus. (This ought to interest television- 

 minded children, accustomed to viewing hard-riding cowboys 

 among desert scenes!) Cacti may bloom in your home any time 

 during the year not just in the spring as the desert plants do. 



It is in the springtime that we see desert plants at their best. Out- 

 standing are the pink, yellow, and rose blooms of the prickly pear, 

 the white flowers of the giant sahuaro, and the yellow blossoms 

 that form a ring about each round column of the barrel cactus. 



Storehouses of Water: Most children are fascinated by the curious 

 forms that cacti take. They can see some of these plants in the 

 hothouses of botanical gardens, and they are very likely to wonder 

 about their lack of leaves. Actually the cacti do very well without 

 leaves. 



"Leaf-green" in their thick fleshy stems takes care of manufac- 

 turing their food, and the absence of leaves prevents the water 

 inside the plants from evaporating. They store water in the stems 

 to such an extent that they can survive periods of drought for an 

 amazingly long time. Many people lost in the desert owe their 

 lives to these natural water tanks. 



Plant Survival in the Desert: In humid regions plant species are 

 largely assured of survival by their great numbers. In deserts, 

 where plants are comparatively sparse, they have evolved a number 

 of defenses to keep humans and animals from preying on them. 

 Notable are the spines, thorns, and toughness of the cactus. Other 

 plants depend on bitterness or unpleasant odors, a few on poison. 

 Aside from cacti, the desert offers many other colorful floral 

 displays. Visitors from near and far are attracted every year to 

 desert areas the vicinity of Bakersfield in California, for example 

 to see lilies, poppies, violets, primroses, and verbenas blooming 

 in a riotous profusion of brilliant colors. 



The Charm of Summer Blossoms 



DANDELIONS PERSISTENT WEEDS 



This golden-headed flower, one of the mast persistent of 

 all weeds, is occasionally a source of income to youngsters, who 



