The Yuccas 



areas, a striking feature of the landscape, and is common in 

 Texas gardens. 



By these two species the characters of the genus are exem- 

 plified, and the remaining seven species will readily be referred 

 to the genus. There are no other trees likely to be confused 

 with yuccas. 



THE CACTI 



Allied to the mangroves and the myrtles, but like the yuccas 

 in some particulars, and in choosing desert regions to live in, are 

 the cacti, two genera of which have tree-like species in the United 

 States. The soft stems of these trees are storehouses of moisture, 

 as are also the fleshy branches. All green surfaces perform the 

 functions of leaves. The spiny processes are the character by 

 which most people recognise a cactus. The flowers are large and 

 showy, formed into a tube by many overlapping sepals and petals. 

 The fruit is a fleshy, many-seeded berry. The tree cacti are 

 found in desert regions near the boundary between the United 

 States and Mexico. 



124 



