QUIROGA: a MEXICAN MUNICIPIO — BRAND 



43 



are few real orchards (less than 20 in fact or name), 

 and the majority of Quiroga's fruit trees are to be 

 found scattered in small groupings over the entu'e 

 town. The leading fruit trees are peaches (1,389), 

 limes (166), figs (155), apricots (119), oranges 

 (103), avocados (96), loquats (79), white zapotes 

 (78), guavas (73), lemons (68), quuices (62), and 

 cherimoyas (60); however, the more nimierous 

 fruit trees do not attain the size of the zapotes, 

 avocados, cherimoyas, and native cherries {capu- 

 lines) which vie with the strictly ornamental 

 trees for prominence in the landscape. The 

 fresnos or native ash trees (Fraxinus vhdei (Wen- 

 zig) Lingels) are probably fewer than 200 in the 

 entire town (we counted 166), but they constitute 

 the chief formal plantings along the main streets 

 (principally the Calzada Ram6n Corona which 

 has nearly 40) and in the three plazas; and it is 

 these fresnos {paramu in Tarascan) which provide 

 the largest trees and the most shade. Next in 

 importance among the formally planted orna- 

 mental trees are the cypresses (of at least three 

 species). There are approximately 80 cipreses 

 (also kno\\'Ti erroneously as cedros), which are 

 principally in the churchyard, the cemetery, and 

 the Plaza de la Constituci6n. In recent years 

 there have been planted about 30 privets or 

 truenos {Ligustrum lucidum Ait.), chiefly along 

 the parish house and on lower Ram6n Corona. 

 Also, in the past 15 years some 20 jacarandas and 

 18 casuarinas have been planted in different parts 

 of town; the jacarandas are principally in the 

 Plazuela de Bravo and the Plazuela de Valle, and 

 the casuarinas are in private yards. The gigante 

 or eucalyptus was first planted in Quiroga in the 

 1870's, but outside of the dozen Eucalyptus 

 globulus Labill. (and perhaps another species) in 

 the cemetery there has been little attempt to 

 propagate this genus which appears to do quite 

 well in the area. Because of scarcity of water 

 there is but one ahuehuete (pentamu in Tarascan) 

 or bald cypress (Taxodium mucronatum Ten.) in 

 Quiroga, in the Plaza Principal at a point where 

 tradition claims there was a watering trough 

 more than a century ago. This ahuehuete appears 

 to be dying slowty. The Peruvian pepper tree 

 {Schinus molle L.), so common in the bajio com- 

 munities to the north, is represented in Quiroga 

 by fewer than a dozen scattered individuals, 

 chiefly in the arroyos and on the outskirts of 

 town. 



Highly important in the landscape in the north- 

 ern half of town, and along the fences and field 

 boundaries in all of the outskirts, are agaves, 

 cactuses, yuccas, colorines, and chupires. Alagu- 

 eyes or acambas {Agave spp.) are used to mark the 

 solar and sementera boundaries, as is common over 

 much of southern Mexico, and also are raised for 

 drinlv, food, and fiber. There are no solid plant- 

 ings of the agave, but some 200 punctuate the 

 landscape in Quiroga. Besides the many small 

 species of ornamental cactuses which are raised 

 in macetas, there are perhaps a hundred clumps of 

 nopales (Opuntia Jicus-indica (L.) Miller and 

 closely related species) in the yards, along the 

 arroyos, and along the margins of the sementeras. 

 On the top of adobe and of masomy walls, and 

 even in trees, are a number of the pitahayo or 

 tuna iasajo cactus {Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) 

 Britt. & Rose) which both repels unwanted visi- 

 tors and provides a most delicious fruit. Unlike 

 so many Mexican towns, there are practically no 

 (less than six) organo or cordon cactuses, but the 

 few are used in traditional fashion in fences. 

 Serving as landmarks and as a popular source for 

 place names are some 80 giant yuccas (Yucca 

 decipiens Ti-el.), which are known locally as 

 palmas, izotes, and zambas. Popular for their 

 scarlet flowers and beans are the colorines or 

 p^irenchequas (Erythrina flabelliformis Kearney) 

 which must number at least one hundred within 

 the precincts of town. The chupires (Euphorbia 

 calyculata H. B. K.) have been cultivated by the 

 Tarascans since prehistoric times, and are locally 

 famed for their blistering juice or latex and for 

 medicmal qualities. Perhaps it is not mere acci- 

 dent that the bulk of the chupires are fomid along 

 the roads and fields of the Indian part of Quiroga . 

 To complete the verdant pictm'e are the castor- 

 bean shrubs (Ricinus communis L.), both wild 

 along the arroyos and cultivated for seeds and 

 ornament, tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca Graham), 

 willows (Salix spp.), canes (Arundo sp.), and 

 castillos (Leonofis nepetaejoUa R. Br.) which 

 abomid along the arroyos of town, and the many 

 species of grasses, composites, mints, solanums, 

 etc., which grow wherever soil and some moisture 

 are available — in the streets, by the houses, 

 along the arroyos, etc. Added to all this vegeta- 

 tion are the cultivated fields (chiefly maize, 

 some wheat, a httle alfalfa) which completely 



