CARNEGIEA. 



165 



This is sometimes called pitahaya, but it is more generally known in the Southwest by 

 the Indian name of sahuaro or saguaro.* The ripe fruit is much used by the Indians. 



While the fruit of this cactus sometimes bears short spines, we have not observed 

 spines in the areoles of the ovary, and presume that they develop during the growth of the 

 berry, as they are known to do in some other cacti. 



Fig. 234. — Carnegiea gigantea. 



Papago Saguaro, one of the United States National Monuments, is named for this 

 plant. This monument, consisting of over 2,000 acres of desert land, is situated about 9 

 miles east of Phoenix, Arizona, where there is a wonderful display of Carnegiea gigantea 

 on the rocky hillsides. 



The sahuaro is the State flower of Arizona. 



Dr. Forrest Shreve has contributed the following account of the sahuaro : 



"The geographical range of the sahuaro extends from the headwaters of the Yaqui River in 

 southern Sonora, northward to the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. In Sonora it is rarely 



*The following are some of the other published spellings of this name: suaharo, suguaro, suwarrow, suwarro, 

 and zuwarrow. 



