WILD FLOWERS OF CALIFORNIA 55 



608 Hill Man Root Echinocystis marah Similar, but flowers clear- 



white and fruits with 

 short and weak spines in- 

 stead of stout ones. Hills, 

 Bay region among straw- 

 berry. 



609 Watson's Man Root Echinocystis Watsoni Vaca Mountains only, near 



Bay region. Sierras. 



DATISCA FAMILY DATISCACEAE 



A small and peculiar family represented by but a single genus with two species, 

 one in western Asia, the other Californian. 



610. Durango Root Datisca glomerata Stout branching perennials, 



several feet high with 

 coarsely - toothed leaves, 

 these becoming shorter 

 and more numerous to- 

 ward the inflorescence. 

 Flowers small clustered in 

 the axils and more or less 

 hidden by the leaves. Root 

 medicinal, bitter tonic. On 

 dry stream beds and 

 banks, Coast ranges and 

 Sierras. 



CACTUS FAMILY CACTACEAE 



Mostly leaflless plants with the stems thickened into various shapes and armed 

 with almost every conceivable sort of big and little spines. Some are very large 

 in single or branching columns, others globe-shaped and ribbed, and still others 

 jointed and flattened. Unusual prominence has been given some of the species on 

 account of the introduction of spineless varieties by Luther Burbank and the United 

 States Department of Agriculture for forage purposes. They contain an insipid 

 juicy pulp which on the desert is used in extreme cases as a poor substitute for 

 water. The fruit is usually pulpy and contains many seeds. These are used to a 

 considerable extent by the Mexican peons for food and are called tunas. The 

 surface is frequently covered with minute spicules not apparent to the eye, and 

 much discomfort is brought on when an attempt is made to handle or eat the 

 inviting looking fruit without first removing the outer skin with something other 

 than the bare fingers. 



In New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, the spines are removed by burning if stock 

 feed is short, when they can be readily eaten. It is at best, however, a poor forage. 



The flowers are very beautiful, consisting of numerous colored sepals and 

 petals arranged in series. They may be yellow, pink or red. 



611. Bird's-Ncst Cactus Mamillaria Oval or cylindrical with 



spine - bearing tubercles. 

 Perhaps 4 species. South- 

 ern California, from the 

 coast to the interior. 



612. Indian Melon Echinocactus Globe shaped with tubercu- 



late ribs. Woolly on top. 

 Bunches of spines on the 

 more or less vertical ribs. 

 About 7 species from the 

 coast to the interior. 



