200 MISC. PUBLICATION 42 3, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Western Arizona, southeastern California, Baja California, and 

 Sonora. 



It is somewhat doubtful whether Nolina parryi S. Wats, is specifically distinct 

 from N. bigelovii. Authorities do not agree as to the characters that distinguish 

 these forms and apparently there is intergradation. The writers have seen no 

 Arizona specimens that could be referred with assurance to N. -parryi. 



16. DASYLIRION. Sotol 



Plant with a thick, woody, mostly subterranean caudex; leaves in 

 large clusters, very rigid, the margins armed with sharp curved spines; 

 flowers dioecious, in large terminal panicles, these on the stamina te 

 plants composed of dense catkinlike spikes; capsule 1-celled, 3-wing^d. 



1. Dasylirion wheeleri S. Wats, in Wheeler, U. S. Survey West 100th 

 Merid.Rpt. 6: 378. 1878. 



Greenlee, Graham, Gila, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, and Pima 

 Counties, 4,000 to 6,000 feet, May to August. Western Texas to 

 Arizona and northern Mexico. 



Cattle feed upon the short round heads of plants that have been 

 burned or split open. The heads contain much sugar and have been 

 used in the manufacture of alcohol. From the roasted hearts the 

 natives prepared an article of food similar to that obtained from 

 mescal {Agave) and also a potent beverage generally known as sotol. 



17. ASPARAGUS 



Stems simple, fleshy and scaly in the juvenile (edible) state, becom- 

 ing tall, slender, much branched; leaves minute, scalelike, with 

 filiform branchlets in their axils; flowers commonly solitary, nodding, 

 small ; perianth campanulate, greenish white; fruit a few-seeded berry, 

 red at maturity. 



1. Asparagus officinalis L., Sp. PL 313. 1753. 



The well-known garden vegetable, occasionally escaping from culti- 

 vation, as at Sacaton, Pinal County, but scarcely naturalized. Native, 

 of Europe. 



18. SMILACINA 



Flowering stems from horizontal rootstocks, unbranchad, leafy; 

 leaves alternate, mostly sessile or subsessile, with ample lanceolate to 

 ovate blades; flowers small, whitish, in terminal racemes or panicles; 

 perianth rotate; ovary 3-celled; fruit a few-seeded berry. 



Key to the species 



1. Inflorescence a many-flowered panicle; perianth segments not more than 2.5 

 mm. long, shorter than the stamens; berries red, with purplish dots; leaves 

 ovate or lance-ovate 1. S. racemosa. 



1. Inflorescence a few-flowered raceme; perianth segments 5 to 7 mm. long, longer 

 than the stamens; berries green with vertical dark-brown stripes, becoming 

 black; leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate 2. S. stellata. 



1. Smilacina racemosa (L.) Desf., Ann. Paris Mus. d'Hist. Nat. 9: 51. 



1807. 



Convallaria racemosa L., Sp. PL 315. 1753. 

 Vagnera racemosa Morong, Torrey Bot. Club Mem. 5: 114. 

 1894. 



Apache, Coconino, Greenlee, Graham, Gila, Cochise, and Pima 

 Counties, 6,000 to 10,000 feet, rich soil in coniferous forests, May to 

 July. Throughout most of temperate North America. 





