FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OF ARIZONA 203 



vated for the fibers known in commerce as henequen and sisal. Other 

 species yield intoxicating beverages. Pulque is the fermented juice, 

 and mescal or tequila is a potent drink obtained by distillation of mash 

 made from the caudex. The name " mescal' ' also is applied to the food 

 obtained by roasting the caudex and emerging flower stalk. This 

 food was of importance to the Indians of Arizona, who had access to 

 such large species as A. palmeri, A. chrysantha, and A. parryi. Numer- 

 ous pits in which mescal and sotol were roasted are still in evidence on 

 the mountainsides, and even at the present time a small quantity os 

 mescal is made by the Papagos. The juice of certain Mexican specie- 

 is said to be emmenagogic, laxative, and diuretic, also toxic to live 

 stock. The fresh juice of A. parryi irritates the skin of some persons 



Key to the species 



1. Inflorescence spicate, narrowly cylindric (2). 



2. Leaf margins beset with prickles; leaves 2 to 4 cm. wide, 15 to 35 cm. long; 

 scapes 2 to 4 meters high; flowers yellow, 22 to 30 mm. long including 

 the ovary; filaments inserted near the middle of the short, broadly funnel- 

 form perianth tube; capsules 2.5 to 3 cm. long 1. A. utahensis. 



2. Leaf margins filiferous, occasionally serrulate toward base; leaves commonly 

 narrower, more or less falcate; scapes 1 to 2 meters high (3). 

 3. Filaments inserted at base of the perianth tube, the latter cylindric and 

 much longer than the rounded lobes; leaves with coarse marginal 

 fibers and conspicuous glaucous markings, flat or even slightly convex 

 on the upper surface except near the apex, oblong-linear, 5 to 10 cm. 

 long, 7 to 10 mm. wide, dark green; flowers somewhat red-tinged, 

 glaucous, 12 mm. long including the ovary; capsules globose, about 



10 mm. in diameter 2. A. parviflora. 



3. Filaments inserted at or near the summit of the perianth tube; perianth 

 lobes longer than the tube; leaves with fine marginal fibers and glau- 

 cous markings only when immature (4). 

 4. Flowers 18 to 25 mm. long including the ovary, greenish or pale yellow; 

 perianth tube broadly funnelform, 5 mm. long; leaves subulate to 

 linear, 10 to 25 mm. wide, 15 to 35 cm. long, concave on the upper 



surface; capsules 11 to 15 mm. long 3. A. toumeyana. 



4. Flowers 30 to 50 mm. long including the ovary, yellow; perianth tube 

 narrowly funnelform, 8 to 11 mm. long; leaves linear; capsules 10 



to 25 mm. long 4. A. schottii. 



1. Inflorescence amply paniculate; scapes 3 to 8 m. high; leaves usually more or 



less constricted near the base, with prickles on the margins (5) . 



5. Filaments inserted at base of the perianth lobes; leaves rarely more than 45 



cm. long (6) . 



6. Flower buds greenish: scapes rarely stout; panicle lanceolate in outline or 



reduced and confined to the upper part of the scape, the lateral 



branches ascending; clusters comparatively few-flowered, hemispheric 



or subglobose; leaves not closely imbricate, often with conspicuous 



transverse markings, lanceolate or occasionally oblong-lanceolate, 



attenuate-acuminate, 30 to 50 cm. long, the end spine slender, the 



prickles commonly stout, up to 10 mm. long; flowers pale yellow. 



5. A. DESERTI. 



6. Flower buds strongly charged with red; scapes stout; panicle elliptic in 



outline, occupying one-third to one-half or more of the total length of 

 the scape, the lateral branches horizontal; clusters many-flowered, 

 horizontally flattened; leaves without conspicuous markings, the 

 marginal prickles commonly 3 to 5 mm. long; flowers yellow. 



6. A. PARRYI. 



5. Filaments inserted near the middle of the perianth tube; leaves usually 40 

 to 80 (up to 150) cm. long, lanceolate to linear, one-twelfth to one-fourth 

 as wide as long (7). 



7. End spine stout, 12 to 15 mm. long; leaves not greatly thickened at base, 



up to 65 cm. long, dark green, linear, strongly concave toward apex, 

 the naked acumination, including the spine, 30 to 35 mm. long: in- 

 florescence proliferous, the branches strongly ascending, the bulbils 

 long-persistent; flowers greenish yellow 9. A. murpheyi. 



