LILIACEAE 



adjacent southern C-r.lif.orni".. It resembles a Yucca instead of a 

 Bear grass and aside fro r : its possible use as an ornamental, is 

 probably valueless. During blooming and seed time it is one of 

 the most handsome plants on the desert. The clusters are several 

 foot long and two to three foot vd.de, and arc pearly white with 

 a tingo of green. 



♦Molina .microcarpa. There are two species of Bear Grass in 

 the southwec't. They arc so similar in character and habit that 

 what applies to one applies equally well to the other* Holin a 

 microcarpa ranges westward in our territory, being common in the 

 mountains about Tucson and north". ard. It reach-: s its maximum 

 development in the mountains north of Globe, Arizona. Ho line 

 rcenii, or what we have been calling by this name, is abundant 

 hrough Dragoon Pass in Arizona, covering several sections there. 

 It has very short flowering stalks r.nd differs slightly from the 

 typical }u grconii which is common on the lower slopes of the 

 Sacramento mountains and the Guadalupe Mountains in Now Mexico. 

 The western type, N. microcarpa, has tall flowering stalks which 

 stand several feet above the tops of the bunches of leaves. In 

 regions where cither species is abundant the plants are effective 

 in holding the soil, especially around and below the clumps. The 

 leaves are eaten by stock during storms and excessive drought. It 

 is reported that stockmen at times use the butts and roots for 

 stock food after grinding them up. The tall Yucca, Yucca elata, 

 is used In the same way. According to Dr. Castetter of the 

 University of l T cw Mexico, the seeds of IT. microcarpa have been 

 used for food by the Indians and doubtless those of I", greenii 

 have been similarly used. These two species can be grown from 

 seed in the nursery very satisfactorily. Up to the present no use 

 has been made of them in the field. Decent observation here 

 revealed that IT. greenii along the Hondo Valley in Hew Mexico is 

 heavily browsed* by cattle even when ether vegetation is abundant. 



AiXlYLLIDAOSAE 



* Agave locheguilla , known locally as Lechuguilla, is mere 

 limited in its distribution with us than A. schottii, being con- 

 fined to western Texas and southern Hew MexicTc"" It~is said to be 

 abundant in northern Mexico. A very similar plant, possibly 

 identical, occurs in extreme western Arizona. Locheguilla is a 

 commercial plant in Mexico, the leaves being used extensively for 

 the fiber used in cordage. The caudiccs constitute one of the 

 aroles of market. The Locheguilla Is similar in habit to A, 

 Schottii but the leaves are longer and are armed with hooked spines 

 on the edges in contrast to the spineless leaves of the latter. 



