CASSIACEAE 



It is hard, to understand why nore use has not been made of beans 

 produced in such abundance as those of the paloverde. If they are 

 digestable, as is evidenced by the fact that they were formerly used, 

 it is high time some domestic science teacher or hill-billy school 

 teacher learns how to stew them. The wood is of rather poor grade 

 as the sap-wood decays quite rapidly and is soon honey-combed by 

 termites. It, however, brightens many a camp fire and liberal 

 quant it i o s a r o mixed with nc 3 quite and sold to the unsophisticated 

 in the towns. 



Parkins onia microphylla, the small Paloverde, is very similar 

 to Cor cidium torreyalmru l't does not commonly reach so large a size. 

 The beans are comparable to those of the other paloverdes. 



PAPILIONACEAE 



Sopho ra s eoundif 1 or a , Coral Bean, is reported in Sargent's 

 Manual as a tree. It is, however, usually a shrub three or four 

 feet high. It is limited in its range to western Texas and extreme 

 southern New Mexico in rooky limestone canyons. The leaves resemble 

 those of a .Curiae but are light grayish green, thick and evergreen. 

 The blue flowers grow on long, drooping spikes and are very hand- 

 some. The seeds contain a poisonous alkaloid and the plants are- 

 reported to be poisonous to stock. They, however, arc extremely 

 rarely browsed. This shrub is one of the most bcantifu.1 in the 

 southwest and well worthy of extensive cultivation as an ornamental. 



Sophora arizonica is very similar to ^ secundif lora but has 

 smaller cv erg re z m leaves and shorter spikes of blue flowers. It is 

 confined to very limited areas in Arizona, apparently having been 

 reported only from the lower foothills at the base of the north, end 

 of the Graham Mountains and the desert regions south and west of 

 1'ingman. This plant should be used for ornamental purposes. Since 

 it is probably somewhat poisonous it should not be used in any re- 

 vegetation program. 



* Soph ora ste noph ylla is a very interesting perennial herb 

 with finely divided leaves and capitate clusters of large blue 

 flowers. It is a typical sand plant, confined to regions of drift- 

 ing sand. It has long, horizontal roots which sprout freely and 

 as it frequently forme a complete ground cover, it is an excellent 

 sand binder. It seems to be unpalatable to stock. Its known dis- 

 tribution is confined to northern Arizona, southern Utah, southern 

 Nevada and northern New Mexico. 



Sophora sericea is a low herbaceous perennial with rather 

 fine leaves. It is confined in its range to the foothills of the 

 Rocky Mountains and adjacent plains from South Dakota to Texas and 



