CACTACEAE 



years ago. S everal of the round stemmed Opuntias form bushes of 

 small trees and propagate themselves mostly by means of the broken 

 and detached .joints. By building retaining structures of those, 

 growing masses of Cacti arc formed. Prickly pears have been used 

 in the same way. Cacti on the range, however, arc never exactly 

 popular and such practices as planting them where they arc already 

 too numerous has been discouraged. For the most part the jointed 

 Cacti or chollas and the prickly pears may be considered weeds, the 

 growth of which is promoted by heavy grazing. Many of the Cacti 

 play an important part in the life of the Indian. The fruits of 

 such Cacti as the Giant and the Organ supply fruits which are eaten 

 raw or made into preserves. The fruits of the prickly pears are 

 similarly used though not so highly prized. The woody portions 

 of the Giant Cactus are used in many types of construction such as 

 in buildine fences and in thatching houses. The commercial value 

 of the Cactus for ornamental planting cannot be overlooked. Thou- 

 sands of dollars are spent every year in the purchase of Cactus for 

 Cactus gardens and curiosity window plantings. 



ELAEACUACEAE 



*Elaeagnus arg ente a or Silverberry, is a shrub one to three 

 meters him with silvery leaves and fruits. It closely resembles 

 En aagusv, 1 Cclia but, is smaller. It is confined to the mountains 

 and '".h ins regions, mostly in the northern part of Region 8 and 

 northviara into Utah and Colorado. It has been cultivated as an 

 ornaTTGV.cal and as a windbreak in the plains country east of the 

 Rocky Mountains • It is well worthy of more extended use than it is 

 receiving today as it is an excellent erosion control plant, as -well 

 as an or a omental. 



*Elaeagnus angustif olia, Russian Olive, is a small tree of 

 such excellence for the Rio Grande region and for Utah that it , 

 deserves careful consideration on any revegetat ion program in these 

 regions. Its range extends from northern Arizona, and Hew Ilexico, 

 far to the north and cast. It grows in practically any type of 

 soil where there is a reasonable amount of moisture. It is rapid- 

 growing, produces a high grade post wood and fruit much relished by 

 birds. It is hard to understand why fruit with such a high degree 

 of sugar lias not been commercialized in some way. This tree has 

 been planted on some of the projects with promising results. Seed 

 are produced in abundance -and are easily collected. Direct seeding 

 on the range may prove to be feasible. 



*Shepherdia argentea, the Buffalo Berry, is much more common 

 in Wyoming, Utah and Col v.* - do than in Few Mexico and Arizona. It 

 is a tall silvery-leafed shiut which bears bright red berries. The 

 bushes are excellent erosion control plants in somewhat moist swales 



-114- 



