BOTANY. 
13 
probably taken their description from younger plants, before the interlacing or anastomosing 
process had been carried to any considerable extent. Wo have seen the skeletons of young plants 
which exactly corresponded with their description. The fruits of many Cerei are edible, with 
something of the flavor and shape of a large gooseberry. They are thickly covered with sharp 
spines; but as soon as the fruit ripens, these can be brushed off with ease. By peeling the rind, 
there is left a large, sweet, delicate pulp, that will rival any gooseberry. The top of this giant 
Cactus, however, yields a pitahaya, far sweeter and more delicious than those which grow on 
more humble stems. The Indians collect large quantities of it by tying a fork to the little end 
of a long willow pole, which enables them to reach and bring down the fruit without injuring 
it. They make a syrup, or conserve, from the juice, which serves them for luxury, as well as 
for sustenance, and which can be preserved a long time. The Mexicans call the tree “ suwar- 
row;” the Indian, “harsee;” and the syrup manufactured from the juice, “sistor.” The juice 
of the flesh of the tree is quite bitter. 
We find (February *7) a new species of Opuntia, with a reticulated woody stem, very fragile at 
the joints before hardening into wood, and armed with spines worse than those of a porcupine. 
It is called by the Mexicans, “ chug.” The plant is the horror of man and beast. Our mules 
are as fearful of it as ourselves. The barbed spines stick so fast in the flesh that the joint of the 
plant is separated from the main stem before the spines can be withdrawn. We found this 
species sometimes ten and twelve feet high, branching very fantastically, in consequence of the 
fragility and decay of the younger stems and joints. In a landscape by Mr. Stanley, (plate 16 
of Major Emory’s report,) in the foreground is the figure of a cactus, of which, in the text, no 
account is given. It has a faint resemblance to our plant; but Lieutenant Whipple, who has 
travelled and explored much in that region, is pretty confident that it represents a different 
species, which he has also seen. The figure is too regular in its outlines and curves to repre¬ 
sent the peculiarly angled and irregular appearance of our plant. It is, without doubt, an 
undescribed species. We find here what is supposed to be Opuntia ramossissima of Dr. 
Engelmann, collected on the desert between the Colorado and San Diego by Dr. Parry. In 
places favorable for its growth, it is found six feet high, as robust and tree-like as the 0 . arbo- 
rescens itself. 
The fact that on the 7th February we collected a Draba, a Thelopodium, and a Vesicaria in 
full bloom, is a proof of the forwardness of the season in this valley. February 11th we 
collected, along the banks of Bill Williams’ fork, fine specimens of a Lepidium and a Hosackia. 
Section IX. Valley of the Colorado. —From the mouth of Bill Williams’ fork to the point 
above where we crossed the Kio Colorado, is about sixty miles ; and from thence to Soda 
lake, on the Mojave creek, where, at ordinary seasons of the year, water is first found, is about 
one hundred miles further west. Along the valley of this river, alamo, mezquite, and willow 
form the principal, and almost entire, kinds of trees. The Mojave Indians make use of willow 
twigs in the formation of their granaries, where they store away the fruit of the Tornillo , (curly 
mezquite,) and various other vegetable products, for winter consumption, or for times of scarcity. 
Their depositories are built in a circular form, four or five feet high, and about the same, or a 
little less, in diameter. After being filled with their stores, they are covered with willow bushes 
or reeds, over which is laid another cover of earth. The climate is so dry, they find no difficulty 
in thus preserving their winter grain. We passed their villages the last days of February, and 
found them in the possession of plenty of corn, wheat, beans, pumpkins, &c., which they gladly 
traded for our old worn-out clothes. They brought us one watermelon that had been preserved 
from last year. We travelled about sixty miles through their territory without seeing any 
appearance of irrigation, from which we may safely infer that they cultivate their crops without 
having recourse to this process. There can be no doubt, however, but that it would add very 
materially to the amount of agricultural productions, if irrigation were employed. 
Very little grass is to be seen in this valley. Our sheep ate readily of the Obione canescens, 
(grease-wood,) which grows abundantly throughout this whole region. Our mules were very 
