498 SAGUARRO, OR THE GIANT CACTUS. Book IIT. 
the delicate foliage upon our dark road, lighted up occa- 
sionally by a flash of lightning, was an interesting scene. 
In the lower part of the valley of Santa Cruz, the 
gigantic columnar cactus ( Cereus giganteus) is first seen 
upon the road. The inhabitants of the country call it 
Saguarro ; but various authors, and recently Bartlett, have 
applied the name of Pitaya (Pita-haya) to this remarkable 
plant. This name, however, belongs to another species of 
cactus, of a similar but much lower growth. The latter 
also appears not to be found so far north, but occurs fre- 
quently further down in Sonora. I have obtained my 
information respecting the difference of these two species of 
cactus from a good authority — the chief of the Pimas — 
who told me decidedly that the cactus-shafts in that part 
were not Pitayas, but Saguarros. 
The Saguarro presents a thick fluted column, the size of 
a man's body, and thirty, forty, and even fifty, feet high, 
with sometimes three or four branches at its top, the whole 
looking like a gigantic candelabrum. The fig-shaped 
edible fruit grows at the edge on the top of the columns ; 
and from the great height of the latter it would be difficult 
to get at them, did not this remarkable plant itself afford 
the means of reaching it. The old stems, when decayed, 
split into a number of thin poles, standing in a circle, the 
height of the entire column enveloped in a loose net- work ; 
and by the aid of these the traveller is enabled to knock 
down the fruit. I have been told that these poles form an 
article of export from the port of Guaymas, and in Europe 
are made into walking-sticks, and sold under the name 
of " Spanish canes." I cannot, however, vouch for the 
correctness of this account. The Pimas at the old Mission 
of San Xavier del Bac had a large store of Saguarro fruit, 
which is used as food in various ways. It is eaten fresh ; 
