Download MESCAL AGAVE, Agave parryi

Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
The Desert exhibit at the NC Zoo displays plants and
animals superbly adapted to this fascinating
environment.
The word desert makes one think of intense heat and
sand, but deserts are richly diverse environments.
These plants have many different adaptions to this
harsh environment. Tall, columnar Saguaro cactuses
are commonly associated with the Sonoran Desert, but
many other species of cactus grow there; such as Organ
Pipe, Barrel and Cholla cactuses. Gila woodpeckers,
owls and many reptiles find protection among cactus
spines. These long spines help shade cactuses from
intense summer heat, while helping channel rainwater
down to the roots. Most cactuses have root systems close
to the soil surface so they absorb rainfall immediately.
Most trees and shrubs have smaller leaves which help
conserve water. During extreme drought, leaves and
smaller limbs may drop, as seen with the Palo Verde
and Creosote Bush. Even well rooted plants may look
dead most of the year in order to conserve as much
water as possible. Other plants have adapted their
color to help conserve water. Both the Brittlebush and
the Desert Mallow have lighter colored leaves, which
reflect the sun’s heat.
The Sonoran Desert is crossed by many rivers and
receives around 10 inches of rain a year, more than
any other desert in the world. This makes it the most
lush and biologically abundant desert in the world.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
1. MESCAL AGAVE
Agave parryi
Family: Asparagaceae
Origin: Arizona, New Mexico & Mexico
A most useful plant
Agave (uh-gah-vay) is a plant that can provide fiber,
food, drink, soap, weapons or medicine. These plants
may have helped the western Apache to thrive in the
Sonora region.
2. BRITTLEBUSH
Encelia farnosa
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Southern Arizona
A store of goods
Leaves on this shrub are covered with soft white hairs which help it cope with desert life; the more arid
the conditions, the smaller and whiter the leaves produced. Stems have an aromatic gum that people
chew or use for incense. Native Americans heated the resin and used it as a glue. And in the old days
cowboys used brittlebush stems as toothbrushes.
3. CREOSOTE
Larrea tridentata
Family: Zygophyllaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona
A bush by any other name would still smell
Creosote bush is one of the most common plant species
found in North America deserts. Its leaves have a shiny
coating that reflects sunlight. This helps keep the plant
from losing water from evaporation. The Creosote bush
gets its name from the strong smell it gives off after a rain.
In Spanish, the Cresosote bush is called hediondilla;
which means “little stinker.”
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
4. VELVET MESQUITE
Prosopsis velutina
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Southwest US and Mexico
Putting down roots
Mesquite (mess-keet) is one of the most common and useful trees in the
Sonoran region. It provides shade, shelter, and food for wildlife. Humans
eat Mesquite fruits while the wood is important for construction and
charcoal. The Mesquite’s roots can go as deep as sixty feet and there is
often more wood underground than there is above.
5. JOJOBA
Simmondsia chinensis
Family: Simmondsiaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona, Sonora
Wax fruit?
The fruit of the Jojoba (ho-ho-ba) is about fifty percent liquid wax. This
substance is quite useful as it does not wear out easily. Jojoba “oil” goes
into a variety of products like cosmetics, cooking oils, car wax and
lubricants. The pressed fruit is useful as livestock feed.
6. DESERT GLOBE MALLOW
Sphaeralcea ambigua
Family: Malvaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona and Mexico
A spring show
This wildflower makes a nice mass along the flats and
mountainous uplands of the desert. Most of the dry
season it is a clump of dry twigs, but with the rainy season come flowers and new growth. The leaves
are fuzzy; grayish green and it is covered in flowers ranging from pink, red, and orange.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
7. CHOCOLATE FLOWER
Berlandiera lyrata
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Texas, SE Arizona,
northern Mexico
Non-edible candy
This native perennial forms an open rosette and reseeds readily. During flowering, it is covered with
small yellow daisy-like flowers which have the unmistakable smell of chocolate, thus the common name.
The Native Americans call it green-eyes referring to the small green buds before they open to yellow
flowers.
8. MORMON TEA
Ephedra nevadensis
Family: Ephedraceae
Origin: Most of the southwest
Green and tea but not green tea
Native Americans brewed a beverage from the stems of
this plant. Early Mormon settlers likely borrowed this
practice giving this plant its common name. The seeds of
Mormon Tea can be ground into flour and also used as a
coffee-like beverage. Mormon tea is valued for its green
color in a somewhat dull sagebrush environment.
9. FAIRY DUSTER
Calliandra eriophylla
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona, northern Mexico
A seasonal show
Fairy Duster is a small inconspicuous shrub for most of the year. In
spring the plant makes a showy transformation when it blooms. The
fluffy flowers provide nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds; while
quail eat the seeds.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
10. HOARY YUCCA
Yucca x schottii
Family: Asparagaceae
Origin: Southwest New Mexico,
southeast Arizona, north Mexico
Mountainous tree yucca
A natural occurring hybrid, the Hoary Yucca can grow as much as 1015 feet tall with 3 feet long bluish-green leaves. Each leaf has a sharp
spine at the tip. The plant produces creamy white flowers on a stalk
about 3 feet tall. This yucca’s range extends to much higher altitudes
than other tree yuccas.
11. COW HORN AGAVE
Agave bovicornuta
Family: Asparagaceae
Origin: Arizona, northern Mexico
Eye catching thorns
This medium sized plant has bright green leaves with bright red spines along the edge
and tip. The common name comes from the curved thorns which look like a bull’s
horn. After many years, a large flower stalk is produced, bearing yellow flowers. The
plant then dies unlike most agave which produce vegetative offshoots, known as
pups, the Cow Horn rarely does.
12. DESERT SPOON
Dasylirion wheeleri
Family: Asparagaceae
Origin: Arizona
Many uses for a “spoon”
Desert Spoon has strap-like, bluish leaves which resemble
stiff grass. Native people make a beverage known as sotol
by roasting and fermenting the flower stalks. The tough
leaves make good thatching, mats and baskets. The
Desert Spoon makes a good ornamental plant that can
survive in North Carolina landscapes.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
13. SAGUARO
Carnegiea gigantea
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona
Nature’s water tower
Saguaro (sa-WAH-ro) are huge tree-like cacti found only in the Sonora
Desert. They may reach 40-60 feet tall and live over a hundred years. White
flowers bloom in the spring but only open at night. The Saguaro is pleated,
and these expand with water after a rain. The pleats contract as the cactus
uses the stored water during dry periods.
14. TEDDYBEAR CHOLLA
Opuntia bigelovii
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: California, Nevada, and Arizona & NW Mexico
Deceiving looks
Teddybear cholla (choy-YA) may look fuzzy and soft but this cactus is far from
cuddly. The barbed spines detach easily and stick into the skin of passing animals.
Pliers or other tools may be necessary to remove them from human skin. Some
desert pack rats place the spines around their burrow entrances as a defense
against predators.
15. PRICKLY PEAR
Opuntia phaeacantha
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Arizona, Utah, Texas,
New Mexico, & Mexico
Tuna from a cactus?
There are several different types of Prickly Pear cactus.
They vary greatly in height and spine length. Flower color
can range from white to yellow to purple to red. Prickly Pear
produces large numbers of red or purplish fruits, called
“tunas”. These fruits are a valuable food source for many
desert animals and people.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
16. FISHHOOK BARREL CACTUS
Ferocactus wislizeni
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona
Cactus pointers
This cactus gets its name from both its spines and its shape. The thick, hook
shaped spines were used by native people for fishing. Massive stems of this
plant stand anywhere from six inches to six feet tall when mature. The shaded
side of the cactus (which is usually the north) grows faster than the exposed
side. Thus, the cactus often leans or points south, earning it the local name
“compass cactus”.
17. QUEEN AGAVE
Agave victoriae-reginae
Family: Asparagaceae
Origin: Northern Mexico
Fit for a queen?
This small, slow growing native of northern Mexico, is named for the English Queen
Victoria. It is usually found on rocky canyon slopes. This striking solitary plant is armed
with a sharp spine at the end of each leaf. It may take as many as 40 years or more
before a 10-15 feet bloom stalk forms with green to cream-colored flowers; after which
the plant will die. Unfortunately, it has become an endangered species because of
collection for commercial use in ornamental trade.
18. ELEPHANT TREE
Bursera microphylla
Family: Burseraceae
Origin: Southwestern Arizona,
northern Mexico
A desert plant fit for bonsai
This tree has a nice shape with striped bark. It gets the
common name from the short stout trunk which grows slowly
over many years. It will eventually make a six to eight foot tall
tree with an interesting branching pattern and nice tiny leaves.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
19. IRONWOOD
Olneya tesota
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Arizona, Sonora
Weighing heavily
Ironwood gets its name from its extremely heavy and hard wood. It is one of
the heaviest native woods in North America weighing about 66 pounds to the
cubic foot. Ironwood is so hard that typical hand tools can barely scratch it.
Native Americans made arrowheads from ironwood, but no one is sure how
they did it.
20. FIRE BARREL
Ferocactus acanthodes
syn. Ferocactus cylindraceus ssp. cylindraceus
Family: Cactaceae
Origin: Arizona, California,
north Mexico
Is that barrel burning?
This slow growing solitaire cactus will reach up to 8 feet tall. Young plants tend to have deep red spines
giving the appearance of a very spiky ribbed barrel that is perhaps on fire. Those red spines will turn
lighter after a few decades. The Fire Barrel cactus favors rocky locations, especially the sides of
canyons. Blooming occurs on the top of the cactus with yellow flowers.
21. MESCAL BEAN
Sophora secundiflora
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Texas, New Mexico, northern Mexico
Grape soda-scented
Mescal Bean is a slow growing, large evergreen shrub that prefers rocky
limestone soil. In the spring, it forms showy clusters of purple flowers that are
highly fragrant and have been said to favor grape soda. Native people valued
the brilliant (yet poisonous) red seeds for ornamental and ceremonial use.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
22. OCOTILLO
Fouquieria splendens
Family: Fouquieriaceae
Origin: Southern Arizona
Natural barbed wire
Ocotillo (o-ko-TEE-yo) is unique to the deserts of the
southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Its
stems have heavy thorns that make an almost
impenetrable barrier. Travel is very difficult across areas where this plant is
abundant. Octillo plants growing close together make an excellent living fence.
23. BLUE PALO VERDE
Cercidium floridum
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Arizona, California,
northern Mexico
Life without leaves
Palo Verde (pa-lo VER-day) is Spanish for “green stick”. That is what
this plant looks like because Palo Verde do not have leaves during
dry periods. Their green branches and twigs contain chlorophyll so
the plant can convert sunlight and nutrients into food without leaves.
24. CORAL TREE
Erythrina flabelliformis
Family: Fabaceae
Origin: Arizona, northern Mexico
Beauty without leaves
Coral tree is a unique medium-sized shrub with arching stems. During rainy times it is covered with
bright green diamond shaped leaves. The plant’s really showy part is early in spring before the leaves
emerge. The bare stems are covered with long spikes of red tubular shaped flowers. Hummingbirds
and butterflies cannot get enough of this plant.
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Sonora Desert Plant Guide for the Desert Exhibit
25. SOUTHERN MAIDENHAIR FERN
Adiantum capillus-veneris
Family: Pteridaceae
Origin: Temperate and tropical regions worldwide
A fern in the desert, REALLY?
Yes, the Southern Maidenhair fern can be found in the desert growing in
shaded limestone cliff seeps and other wet areas away from direct sunlight.
This fern is found worldwide.
26. CRIMSON MONKEY FLOWER
Mimulus cardinalis
Family: Phrymaceae
Origin: West Coast and
southwestern US
Hummingbird’s favorite
This perennial plant with bright red-orange flowers is
usually found near seeps or stream banks. Hummingbirds
are attracted to the nectar-rich flowers and aid in
pollination by carrying pollen between flowers on their
forehead.
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