SPANISH BAYONET. OUR LORD'S CANDLE.
Yucca Whipplei, Torr. Lily Family.
Without a trunk. Leaves.—All radical in a bristling hemisphere; sword-like. Flower-panicles.—Distaff-shaped; three or more feet long; at the summit of a leafless bracteate scape, ten or fifteen feet high. Perianth.—Rotately spreading; waxen-white (sometimes rich purple), often green- or purple-nerved. Filaments.—Clavate; pure white. Anthers transverse; yellow. Style very thick; three-angled. Stigma stalked; green; covered with tiny prominences. Fruit.—A dry capsule. (Structure otherwise as in Y. Mohavensis.) Hab.—Monterey to San Diego and eastward.
In spring and early summer the chaparral-covered hillsides of Southern California present a wonderful appearance when hundreds of these Spanish bayonets are in bloom. From day to day the waxen tapers on the distant slopes increase in height as the white bells climb the slender shafts. At length each cluster reaches its perfection, and becomes a solid distaff of sometimes two—yes, even six—thousand of the waxen blossoms!
[PUSSY'S-PAWS—Spraguea umbellata.]
![[PUSSY'S-PAWS—Spraguea umbellata.]](#3624944100741987669_f023.png.id-2907470652873078756.wrap-0.html.html){kind=link}
A friend writing of them, once said: "Nearly every poetaster in the country has sung the praises of the yellow poppies and the sweet little Nemophilas, but not one, so far as I know, has ever written a stanza to these grand white soldiers and their hundred swords." There is, indeed, something glorious and warlike about them, as they marshal themselves to the defense of our hillsides.
This surpasses all known species in the height and beauty of its flower-panicles; but, once the season of flowering and fruiting has been consummated, its life mission is fulfilled, and the plant dies. The dead stalks remain standing sometimes for years upon the mountain-sides.
The seeds of this species, as well as those of the tree-yucca, are made into flour by the Indians; and from the leaves they obtain a soft, white fiber, which they use in making the linings of the coarse saddle-blankets they weave from Yucca Mohavensis. The undeveloped flowering shoots they consider a great delicacy, either raw or prepared as mescal. They gather great numbers of the plants when just at the right stage, and strip off the leaves, leaving round masses. These they prepare after the manner of a clam-bake, and when the pile is pulled to pieces and the mescal is taken out, it has a faint resemblance to a baked sweet apple, and is of about the same consistency. The whole mass is a mixture of sweet, soft pulp and coarse white fibers much like manilla rope-yarn.