Drooping Juniper
CACTUS GARDEN
14. Lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla) (pronounced lay-choo-GHEE-yuh) is a small species of agave whose leaf crown somewhat resembles a bunch of green bananas, and does not belong to the cactus family. The plant is so well protected by its spine-tipped leaves that even hungry goats refrain from eating it. The fibers within the fleshy leaves are used extensively in northern Mexico for making brushes, matting, coarse twine and rope. The short stem is used as a substitute for soap.
15. Claretcup Echinocereus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus). This is one of the commonest and most spectacular of our hedgehog cactuses. Occasionally, plants will have as many as 50 salmon-colored blossoms open at the same time.
Desert vegetation and Chisos Mountains as seen from the east.
16. Engelmann Pricklypear (Opuntia engelmanni) is one of the desert’s most useful plants. Its fruits may be eaten raw and delicious jams and jellies may be made from them. When young and tender, the young joints are called “nopalitas” (no-pahl-EE-tahs), and are cooked and eaten. Ranchmen burn off the spines to supply hungry cattle with food when the range is poor. In the lower elevations of the park a lovely purple-colored species is found, known as purple-tinge cactus.
17. Strawberry Cactus (Echinocereus stramineus) has one of the desert’s tastiest fruits. When ripe, the fruit resembles a strawberry in texture and is delicious served with cream. The blossom is a deep red and is one of the park’s gems of floral beauty. Large numbers of these dome-shaped plant mounds may be observed along the highways throughout the park.
18. Brownpitaya (Echinocereus chloranthus) is one of the so-called rainbow cactus group. Notice the banded color separation of the short needles. The small brown flowers grow around the plant in large numbers during the bloom period. Another variety, which grows at low elevations in the park, has yellow-orange blossoms reaching a diameter of 4 inches.
19. Mountain-Mahogany (Cercocarpus eximius). The wood is extremely hard, so brittle that it may be broken very easily. Deer browse on the leaves, and, outside the park, cattle and sheep feed upon it.