Natt N. Dodge

“ Usually blossoming in April, the massive, white flower clusters gracing the crowns of thousands of these majestic yuccas create a never-to-be-forgotten spectacle. A small night-flying moth is the yuccas’ pollenizing agent and, in return for this essential service, lays her eggs in the plants’ ovaries where the young feed on the developing seeds. ”

“ Saving the saguaros is inevitably tied to the problem of enhancing the quality of life and reversing the degradation of the environment—not only in Tucson but throughout the Southwest.
There is no time to waste. Only concerted effort by scientists, resource managers, and the community can assure that our grandchildren will be able to visit a Saguaro National Monument where coyotes howl under the moon, peccaries snort through the washes, and giant cactuses lift bristly green arms into a blue sky. ”

“ Desert Larkspurs are low-growing, spring or early summer-flowering in habit, often occurring in colonies, and frequently intermingle with other spring flowers thereby adding their blue to the colorful tapestry of ground cover. ”

“ When soil moisture from December and January rainfall is enough to support potential plants it dissolves the seed coats, and the desert floor is soon carpeted with eager green seedlings. When winter rains are scant, as is so often the case, the dormant seed population fails to germinate and the spring flower display doesn’t appear. There is no sure way to forecast a spectacular blossom year, for a sudden cold wave or period of drying winds may literally nip in the bud a potential season of brilliant bloom. A great flower year may occur only once in a decade. ”

“ Then, under the influence of winter rains and the soil-warming effects of early spring sunshine, they burst into rapid growth. One of a host of species, this early spring ephemeral is enabled by these favorable conditions to flower and mature its seed before the pall of summer heat and drought descends upon the desert. With their task complete, the parents wither and die. Their ripened seeds are scattered over the desert until winter rains enable them to cover the desert with another multicolored but short-lived carpet of foliage and bloom. ”

“ Since, due to personal differences, the bite or sting of a poisonous creature may injuriously affect the health of one person and not that of another, and since the poison of one individual creature may be insufficient to cause an unpleasant reaction, while that from several hundred might produce severe illness or even death, it is difficult to determine which creature should be included in a publication of this nature. The writer, therefore, has exercised his judgment in discussing in the following pages such creatures as he feels may offer a menace to the welfare of a visitor to the desert. ”

“ The drought-resisting plants are the bold spirits which take the worst that the desert has to offer without flinching, or resorting to evasive tactics. Chief among these are the cacti which store moisture in their spongy stem or root tissues during periods of rainfall, using it sparingly during drought. To reduce moisture loss to a minimum, they have done away with their leaves, the green skin of their stems taking over the function of foliage. Other plants, such as the Mesquite, develop deep or widespread root systems that extract every drop of moisture from a huge area of soil. ”

“ Although sand dunes devoid of vegetation are characteristic of the Sahara and some other deserts of the world, those of the United States support a variety of plant and animal life which, through generations of adaptation, are able to meet the conditions imposed by this environment (see frontispiece) . Persons who misunderstand our deserts fear them, while others who have visited them become fascinated and return periodically or settle down and live in them. ”

“ Brightest of the mariposas, the short-stemmed, flame-like flowers usually appear singly, but may occur in patches, producing in April a spectacular display visible from a long distance. Plants growing under bushes elongate their stems to elevate their blossoms into the sunlight. Occasional in the Mojave-Colorado Desert, this species is abundant in the foothills of some of southern Arizona’s mountain ranges, exceeding even the goldpoppy in the neon-like brilliance of display. Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly, and the genus name calochortus is Greek for beautiful grass. ”

“ Although the plants are very small, they grow close together and the blossoms are often quite large in comparison. The reddish-purple color of the flowers stands out in sharp contrast to the green of spring vegetation so that a widespread growth of the plants forms patches or mats of colorful desert carpeting.
Masses of the plants are usually found on open flats, often among Creosotebush, and on either clay or sandy soils. In dry years, growth is restricted and a tiny plant may bear but a single flower, the blossom sometimes almost as large as the rest of the plant. ”

“ In reality they are compromises—beautiful, wild, but still bearing the marks of human occupation. In Saguaro, as we have seen, fire control has produced a forest different from that known to the Indians who once lived here; grazing has depleted the ground cover; and hunting has removed the desert bighorn from its rocky haunts. In these days of burgeoning population, when human influence is affecting every natural landscape, environmental management becomes necessary to approach the ideal of naturalness. ”

“ The poison of the Gila monster is produced by glands in the lower jaw. To be most effective, the poison must be ground into the wound through action of the grooved teeth, the process taking a little time. Bitten persons who immediately have broken away sometimes show no effects of the venom, therein lying the basis for the widespread statement that Gila monsters are not poisonous.
Bitten persons who have been unable to release themselves show symptoms of poisoning similar to persons suffering from rattlesnake bite, although the poison is more neurotoxic in action. ”

“ Drought-escaping plants are the “desert quickies,” or ephemerals. Taking advantage of the two seasons of rainfall on the desert (midsummer showers and midwinter soakers) they develop rapidly, blossom, and mature their seeds which lie dormant in the soil during the rest of the year, thus escaping the season of heat and drought. There are two groups of these “quickies,” the summer ephemerals and the winter ephemerals. The former are hot-weather plants; the latter are species that thrive during the cool, moist weather of winter and early spring. ”

“ MOTION is a major hazard in still photography, and flowers, especially those on long, slender stems, seem to be constantly in motion stimulated by the ever-present desert breeze. The practical solution to this problem is to take your photographing jaunts, if possible, in the early morning when the air is most likely to be motionless. A flower picture blurred by motion is a complete flop! ”

“ But the greatest and most persistent disturber of the biological peace is MAN. Almost every time man reduces or destroys one phase of nature, he releases, in so doing, previously unrecognized forces which turn on him in a manner that he least expects. Snakes, in general, live on small rodents, thereby helping to maintain a balance whereby rodents are unable to increase to such a point that they get out of nature’s control. ”

“ As the city of Tucson sprawls in all directions, the monument’s two divisions, islands in an encroaching sea of civilization, must withstand ever-accelerating hazards. Vandalism takes an increasing toll of the saguaros; housing developments creep toward the monument borders. Smog drifts over the fragile plant communities, threatening to choke them—as the polluted air from Los Angeles is already strangling forests in the distant San Bernardino Mountains. ”

“ Flowers are normally white with large, tissue-paper petals and yellow centers. In southern Arizona an occasional plant with pale yellow petals is found; and in Big Bend National Park, Texas, a form with rose-colored petals and a deep red center is occasionally encountered.
Plants are drought-resistant, unpalatable to livestock, and may be found in blossom during any month in the year, although much more prolific during the spring and summer. When abundant on cattle range, they are an indication of over-grazing. Seeds are reported to contain a narcotic more potent than opium. ”

“ Too many flower photographers fail to get really CLOSE UP PICTURES. A single blossom or a small cluster of blossoms provides a much more attractive and significant picture than an entire plant. One blossom with, perhaps, a bud, one fruit, and a trace of foliage, if well composed, is tops among flower pictures. ”

“ But what happens when man, with his machines and his passion for progress, institutes changes of a speed and kind and on a scale drastically different from those brought about by earthquakes, storms, shifting climates, and other natural phenomena? What happens to the living things that have adapted to the harsh desert environment when that environment is drastically altered? ”

“ The Parry Nolina of the California Desert is a larger and more spectacular plant than the species found in the Arizona and Texas-New Mexico Deserts. Indians are reported to use the very young flower stalks for food. Leaves are browsed by livestock in times of drought, sometimes with harmful results in the case of sheep or goats. ”

“ Similar in appearance to the segolily, State flower of Utah, weakstem mariposa, sometimes called “straggling butterfly lily,” varies in color from white to pale purple. The slender stem is not erect, like other mariposas, of which there are many species, but wanders over the ground or makes its twisting way among the branches of low shrubs. It grows at elevations up to 4,000 feet on slopes and benches of mountains of the Mojave-Colorado Desert, in the Death Valley area, and in the desert mountains of southern Arizona, blossoming during April and May. Indians and pioneers ate the bulbs. ”

“ A spectacular inhabitant of the grassland transition and open oak woodlands you are now entering is the AMOLE, or SHINDAGGER, whose rapidly growing blossom stalks attract attention from May to as late as August. The plants themselves, which grow crowded together in patches, consist of rosettes of succulent leaves superficially resembling bunches of flattened, green bananas. The stiff, needle-sharp leaf tips can inflict painful jabs on man and beast. ”

“ Being small and forming low clumps, or with single pincushion-like stems, they often escape attention except when glorified with bright, comparatively large flowers, which often form a crown around the top of the plant. The long spines are curved at the tips giving the plant the appearance of being covered with unbarbed fishhooks.
The Pincushion cacti, of which there are a number of species throughout the Southwest, occur in dry, sandy hills from southern Utah to western Texas and in southern California and northern Mexico. The red fruits are bare, without scales, spines, or hairs. ”

“ Snakes begin to come out of hibernation. April and May see the apex of spring activity, as insects swarm around the flowering plants, and birds take advantage of this proliferation of food to raise their young. The desert now is 80 yellow with the blossoms of paloverde, mesquite, acacia, and brittlebush.
But April also marks the beginning of a drought that intensifies through May and June, making these last 2 months the year’s parching crucible in which reproductive ability is tested. If winter rains have been meager, the heat and drought of May and June can kill all the young of many birds. ”

“ Perennials are more dependable than annuals, since some of them, particularly cactuses and other succulents, have water storage tissues in their stems or roots. These perennials may be counted on to blossom each year, but with much less abandon than after winters of above normal precipitation. Many perennials have surprisingly extensive root systems. Fascinating are the ways by which plants manage to thrive under severe conditions of desert heat and drought. As we have seen, most annuals lie dormant as seeds until suitable moisture and temperature occur. ”

“ Where moisture is deficient and uncertain, only such plants survive as are able to endure long periods of extreme drought. Desert vegetation is, therefore, made up of plants which, through various specialized body structures, can survive conditions of severe drought. In general, the deserts of the world are fairly close to the equator, so they occur in climates that are hot as well as dry. Plants in the deserts of the Southwest must endure long periods of heat as well as drought. ”

“ Climate is the chief arbiter of life on earth. Each plant and animal, including man, has tolerance limits for heat and water below or above which it dies. The Sonoran desert, with its low and uncertain rainfall and high summer temperatures, thus presents one of earth’s most taxing environments. For most desert plants and animals, the main problem presented by this climatic combination is a scarcity of water. ”

“ Men in the uniform of the National Park Service feel complimented whenever visitors show an interest in the natural features of the areas they protect, and are happy to assist them in locating rare species or especially beautiful or spectacular specimens. Range and grazing specialists are more and more using the natural vegetation of National Parks and Monuments as “check plots” to aid them in studying ways and means of preserving the level of grazing value on the open ranges. ”

“ Covering vast stretches of open desert with a carpet of yellow bloom following wet winters, goldfields is an appropriately named spring flower found at elevations below 4,500 feet. The low-growing plant produces small but attractive blossoms on mesas and plains, March to May, from central and southern Arizona to California, and Baja California. Horses graze Baeria avidly, but are annoyed by a small fly that frequents the fragrant blossoms, giving the plant the name “fly flower” in some localities. ”

“ Evidence of such evolution we have seen in the plants of the Sonoran Desert, notably the giant saguaro cactus, whose prickly ancestor lived in the West Indies only 20,000 years ago.
Thus nature is ever-changing; and the inexorable rule for all living things is, “adapt or perish.” Before technological man enters the scene, the slow evolutionary process can keep pace with the changing environments, though here and there a species is dropped by the wayside. Generally, communities of living things reach new equilibria without serious disruption. ”

“ Within the desert areas of the Southwest there are a number of National Parks and Monuments. Three Monuments (Joshua Tree in 7 California, Organ Pipe Cactus and Saguaro in Arizona) have been created primarily to save from exploitation and destruction outstanding areas of typical desert vegetation. Although the others have been established to protect and preserve geologic, historic, or archeologic values of national significance, they are all wildflower sanctuaries. In California, Death Valley National Monument is outstanding in its variety of desert flowers. ”

“ Soil composition, slope and exposure, suitable temperatures, and adequate moisture are essential to plant growth and flower production.
Moisture is the uncertain factor, and years may pass without enough rainfall to stimulate plant growth. Rain of less than 0.15 inch is wasted as far as desert plants are concerned, for the moisture evaporates before penetrating the soil. Some annuals produce seeds having water-soluble germination inhibitors in their coverings, hence fail to sprout, even after rain, unless the moisture totals at least half an inch. ”

“ The fauna of each community is made up of animals adapted to the climatic conditions and the available food, cover, and water. In Saguaro, some animals, such as the desert kangaroo rat and the cactus wren, are restricted by their life requirements to a narrow belt; others, such as the gray fox and great horned owl, are more adaptable and live in all the major plant communities. ”

“ GOLDFIELDS Arizona desert: (Baeria chrysostoma) . Yellow. March-May. Sunflower family. Size: Low growing, usually under 6 inches.
After winters of particularly heavy precipitation, these small close-growing annuals with their sunflower-like blossoms cover large patches of desert with a carpet of gold. Individual flowers are so small and so inconspicuous among larger plants that they are easily passed unnoticed, but millions of the plants all in blossom at the same time make a spectacular display that attracts visitors from considerable distances. ”

“ Flowers of the mesquite, paloverde, catclaw, saguaro, and other desert plants are “alive” all through the day, as many species of insects seek nectar and pollen or prey on other insects attracted to the blossoms. Insects are fed upon by various species of birds; flycatchers flock to parts of the desert where nectar-yielding flowers are numerous. Because of the absence of extreme cold, the desert climate enables insects to be active throughout much of the year and to support a considerable bird population. ”

“ The short-lived leafy plants of summer and winter are able to compress their entire active life into 6 to 12 weeks when conditions are most suitable. Thus, they can escape all the rigorous periods of the desert climate by living for 8 or 9 months in the dormant seed stage. Some of the spectacular and colorful flowers of the monument are among these ephemerals that survive desert 44 conditions by escaping them. It must be remembered, however, that when drought conditions or abnormally cold spring weather upset the norm—a not unusual occurrence—response of ephemeral plants is greatly restricted. ”

“ How do the seeds of ephemerals “know” when it is time to germinate? Experiments have revealed that the seeds of annuals will germinate only when enough water percolates through the soil to dissolve away a “growth inhibitor” in their coats. A single light rain will not do the job. In this way premature sprouting into a too-dry environment is prevented. The winter annuals, furthermore, will only germinate when soils are cool, and the summer annuals when soils are warm. These finely tuned adaptations thus allow plantlife to take full advantage of favorable seasons in the desert. ”