Home / ID Guides / Plants and Perishables / Common Plants 40
- Pincushion Cactus (Mammillaria microcarpa)
Common name: Pincushion Cactus, Mammillaria, Nipple Cactus, Fishhook Cactus Scientific name: Mammillaria microcarpa Description: Very small barrel-like cactus with showy pink flowers, short white spines, and long curved reddish-brown spines. Uses: Among the Papago and Pima, used as a water supplement (when opened and chewed). The red cactus fruit may be rubbed on arrowshafts as coloring/dye. - Guayule (Parthenium argentatum)
Common name: Guayule Scientific name: Parthenium argentatum Description: Guayule is a short evergreen shrub with lanceolate gray-green leaves and pale yellow to white flowers that are present nearly year-round. Uses: Guayule may have been used to make rubber balls -- one such ball is reported from the a Hohokam site in southern Arizona. - Slipper Plant (Euphorbia antisyphilitica)
Common name: Slipper Plant, Lady's Slipper Scientific name: Euphorbia antisyphilitica Description: This plant is an succulent that blooms in the fall. The plant grows as masses of clumped stems capped with yellow to orange-red flowers when in bloom. - Lechuguilla (Agave lechuguilla)
Common name: Lechuguilla Scientific name: Agave lechuguilla Description: Lechuguilla is a slender-leaved member of the Agave family. The leaves are rigid and end in a sturdy sharp point capable of penetrating most clothing, as well as skin. Uses: Southwest Native Americans have used fibers from the leaves (commonly called ixtle, but also a hard fiber known by the trade name Tampico fiber) to make ropes and mats. - Mahonia (Berberis haematocarpa)
Common names: Mahonia, barberry, desert holly Scientific name: Berberis haematocarpa Description: A relatively large evergreen shrub with glossy, sharp-pointed leaves. In spring, the mahonia produces bright yellow flowers, followed by small purple berries in mid-summer. In the fall, the leaves turn red and purple, and remain those shades through the winter. Dye: Brilliant yellow from the roots and bark. Other uses: edible berries. - Velvet Mesquite (Prosopis velutina)
Common names: Mesquite Scientific name: Prosopis velutina Description: A common desert tree with catkin-like clusters of greenish-yellow flowers from April to June. The flowers are followed by long sweet-smelling bean pods. Dye: Black from the sap. Weaving: The shredded inner bark woven into baskets. Other uses: Food such as 'pinole' meal-cakes and tea. - Fourwing Saltbush (Atriplex canescens)
Common names: Saltbush, chamisa Scientific name: Atriplex canescens Description: Common Southwest shrub with golden flowers in the summer and early fall, followed by winged seeds in late fall and winter. Dye: Bright yellow from the flowers and twigs. Other uses: in baking and as medicine. - Beargrass (Nolina microcarpa)
Common names: Beargrass Scientific name: Nolina microcarpa Description: Beargrass is a large clumping grass with narrow fibrous leaves. Dye: None. Other uses: Widely used in basket and/or mat weaving. - Englemann Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii)
Common names: Prickly Pear, Cactus Apple Scientific name: Opuntia engelmannii Description: Englemann prickly pear is the largest of Arizona's prickly pear species, with large pads and dark-red to purple pear-shaped fruits. Dye: Rose-colored from fruits. Other uses: Food and medicine. - Cliffrose (Cowania mexicana)
Common names: Cliffrose, Quinine-bush Scientific name: Cowania mexicana Description: Small shrub with cream-colored, small rose-like flowers in the early summer and fall. Dye: When mixed with pounded juniper branches, cliffrose produces a tan dye. Other uses: shredded bark padding, arrows, and as medicine.