The Cacti Of Arizona

"For persons with a special interest in succulents, and cacti in particular, this book is a must. Others will find the volume of value not only as a means of naming these highly specialized plants but as a source of information on the structure and distribution of the various species."--American Scientist "Of tremendous value to the professional botanist and ecologist, and with layman English and careful instructions, the work provides the amateur botanist insight into a fascinating family."--Garden Journal "For the general desert lover as well as the botanist."--Books of the Southwest

The saguaro, with its great size and characteristic shape—its arms stretching heavenward, its silhouette often resembling a human—has become the emblem of the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona and northwestern Mexico. The largest and tallest cactus in the United States, it is both familiar and an object of fascination and curiosity. This book offers a complete natural history of this enduring and iconic desert plant. Gathering everything from the saguaro’s role in Sonoran Desert ecology to its adaptations to the desert climate and its sacred place in Indigenous culture, this book shares precolonial through current scientific findings. The saguaro is charismatic and readily accessible but also decidedly different from other desert flora. The essays in this book bear witness to our ongoing fascination with the great cactus and the plant’s unusual characteristics, covering the saguaro’s: history of discovery, place in the cactus family, ecology, anatomy and physiology, genetics, and ethnobotany. The Saguaro Cactus offers testimony to the cactus’s prominence as a symbol, the perceptions it inspires, its role in human society, and its importance in desert ecology.

Distinguished by its slender vertical branches, which resemble the tubes of a pipe organ, and growing to the imposing height of 15 to more than 30 feet, itÕs obvious how the organ pipe cactus got its name. In the United States, these spectacular and intriguing plants are found exclusively in a small area of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern corner of Arizona. With a landscape marked by sharp, rocky slopes and daytime highs in the summer reaching 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the region is inhospitable for most ordinary life, whether plant or animal. But the organ pipe cactus is far from ordinary. Although it is the most common columnar cactus, it is so unusual in the United States that it is only one of three cacti to have a national preserve established to protect it. In this regard, it joins a select group of plantsÑincluding Joshua trees, redwoods, and sequoiasÑupon which that honor has been conferred. In this beautifully illustrated, large-format book, David Yetman provides an in-depth and comprehensive look at these intriguing and picturesque plants that most Americans will never have the opportunity to see. Chapters explore their ethnobotanical uses, their habitat, their distribution, and special conditions required for their germination, establishment, growth, and survival. Yetman also places the organ pipe in perspective as a member of a genus with at least twenty-three species, ranging from the prostrate Stenocereus eruca of Baja California to the 50-foot high giant S. chacalapensis of the coast of Oaxaca.

A collection of writings on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of columnar cacti and their vertebrate mutualists, demonstrating that the survival of these cacti depends on animals who pollinate them and disperse their seeds.

Identify Arizona succulents with this easy-to-use field guide, organized by shape and featuring full-color photographs and helpful information. Learn about a variety of cactus species in Arizona. With this famous field guide by Nora Bowers, Rick Bowers, and Stan Tekiela, cactus identification is simple and informative. The Cacti of Arizona Field Guide features 50 of the most common and widespread species found in the state, organized by shape. Just look at the overall plant or stem shape, then go to the correct section to learn what it is. Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while professional photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification. Inside you’ll find: Range maps and shape icons that help narrow your search More photos per cactus than any other field guide, making visual identification quick and easy Compare feature to help you decide between look-alikes Close-up images of spines, flowers, and fruit to aid identification Fascinating natural history about 50 cactus species This second edition includes updated photographs, expanded information, and even more of the authors’ expert insights. So grab the Cacti of Arizona Field Guide for your next outing to help ensure that you positively identify the cacti you see.