Plant life around the Hoover Dam
(Photos courtesy of Brad Fiero, Instructional Faculty of Pima Community College West Campus, Tucson, Arizona. For more information CLICK HERE.)
|
|||||
Plant life around the Hoover Dam
(Photos courtesy of Brad Fiero, Instructional Faculty of Pima Community College West Campus, Tucson, Arizona. For more information CLICK HERE.)
|
|||||
The
name of this cactus truly describes its appearance. The barrel
cactus looks like a barrel that is 1 to 3 feet tall and 16 inches
in diameter. Although it looks like a barrel it does not hold
water like a barrel. The cactus has a pulp like tissue inside.
Blooms can be seen during April and May. This hardy plant can
live two years without water.
Fruit
Cholla (right) and Tedy Bear Cholla (left) - one of many southwestern
cacti varieties. 
The
Creosote Bush grows in the lower Sonoran Zone - Inner George
3,500 to 4,000 feet elevation. The small round leaves are coated
with an oily, sticky substance called "lac." The lac
holds the water in the plant to prevent dehydration. Indians
used the lac as glue. The bush can be identified by its strong
scent, too.
The
most common cactus is the Prickly Pear. This plant can be identified
by the flat stems called "pads" connected to one another
at a "joint." The pad's spines are 1 to 2 inches (2.5
to 5 cm) in length. The red, pink and yellow flowers can be
seen April through June. The fruit called "Tunas"
are spineless and are sold in some grocery stores' fruit section.
