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. WHITE [Illustration: Hesperocallis undulata] Common Names: DESERTLILY, (_AJO_) Arizona and California deserts. (_Hesperocallis undulata_). White. March-April. Lily family. Size: Narrow-leafed perennial, 6 inches to 2 feet. One of the showiest and most famous of the desert wildflowers, although limited in distribution to sandy areas below 2,000 feet elevation, the Desertlily greatly resembles the Easterlily of greenhouse habitat. In some seasons, the blossoms are abundant and their delicate fragrance perfumes the surrounding atmosphere. During “off” seasons, visitors may scour the desert to find only a very few of the fragile blossoms. Named “Ajo” by Spanish explorers because of the large, edible bulb resembling garlic, the Lily has passed on its name to a mountain range, a broad valley, and a thriving town in southwestern Arizona where it grows in profusion. Its range is limited to southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, and probably northern Sonora. Papago Indians eat the bulbs which have an onion-like flavor. Bulbs are difficult to obtain because they grow at a depth of 18 inches to two feet beneath the surface of the hard-packed desert soil. Flowers remain open during the day, and propagation is principally by seeds. WHITE [Illustration: Rafinesquia neomexicana] Common Names: DESERT-DANDELION, GOATSBEARD Arizona and Texas deserts. (_Rafinesquia neomexicana_). Bright white. March-May. California desert. (_Rafinesquia californica_). Dull white. April-May. Sunflower family. Size: About a foot high. In early springs that follow winters of more than average rainfall the Desert-Dandelion is one of the conspicuous annuals helping to carpet the deserts with a ground-cover of flowers. Although much more delicate, longer stemmed, and less coarse and robust than the common Dandelion, the flowers sufficiently resemble those of the better-known yellow Dandelion to stimulate recognition. Desert-Dandelion is found below 4,000 feet in desert situations from western Texas to Lower California and northward to southern Utah. WHITE [Illustration: Nerium oleander]