Common names: BARREL CACTUS, COMPASS CACTUS, DEVILSHEAD CACTUS, (_BISNAGA_), (_BISNAGRE_) Arizona desert: (_Ferocactus wislizeni_). Orange-yellow. July-September. California desert: (_Ferocactus acanthodes_). Yellow. March-May. Texas desert: (_Echinocactus horizonthalonius_). Rose-pink. May-June. Cactus family. Size: 2 to 8 feet high. Well known among the desert figures are the heavy-bodied Barrel Cacti which are sometimes pointed out as sources of water for travelers suffering from thirst. Under extreme conditions, it is possible to hack off the tops of these tough, spine-protected plants and obtain, by squeezing the macerated tissues, enough juice to sustain life. Growing faster on the shaded side, the taller-growing plants tend to lean toward the south, hence the name “Compass” cactus. Flowers range in color from yellow to orange and rose-pink, depending on the species, and the pale yellow, egg-shaped fruits which ripen early in the winter, are a favorite food of deer and rodents. Flowers, and the resulting fruits, form a ring around the crown of the plant. The flesh of the Barrel cactus, cooked in sugar, forms the base of cactus candy. YELLOW [Illustration: Agave lechuguilla] Common names: AGAVE, CENTURYPLANT, (_MESCAL_), (_LECHUGUILLA_) Arizona desert: (_Agave palmeri_). Yellow-purple. July-Aug. California desert: (_Agave deserti_). Yellow. May. Texas-New Mexico desert: (_Agave lechuguilla_). Lavender-brown. April-May. Amaryllis family. Size: Flower stalks 8 to 25 feet tall. Many species of Agave are found in various parts of the desert, hence it is difficult to settle on those which should be given particular recognition. Their blossoms, in general, are various shades of yellow. The larger species are called Centuryplant or Mescal (mess-KAHL), while the small ones are spoken of as Lechuguillas (letch-you-GHEE-ahs). The Lechuguilla, covering hundreds of square miles in Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, is an indicator of the Chihuahuan Desert, holding the position in that desert which the Saguaro does in the Sonoran desert and the Joashua-tree in the Mohave Desert. From its leaf fibers the Mexicans weave a coarse fabric. Its plumelike flower stalks, relished by deer and cattle, form one of the spectacular sights of the Chihuahuan Desert in springtime. YELLOW [Illustration: plant silhouette]