This short, leafy annual ranging in color from rich velvet red to purple is noticeable even as an individual plant, but, following winters of above average rainfall, it often grows en masse, covering portions of the desert floor with a carpet of bright purple; sometimes in pure stands, often mixed with Goldpoppy, Lupine, and other spring flowers. Since _Escobita_ is limited in range to southern and western Arizona, California, and Lower California at elevations below 3,000 feet, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is well within its range, and in that area can be seen at its spectacular best. The California variety has the lower lip of the blossom tipped with rich yellow. PURPLE [Illustration: Opuntia spinosior Opuntia fulgida Opuntia acanthocarpa] Common names: CHOLLA, CANE CACTUS, WALKINGSTICK CHOLLA, BUCKHORN CHOLLA Arizona desert: (_Opuntia spinosior_). Red-purple. May-June. California desert: (_Opuntia acanthocarpa_). Yellow-purple. April-May. Texas desert: (_Opuntia imbricata_). Red-purple. May-June. Cactus family. Size: Shrubby, from 3 to 8 feet high. Aside from the true Tree Cholla (_Opuntia fulgida_), which is the largest of the branching, cylindrical-jointed cacti and is very common in restricted portions of the desert in the Tucson-Phoenix area, the species listed above are the largest, most representative, and most widely spread of the Chollas (CHOH-yahs). The bright red to purple flowers of _O. spinosior_ and _O. imbricata_ make them particularly attractive during the blossoming season, while the extreme variability, from yellow to red and purple, of the flowers of _O. acanthocarpa_ make its identification by this means always a matter of uncertainty. Fruits of _spinosior_ and _imbricata_ are quite large, yellow, and at a distance may be mistaken for blossoms. Flowers of _O. fulgida_ are small, pink, and appear in midsummer followed by fruits which remain on the plant to form long hanging clusters relished by cattle. A hybrid between _spinosior_ and _fulgida_ is reported along the Gila River west of Florence, Arizona. PURPLE [Illustration: Cirsium neomexicanum Cirsium undulatum] Common names: THISTLE, WAVY THISTLE Arizona desert: (_Cirsium neomexicanum_). Pink-purple. March-September. California desert: (_Cirsium mohavense_). Pink-white. Summer. Texas desert: (_Cirsium undulatum_). Red-purple. October. Sunflower family. Size: 2 to 4 feet tall, sometimes taller. Sometimes called Bullthistles, these biennials or perennials with spiny stems, prickly leaves, and heavy flower heads ranging in color from white to purple need no introduction to most people.