The Mohave Thistle is the commonest form found in southern California, being abundant, sometimes in dense stands, in open gravelly valleys, on rocky slopes, or about alkaline seeps in the Mohave Desert. Range of the New Mexico Thistle extends westward to the eastern borders of the Mohave Desert. _Cirsium californica_, with white blossoms, occurs in Death Valley National Monument at elevations between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. Navajo and Hopi Indians are reported to use the Thistle plant for medicinal purposes. PURPLE [Illustration: Abronia villosa] Common name: SANDVERBENA Arizona and California deserts: (_Abronia villosa_). Pink-purple. March-April. Texas desert: (_Abronia angustifolia_). Pink-purple. March-July. Four-o’clock family. Size: Trailing annual, stems sometimes 2 feet in length. Sandverbenas are attractive, low-growing herbs with pink-purple to lavender, fragrant flowers forming clusters or heads which cover the plants. Desert species are conspicuous in the springtime when they line roadsides and carpet open, sandy locations, such as dry streambeds, with a mass of purple. Although they are often found in solid patches, they frequently intermingle with other spring flowers such as the Bladderpod producing a gay pattern of color. Other species are found at higher elevations and are common during the summer months. Some of the desert species blossom a second time in September. [Illustration: plant silhouette] PURPLE [Illustration: Echinocereus fendleri Echinocereus rigidissimus] Common names: HEDGEHOG CACTUS, STRAWBERRY CACTUS, CALICO CACTUS Arizona and California deserts: (_Echinocereus engelmanni_). Lavender-purple. March-April. Texas desert: (_Echinocereus fendleri_). Pink-purple. May-June. Cactus family. Size: 6 to 18 inches high. Growing in open clumps with stems resembling spine-covered cucumbers standing on end, the Hedgehog is the first cactus to blossom in the spring. Flowers vary considerably in color ranging from lavender through purple to a rich red. Fruits (called “pitayas” in Texas) are dark mahogany red, juicy, rich in sugar, and may be eaten like strawberries, hence the name Strawberry Cactus. They form an important item in the diet of birds and rodents. Pima Indians consider them a delicacy. A close relative, the Rainbow Cactus (_Echinocereus rigidissimus_) is restricted in its distribution to elevations between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. It is called “Rainbow” Cactus because of alternating bands of red and white spines encircling the stem and marking growth of different seasons and years. The blossoms of the Rainbow Cactus are pinkish (yellow in western Texas) and are large and showy in comparison with the small size of the single-stemmed plant.