[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.