Desert Plants, Volume 29, Number 1 (June 2013)

Abstract

This study identifies the flora of the Eagletail Mountain Region, an area covering approximately 100,600 acres, located in west-central Arizona including the Eagletail Mountains, Granite Mountains, portions of the Harquahala Valley, and Cemetery Ridge near Clanton Well. The region is located 129 km (80 mi) west of Phoenix and 24 km (15 mi) south of Interstate 10. Plants were collected over a six-year period, beginning September, 2004 and ending May, 2010, including two wet winters and two wet summers. A total of702 collections were made covering 292 species that represented 63 families. Additional information on the region included in the thesis is: 1) an analysis of the climate, based on 20 years of rainfall records, 2) a prehistory and history identifying archeological sites, 3) an analysis of food plants used by the Native Americans that suggested how they were able to live in the region, 4) a paleo-botanical history based on an evaluation of pack-rat midden collections from mountain ranges around the region, 5) a comparison of the trees, shrubs, and perennials of the Eagletail Mountain Region with those of the Sierra Estrella and Kofa Mountains, and 6) a survey of non-native species. The habitats that the plants occupied based on climate and soils included were: 1) the bottoms and sides of sandy/ gravelly washes, 2) bajada slopes-volcanic soils, 3) bajada slopes-granitic sandy soils, 4) slot canyons/rock outcrops, 5) desert pavement, and 6) open valleys. Each habitat has its own characteristic species composition and distribution.