Verde Canyon Trip #6
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Verde River Valley Trip #6
Montezuma Castle & Montezuma Well

A red damselfly called "desert firetail" (Telebasis salva) on a hackberry leaf.

Western hackberry (Celtis reticulata), a rare tree in California.

12-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella) at Red Rock State Park.

Golden columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha) at bottom of Montezuma Well.

Western soapberry (Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii).

Soapberry Family (Sapindaceae)

A soapberry seed necklace (Sapindus saponaria) from the Hawaiian Islands. This widespread species of tree occurs in the southwestern United States, Mexico and South America, west across the Pacific Basin on a number of islands to New Caledonia. On the island of Hawaii it grows in mesic forests on Hualalai, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. It also occurs in Africa where the seeds are used in the board game called mancala. On the Palomar College campus it grows near the Child Development Center, and soon will be planted in the Arboretum. The foaming action of soapberries is caused by saponins present in the leathery fruit wall (pericarp). Native soap lilies (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) in the Arboretum contain similar saponins in their bulbs that foam in water.

  See Article About Soap Lilies & Soapberries  

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