Interpretive geologic map of Mt. Ajo Quadrangle, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

1992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet L. Brown
Author(s):  
Ren A. Thompson ◽  
Christine F. Chan ◽  
Amy K. Gilmer ◽  
Ralph R. Shroba

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia R. Wright ◽  
Emanuel A. Waddell ◽  
William N. Setzer

Four different cactus species growing in the United States, Stenocereus thurberi growing in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, Opuntia littoralis and Opuntia ficus-indica, growing on Santa Catalina Island, California, and Opuntia stricta, growing in northern Alabama, were examined for the presence of silica bodies (opaline phytoliths). Silica bodies were found in all four of these cactus species, parallelepiped-shaped crystals in S. thurberi, and starburst-shaped crystalline structures in the three Opuntia species. In addition, the essential oils of the four cactus species were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. To our surprise, S. thurberi, O. littoralis, and O. ficus-indica (but not O. stricta) essential oils contained cyclic oligosiloxanes. To our knowledge, cyclic oligosiloxanes have not been previously found as essential oil components.


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