Desert plant chemurgy: A current review

Extractives from, and utilization of, Cactaceae (cacti), Liliaceae (yucca), Amaryllidaceae (agaves),and other desert plants are reviewed. Work is reported in the fields of pharmaceuticals with special reference to an antidiabetic factor, cosmetics, cellulose and fibers, stock feeds, plant growth regulators, sterols, oils and oilseeds, surfactants, waxes, and several miscellaneous extractives. Mesquite, ironwood, and catclaw are considered as artists’ woods. Possibilities and problems of cultivation are considered.