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Carnegiea gigantea: The saguaro and its uses

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Abstract

The saguaro,Carnegiea gigantea, is a tall cactus native to the desert area of southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. It has been used for centuries among the Indians of the region as a source of food and drink, as well as for a wide variety of other purposes. The cactus has taken a great place in the life of the Indians, most notably the Papago, who still collect the fruit and make a wine for ceremonial purposes from it. Several botanical, ethnobotanical and phytochemical studies have been made on the cactus, whose flower is the State Flower of Arizona.

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  1. Department of Pharmacognosy, Box 6804, 113 86, Stockholm, Sweden

    Jan G. Bruhn (Faculty of Pharmacy)

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Bruhn, J.G. Carnegiea gigantea: The saguaro and its uses. Econ Bot 25, 320–329 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02860768

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