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Phoenix Public Library
The Phoenix Public Library is a municipal library system serving Phoenix, Arizona, and operated by the Phoenix, Arizona, city of Phoenix. There are 16 branches currently in operation citywide, anchored by the flagship Burton Barr Central Library on the northern edge of downtown Phoenix. Four of the 16 locations were designed by prominent local architect Will Bruder: the Burton Barr central library (opened May 1995), the Cholla branch location at Metrocenter Mall (Phoenix, Arizona), Metrocenter Mall (opened 1977, enlarged and remodeled in 1990), the Mesquite branch at Paradise Valley Mall (opened November 1982, expanded May 1998), and the Agave branch in far northwest Phoenix (opened June 2009). Many of its branches are named for endemic desert plants. Background The library traces its origins to 1897 when a group of citizens decided to raise funds for a library. This group, the Friday Club, consisting of women of upper socioeconomic standing with the same interests of advancement, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phoenix Central Library - North East Corner - 2008-12-27
Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a Trojan War hero in Greek mythology * Phoenix (son of Agenor), a Greek mythological figure * Phoenix, a chieftain who came as Guardian of the young Hymenaeus when they joined Dionysus in his campaign against India (see Phoenix (Greek myth)) Mythical birds called phoenix * Phoenix (mythology), a mythical bird from Egyptian, Greek and Roman legends * Egyptian ''Bennu'' * Hindu ''Garuda'' and ''Gandabherunda'' * Firebird (Slavic folklore), in Polish ''Żar-ptak'', Russian ''Zharptitsa'', Serbian ''Žar ptica'', and Slovak ''Vták Ohnivák'' * ''Tűzmadár'', in Hungarian mythology * Persian ''Simurgh'', in Arabian ''Anka'', Turkish ''Zümrüdü Anka'', and Georgian ''Paskunji'' * Chinese ''Fenghuang'', in Japanese ''Hō-ō'', Tibetan ''Me B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desert Broom
''Baccharis sarothroides'' is a North American species of flowering shrub known by the common names broom baccharis, desertbroom, greasewood, rosin-bush and groundsel in English and "escoba amarga" or "romerillo" in Spanish. This is a spreading, woody shrub usually sticky with glandular secretions along the primarily leafless green stems. The small, thick leaves are a few centimeters long and are absent much of the year, giving the shrub a spindly, twiggy appearance. It flowers abundantly with tiny green blooms on separate male and female plants. Native to the Sonoran Desert of northwestern Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora) and the Southwestern United States (southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas), it is common in gravelly dry soils and disturbed areas. Uses The Seri refer to desert broom as , and make a decoction by cooking the twigs. This drink is used to treat colds, sinus headache, and general sore achey ailments. The same t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yucca
''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry (arid) parts of the Americas and the Caribbean. Early reports of the species were confused with the cassava (''Manihot esculenta''). Consequently, Linnaeus mistakenly derived the generic name from the Taíno word for the latter, ''yuca''. The Aztecs living in Mexico since before the Spanish arrival, in Nahuatl, call the local yucca species ('' Yucca gigantea'') , which gave the Spanish . is also used for '' Yucca filifera''. Distribution The natural distribution range of the genus ''Yucca'' (49 species and 24 subspecies) covers a vast area of the Americas. The genus is represented throughout Mexico and extends into Guatemala ('' Yucca guatemalensis''). It also extends to the north throug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Mountain Community College
South Mountain Community College is a public community college in Phoenix, Arizona. It is one of the ten colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. History South Mountain Community College was established by the governing board of the Maricopa County Community College District on April 18, 1978. The campus was designed by local architect Bennie Gonzales, opening its doors in 1980. Serving Phoenix, Ahwatukee, Guadalupe and Laveen, South Mountain Community College offers associate degrees, certificates of completion, courses that transfer to universities and technology training to 7,500 students each year. The college takes its name from South Mountain, which is a few kilometers to the south of campus. The main campus is in Phoenix, Arizona, with additional locations in Guadalupe and Laveen. South Mountain Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a Hispanic Serving Institution. Community library A new Library was constructed a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Mountain Park
South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona is the largest municipal park in the United States, and one of the largest urban parks in North America and in the world. It has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride. Geography and ecology South Mountain Park preserves in a natural state a mountainous area of or approximately of native desert vegetation. Originally called Phoenix Mountain Park, it was formed in 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge sold its initial 13,000 acres (53 km²) to the city of Phoenix for $17,000. It has since been expanded through bond programs during the 1970s into the early 1980s. It is located south of central Phoenix, hence the name. Since the naming, suburban growth has nearly surrounded the park. Ahwatukee now borders to the south and Laveen to the west. South Mountain was originally known as the Salt River Mountains. The original mountain park committee consisted of J.C. Dobbins, chairman of the Phoenix city planning commission, Mrs. John ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saguaro
The saguaro (, ) (''Carnegiea gigantea'') is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus ''Carnegiea'' that can grow to be over tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona. Its scientific name is given in honor of Andrew Carnegie. In 1994, Saguaro National Park, near Tucson, Arizona, was designated to help protect this species and its habitat. Saguaros have a relatively long lifespan, often exceeding 150 years. They may grow their first side arm around 75–100 years of age, but some never grow any arms. Arms are developed to increase the plant's reproductive capacity, as more apices lead to more flowers and fruit. A saguaro can absorb and store considerable amounts of rainwater, visibly expanding in the process, while slowly using the stored water as needed. This characteristic enables the saguaro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maryvale, Arizona
Maryvale is an urban village of Phoenix, Arizona. History Plans for Maryvale began to take shape in the 1950s, when developer John F. Long (1920-2008) came up with the idea of a master-planned community on the western part of the city of Phoenix, with an aim of turning the area into a suburb with affordable homes and one of the first master planned communities in the country. Maryvale was designed to include space for parks, schools, and the fulfillment of other community services. Marketing involved famous actors of that era including Buster Keaton, Pat Boone, and future President Ronald Reagan. The community was named after Long's wife, Mary, and its initial master plan was drawn up by architect Victor Gruen. By 1956, Long was selling 125 homes a week in Maryvale. Demographic changes came to the area by 1975, as residents began moving to the north Valley. Meanwhile, Hispanic families began moving into the area in the 1980s. Additionally, the discovery of a cancer cluster in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parkinsonia
''Parkinsonia'' , also ''Cercidium'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae. It contains about 12 species that are native to semi- desert regions of Africa and the Americas. The name of the genus honors English apothecary and botanist John Parkinson (1567–1650). They are large shrubs or small trees growing to tall, dry season deciduous, with sparse, open, thorny crowns and green bark. The leaves are pinnate, sometimes bipinnate, with numerous small leaflets; they are only borne for a relatively short time after rains, with much of the photosynthesis carried out by the green twigs and branches. The flowers are symmetrical or nearly so, with five yellow or white petals. The fruit is a pod containing several seeds. Most American species are known by the common name of palo verde or paloverde, from the Spanish words meaning "green pole" or "green stick". This name is derived from its characteristic green trunk. The palo verde (not species-specif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ocotillo
''Fouquieria splendens'' (commonly known as ocotillo (), but also referred to as buggywhip, coachwhip, candlewood, slimwood, desert coral, Jacob's staff, Jacob cactus, and vine cactus) is a plant indigenous to the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert and Colorado Desert in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), and northern Mexico (as far south as Hidalgo and Guerrero). While semi- succulent and a desert plant, Ocotillo is more closely related to tea and blueberries than to cactuses. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. With rainfall, the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2–4 cm), ovate leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months. Individual stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m (33 ft). The plant branches ver ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mesquite
Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus '' Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under ground. As a legume, mesquites are one of the few sources of fixed nitrogen in the desert habitat. These trees bloom from spring to summer. They often produce fruits known as "pods". ''Prosopis'' spp. are able to grow up to tall, depending on site and climate. They are deciduous and depending on location and rainfall have either deep or shallow roots. ''Prosopis'' is considered long-lived because of the low mortality rate after the dicotyledonous stage and juveniles are also able to survive in conditions with low light and drought. The Cahuilla indigenous people of western North America were known to eat the seeds of mesquite. History ''Prosopis'' spp. have been in North America since the Pliocene era and their wood has been dated to 3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa, throughout parts of western, central and southern Asia, east to eastern Tibet in the Old World, and in the mountains of Central America. The highest-known juniper forest occurs at an altitude of in southeastern Tibet and the northern Himalayas, creating one of the highest tree lines on earth. Description Junipers vary in size and shape from tall trees, tall, to columnar or low-spreading shrubs with long, trailing branches. They are evergreen with needle-like and/or scale-like leaves. They can be either monoecious or dioecious. The female seed cones are very distinctive, with fleshy, fruit-like coalescing scales which fuse together to form a berrylike structure ( galbulus), long, with one to 12 u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ironwood
Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in English may or may not indicate a tree that yields such heavy wood. Some of the species with their common name * '' Acacia aulacocarpa'' (Brush ironwood) * '' Acacia estrophiolata'' (Southern ironwood), central Australia * '' Acacia excelsa'' (Ironwood) * '' Acacia melanoxylon'' (Ironwood) * '' Acacia stenophylla'' (Ironwood), Australia * ''Aegiphila martinicensis'' (Ironwood) * ''Afzelia africana'' (Ironwood) * '' Androstachys johnsonii'' (Lebombo ironwood), southeastern Africa and Madagascar * '' Allagoptera caudescens'', '' Borassus flabellifer'', ''Caryota urens'', '' Iriartea deltoidea'' Black Palm, Palmira wood (Black ironwood) * '' Argania spinosa'' (Morocco ironwood, Thorny, Prickly ironwood) * '' Astronium fraxinifolium'', '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
