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Prickles on a blackberry branch. In plant morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles, and in general spinose structures (sometimes called spinose teeth or spinose apical processes), are hard, rigid extensions or modifications of leaves, roots, stems, or buds with sharp, stiff ends, and generally serve the same function: physically defending plants against herbivory.
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 5 March 2025. Family of mostly succulent plants, adapted to dry environments This article is about the plant family. For other uses, see Cactus (disambiguation). "Cacti" redirects here. For the software, see Cacti (software). For the album, see Cacti (album). Cactus Temporal range: 35–0 Ma Pre๊ ๊ O ...
Most cacti possess spines, some large enough to cause serious wounds. Glochids however, though smaller, commonly induce more troublesome, more persistent, dermatological manifestations in humans. Though minute, glochids commonly are barbed and once they have penetrated the skin barbed glochids are practically impossible to dislodge without ...
The outer radial thorns, which vary in length and may be 10 to 17 in number, are whitish and somewhat rounded, measuring 10 to 15 millimeters long.The long, tubular, or peduncle-shaped, nocturnal flowers are white, pink, or yellow; usually 10–14 cm long with a spiny ovary, and flowering sparingly in response to rain.
A house sparrow nesting on a saguaro cactus. 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 ...
In branched cacti, such as Opuntioidiae and the saguaro, new branches grow from areoles, because that is where the buds are. The development of the areole seems to have been an important element in the adaptation of cacti to niches in desert ecology. Some of the Opuntioideae have spines, as well as glochids, on their areoles; some have only ...
Acanthochronology is the study of cactus spines or Euphorbia thorns grown in time ordered sequence (i.e. in series). Physical, morphological or chemical characteristics and information about the relative order or absolute age of the spines or thorns is used to study past climate or plant physiology.
The thorns are very variable. The diurnal, funnel- or bell-shaped flowers appear at or near the apex. They are white or pink, sometimes yellow or bright red. The flower cup and the corolla are covered with a few large, broad and obtuse scales that have membranous edges. The areoles are bare. The perianth is usually spread. The stamens form two ...