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A cactus (pl.: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) [3] is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (/ k æ k ˈ t eɪ s i. iː,-ˌ aɪ /), [a] a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. [4]
Over 50 arms may grow on one plant, with one specimen having 78 arms. [6] Saguaros grow from 3–16 m (10–52 ft) tall, and up to 75 cm (30 in) in diameter. They are slow growing, and routinely live 150 to 200 years. They are the largest cactus in the United States. [7] [8] A many armed saguaro in Tucson, AZ. Woman for scale.
Barrel cacti are cultivated by plant nurseries as an ornamental plant. They are considered easy to grow and relatively fast growing. They may produce round offshoots. Barrel cacti can fall over because they grow based on sun orientation. They usually grow towards the south to prevent surface tissue sunburn, giving the name "compass cactus." [4]
Although deserts have severe climates, some plants still manage to grow. Plants that can survive in arid deserts are called xerophytes, meaning they are able to survive long dry periods. Such plants may close their stomata during the daytime and open them again at night. During the night, temperatures are much cooler, and plants will experience ...
A common example is the cactus, which has a specific means of storing and conserving water, along with few or no leaves to minimize transpiration. [8] In addition to the protection provided by spines, chemical defences are also very common. Desert plants grow slowly as less photosynthesis takes place, allowing them to invest more in defence. [8]
This cactus, flattened to spherical bodies 1.5 to 10 cm high and up to 10 (rarely up to 15) cm in diameter, consists of many small tubercles growing from a large succulent tap root. They are usually solitary, almost always remain unbranched, rarely giving rise to side shoots from old areoles. The plant is greyish-green in color, but the flat ...
Fouquieria splendens (commonly known as ocotillo / ɒ k ə ˈ t iː j oʊ / (Latin American Spanish:), 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 Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Chihuahuan Desert and Colorado Desert in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern ...
Plants in these deserts are brush and scrub, adapted to the low rainfall. Common plant species include creosote bush, blackbrush, greasewood, saltbush, big sagebrush, low sagebrush, and shadscale. [6] Higher elevations have more precipitation, which allows drought-resistant trees to grow, such as western juniper and pinyon pine. [6]