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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 ...
The Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert and ecoregion which covers large parts of the southwestern United States and of northwestern Mexico. With an area of 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 sq mi), it is the hottest desert in Mexico. The western portion of the Mexico–United States border passes through the Sonoran ...
The plant now known as Opuntia ficus-indica, or the Indian fig cactus, has long been an important source of food. The original species is thought to have come from central Mexico, although this is now obscure because the indigenous people of southern North America developed and distributed a range of horticultural varieties ( cultivars ...
Representative desert plants include the barrel cactus, brittlebush, chain fruit cholla, creosote. Additionally, it is also common to see crimson hedgehog, cactus, common saltbush and desert ironwood, fairy duster, Joshua tree. In some deserts Mojave aster, ocotillo, organ pipe cactus
The typical habitat is hot and very arid, and the plants have adapted to exploit water movement to concentrate their biomass in areas where water is likely to be present. Like Sclerocactus , Ferocactus typically grow in areas where water flows irregularly or depressions where water can accumulate for short periods of time.
The Sclerocactus polyancistrus cactus has a cylindrical stem up to 25 centimeters tall by 8 wide. They may grow in clusters. They may grow in clusters. The cactus is densely spiny, each areole has several reddish or white central spines with hooked tips and several more white spines around the edge.
Adaptations in xerophytes include resistance to heat and water loss, increased water storage capabilities, and reduced surface area of leaves. One of the most common families of desert plants are the cacti, which are covered in sharp spines or bristles for defence against
This list of flora of the Mojave Desert region includes the flora of the Mojave Desert and of the mountains that are encircled by the Mojave Desert. Some of this flora is well above the level of growth of Yucca brevifolia ( Joshua Trees ), the upper reaches of which defines the outline of the Mojave Desert.