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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]
A xerophyte (from Greek ξηρός xeros 'dry' + φυτόν phuton 'plant') is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. . Examples of xerophytes include cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm pl
Kroenleinia grusonii, popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law’s chair", is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico. The golden barrel cactus is rare and endangered—potentially regionally extinct—in nature.
Pediocactus simpsonii, known by the common names mountain cactus, snowball cactus, and mountain ball cactus, is a relatively common cactus that has adapted to survive in cold and dry environments in high elevation areas of the western United States. It can be found at higher elevations than any other cactus in North America.
Convergence - the structure is similar between the two species because of independent adaptation to common environmental pressures. Understanding which characteristics and structures belong to each type is an important part of understanding plant evolution.
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 glochids. Structurally, the glochids seem to be bristles rather than evolved leaves [citation needed]. They are detachable and ...
Opuntia ficus-indica, the Indian fig opuntia, fig opuntia, or prickly pear, is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant grown in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. [3] O. ficus-indica is the most widespread and most commercially important cactus.
Some species of barrel cactus reach over 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height at maturity, and have been known to reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) in some regions. The ribs are numerous and pronounced, and the spines are long and can range in color from yellow to tan to red, depending on the age of the plant and the species.