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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]
The saguaro is a columnar cactus that grows notable branches, usually referred to as arms.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.
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]
Opuntia, commonly called the prickly pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, many known for their flavorful fruit and showy flowers. [1] Cacti are well-adapted to aridity; however, they are still vulnerable to alterations in precipitation and temperature driven by climate change. [ 2 ]
Cereus was one of the first cactus genera to be described; the circumscription varies depending on the authority. The term "cereus" is also sometimes used for a ceroid cactus, any cactus with a very elongated body, including columnar growth cacti and epiphytic cacti. [3] [4] [5]
The name Cactus became so confused that the 1905 Vienna botanical congress rejected Cactus as a genus name, [4] and conserved Mammillaria. [ 1 ] Mammillaria is a large and diverse genus with many species often exhibiting variations due to the nature of terrain, weather, soil and other ecological factors.