Advertisement.

EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site.
As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.
Click here to learn more.

ad
(Already a member? Click here.)


Our subscribers' grade-level estimate for this page: 4th - 5th

EnchantedLearning.com
CACTUS PLANTS
Cactus Information Cactus Classification Cactus Glossary

EnchantedLearning.com
Cactus Plants (Family Cactaceae)

cactus Cacti are succulent plants that live in dry areas (xeric environments). They can survive long periods of drought (a lack of water).

saguaro
Sauaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)
Anatomy and Adaptations: Cacti have many adaptations that allow them to live in dry areas; these adaptations let the plant collect water efficiently, store it for long periods of time, and conserve it (minimizing water loss from evaporation).

Cacti have a thick, hard-walled, succulent stem - when it rains, water is stored in the stem. The stems are photosynthetic, green, and fleshy. The inside of the stem is either spongy or hollow (depending on the cactus). A thick, waxy coating keeps the water inside the cactus from evaporating.

Prickly Pear
Prickly Pear cactus (genus Opuntia)
Many cacti have very long, fibrous roots, which absorb moisture from the soil. Some, like ball cacti, have shorter, more compact roots that absorb dew water that falls off the cactus.

Instead of leaves, most cacti have spines or scales (which are modified leaves). These spines and scales do not lose water through evaporation (unlike regular leaves, which lose a lot of water). The spines protect the cactus from predators (animals that would like to eat the cactus to obtain food and/or water). Areoles are circular clusters of spines on a cactus. Flowers bud at an areole and new stems branch from an areole.

cactusReproduction: Cacti are flowering plants. The flowers produce seed-bearing fruit. Many cactus species are pollinated by bats. The delicate flowers usually bloom for a short period of time in the Spring.

Many cacti can also be grown from broken-off parts of the plant (but the new plant will be genetically identical to the original plant).

Habitat and Range: Cacti are native to the Americas (North and South America). They are generally found in dry areas, but can be found in many habitats (temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical), ranging from deserts to tropical rainforests to high in the Andes Mountains.

Related Pages:


Desert Animals

Desert animals are adapted to a scarcity of water, extreme temperatures, and non-abundant food.
desert map to label

Deserts of the World

Label the major deserts of the world.
Answers

References:
Cactaceae from Texas A. and M.
Cactus Illustrations from the Smithsonian Institution

Cacti by L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz


fir
Plant Printouts
EnchantedLearning.com
Botany and Paleobotany Dictionary
yucca
Plants
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Click on an underlined word for more information on that subject.
If the plant term you are looking for is not in the dictionary, please e-mail us.




Enchanted Learning®
Over 35,000 Web Pages
Sample Pages for Prospective Subscribers, or click below

Overview of Site
What's New
Enchanted Learning Home
Monthly Activity Calendar
Books to Print
Site Index

K-3
Crafts
K-3 Themes
Little Explorers
Picture dictionary
PreK/K Activities
Rebus Rhymes
Stories
Writing
Cloze Activities
Essay Topics
Newspaper
Writing Activities
Parts of Speech

Fiction
The Test of Time

Biology
Animal Printouts
Biology Label Printouts
Biomes
Birds
Butterflies
Dinosaurs
Food Chain
Human Anatomy
Mammals
Plants
Rainforests
Sharks
Whales
Physical Sciences: K-12
Astronomy
The Earth
Geology
Hurricanes
Landforms
Oceans
Tsunami
Volcano
Languages
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Japanese (Romaji)
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish
Geography/History
Explorers
Flags
Geography
Inventors
US History

Other Topics
Art and Artists
Calendars
College Finder
Crafts
Graphic Organizers
Label Me! Printouts
Math
Music
Word Wheels

Click to read our Privacy Policy

E-mail


Enchanted Learning Search

Search the Enchanted Learning website for:



Advertisement.

Advertisement.





Copyright ©2003-2018 EnchantedLearning.com ------ How to cite a web page