Desert. Hearing this word, for sure, everyone represents a huge territory in which vegetation is rather a luxury. In fact, this is not only endless sands and rocky mountains, where the temperature drops far below minus at night, and high for plus during the day, but also the homeland of various species of the cactus family. These amazing plants have been adapting to the climatic conditions of the capricious desert for thousands of years in order to survive.
Rare cacti
Stenocereus Tuber
This cactus loves warmth and reacts poorly to cold, therefore it grows exclusively on the sunny slopes of the mountains. In appearance, the stenocereus resembles an old church organ, since it does not have a central trunk, and its numerous shoots (from 5 to 25) grow vertically upward and reach 7-8 m. When the plant reaches maturity, flower buds begin to bloom at the ends of the stem, the size of which about 8 cm. Remarkably, the flower blooms only at dusk, and rolls up into a tube at sunrise. Flowering continues for several weeks, as the buds open in turn on different days.
The cactus feeds on those days when it rains, stocking up on water in advance. After all, the stems of this plant are designed to absorb water and store moisture in order to survive the dry seasons.
Interestingly, the stenocereus cactus is protected by US law, as it belongs to a rare endangered plant species.
Pachycereus Pringle
The homeland of this cactus is the southern part of the Sonoran Desert. The second name of the plant is cardon. It does not tolerate severe frosts and, under favorable conditions, its age can reach 200 years, and its height - 20 meters. Cardon has a main trunk, from which many branches grow, which are covered with needles at a "young age".
With the arrival of spring, beautiful white buds open at the ends of each branch. Each flower only blooms for 24 hours, but thanks to the huge number of buds, flowering lasts for several weeks. Also, after the flowering process, red fruits with large thorns appear on the cactus.
It is interesting that the fruits of cardone have been used by the local population for a long time, as they contain narcotic substances. Just like the Stenocereus Tuber cactus, cardone is under state protection.
What are thorns for?
The thorns are, of course, protection from animals that cannot feast on the plant. But the main and main function is to keep the cactus from overheating and strong winds. By reflecting the sun's rays, the thorns reduce evaporation and retain moisture. And after rain or morning dew, they retain water droplets that flow to the base, giving additional nutrition to the plant. Thus, thorns are simply an indispensable tool for a plant in the special conditions of the desert.
So, the cactus can be called one of the most daring, original plants. After all, he is one of the oldest inhabitants of the planet, who was able to adapt to the extreme conditions of a hot climate.
