There is a huge variety of cacti that grow both in the wild and in the form of ornamental plants. But do thorns bring any benefit to the plants themselves?
Cactus plants description
In accordance with the scientific classification, these plants form the Cactus family. It has about 1750 different species, distributed mainly in areas with a hot arid climate.
The natural habitat is South and North America. Cacti are also found on the islands of the Caribbean, in Africa, in Sri Lanka, Madagascar. It is believed that plants were brought into these territories by people, as well as birds that brought seeds. In general, members of the family can be found everywhere, with the exception of Antarctica.
It is worth noting the species diversity of cacti. Among them there are trees, shrubs, creepers and other life forms. Some plants are pillow-shaped and spread along the surface of the earth.
The plant consists of the root system, stem, leaves (in various forms of manifestation), areoles, thorns, flowers, fruits and seeds. Spines appear in all cacti, at least at the germination stage. In the future, they can disappear or mutate. For example, in some adult plants, spines are not formed.
The variety of spines is quite large. They can be radial and central in location; oval, round, flat in section; straight, curved in shape, etc. Some are thin and brittle, others are durable and woody.
Interesting fact: among all plants equipped with thorns, cacti are champions - their longest thorns reach 25 cm in length.
Depending on the type of cactus, it may appear new spines throughout the entire life span of the plant. They are also able to grow in length. In general, spines are the result of biological reduction. This is a process in which certain parts of a plant are reduced, simplified, or completely disappeared because they have lost their significance.
In the case of cacti, spines are a modified kidney scale. They should not be confused with thorns that dot the stems of roses and other plants. These formations have different origins.
Adaptation of cacti to the natural environment
Since cacti are characterized by a specific habitat, and moisture is vital for them, like other plants, they are well "prepared" for difficult conditions. In particular, cacti are succulents. These are special plants in which tissues are provided for the supply of water.
Do not assume that all succulents are of the same origin (in addition to cacti, there are many other species in this category). They are similar due to the same living conditions. The characteristic features and adaptations of succulents allow them to receive, store and save moisture in a special way. They are also protected from animals, overheating and sunburn.
Interesting fact: The height of the largest cacti in the world is about 20 m. These are giant California cereus that have been living for over 100 years.The stems of these plants contain up to 2 tons of drinking water.
As for the cacti themselves, they absorb moisture as much as possible during rainfall and spend it for a long time. In desert conditions, plants are the only source of water for animals. Therefore, thorns are a reliable means of protection. For the same purpose, people use cacti in deserts as hedges.
Spines perform other useful functions. For example, they cast a shadow on the surface of the stem. It is in the thickened stalk that the most moisture is stored. Some species of cacti store water in thickened roots. The stems of plants have a special wax coating that prevents the evaporation of moisture.
Cactus spines perform several functions. Their main task is defensive. They protect plants from animals for which desert cacti are the only source of drinking water. Moisture is contained mainly in stems reliably protected by sharp formations. The second task of the spines is to create a shadow on the surface of the stem and prevent the evaporation of water.
