Ordinary cactus: photo of the plant and everything you need to know about it

Cacti, despite their prickly appearance, are very popular plants. In addition, their extraordinary beauty during flowering attracts lovers of home pots with herbs. It seems to many that the cactus is boring, although unpretentious, but this plant has thousands of fans.

We’ll tell you what it is called in English and why exactly, on which continent and where it grows, and whether it grows in Africa, what it looks like and why it is prickly, and also poisonous or not.

What is it - a home green hedgehog in a pot: a brief description and succulent or not?

We will understand what the name means and to which family this plant belongs. Cactus got its name because of its characteristic spines.: from other Greek κάκτος means spiny plant.

The family of dicotyledonous plants Cactus plants (lat. Cactaceae) are classified as cloves. The family includes 150 genera, and the number of species exceeds 3,000. Next, a comparative description of succulents and cacti.

Representatives of the Kaktusovs are perennial succulents with thick, fleshy, almost completely ribbed stems. Succulents (which in Latin means succulentus - succulent) are perennials of dry places, the water reserves that are stored in leaves or stems (cacti - in English Cactus). However, it should be understood that cacti and succulents are far from the same thing.

Succulents store water in fleshy leaves that the cactus does not have, the stem and roots. Succulents are not a family or a group, but rather plants, united by a common property - the ability to retain moisture inside. Simply put, succulents are a broader concept.

Cacti are flowering plants. It would be a mistake to call it a flower, because a flower is an organ of a plant. However, many species of cacti bloom. The plant has a great many unusual properties and signs. For example, the unique pigment of a flower, a wide variety of shape and size of the stems - from tiny two-centimeter balls to the highest plants of several meters.

A distinctive feature of cacti is the special organ of the areola, which is a modified axillary kidney with kidney scales in the form of hairs or spines.

Cacti have an original flower and fruit structure: they are the tissue of the stem. The flowers and fruits of the plant almost always have buds, and they, in turn, belong to the stem, which is responsible for photosynthesis. The flowers themselves are more often solitary, sometimes collected in a racemose inflorescence located on cephalus - a special ledge.

Cacti are not just green stems strewn with thorns. They have a pretty interesting flowering. Sepals smoothly transition into petals, which are white, yellow, pink, purple, red and multi-colored. Flowers are very small, and sometimes their diameter reaches 20 cm.

Fruits are berry-shaped, bright, with many small seeds. In many cacti, they are edible.

Flower photo

Here you can see all the photos of the most beautiful cacti (cactus), in a pot and street:

Law of growth

Cacti are really very unpretentious and beautiful plants., but their significant drawback is slow growth. Although it is believed that cacti love dry soil and do not need frequent watering, they grow best during rain, if we talk about wild plants. In addition to the level of humidity, sunlight is important for them. Therefore, cacti actively grow in the spring.

To determine the beginning of this phase is simple, because in many types of plants it appears externally. For example, in some - the tops of the spines become brighter, the spines become larger, the skin of the upper part of the stem acquires a different, more saturated shade.

The vegetative period is characterized by a temporary slowdown or cessation of growth. The fact is that flowering takes a lot of energy, so the plant simply does not have “strength” to grow.

In winter, the cactus has a dormant cycle, and they need nutrients most of all. In the spring, the plant begins to bloom, it needs more moisture, fertilizer, a lot of light and heat. Flowering continues in the summer.

More details about how cacti grow are described here.

How to determine the age?

Visually, the age of a cactus cannot be determined. There are only two options for knowing it: to track from the moment of sowing or ask the one who cultivated it. The age of the cactus is calculated by periods of rest. If, for example, a cactus grows for three years under the same conditions - from humidity to lighting, then all three years is one year of cactus life. If for 5 years the cactus had one resting period, then it means it is not 5 years old, but only the second year (and how many cacti live at home and in nature, read here).

How much a cactus grows depends, first of all, on the species. Some species can, with a properly selected pot, reach several meters in height. But in any case, it is easier for wild cacti to reach maximum height than at home. The famous "Queen of the Night" can reach 20 m in height.

History of origin: where is his homeland and how does it grow in nature?

Now about where is the homeland of cacti. The first mention of cacti is found in the Spanish newspapers of 1535. Then they began to grow. Cacti first came to Europe after Columbus' expedition to America. In the 30s of the XVIII in his works, Karl Linney described 22 species of plants, which he named Cactus. In this century there were many descriptions and information about cacti, a fashion for breeding these plants arose. The country of origin is South and North America. Where else cacti live, we will tell further.

Cacti are distributed mainly on this continent, including in deserts. In addition, representatives of some species grow in Africa, Mauritius and Madagascar, are found in Australia, India, and the Mediterranean countries. In general, cacti live on all continents except Antarctica.

How does it adapt to the habitat?

Now about why the cactus spines grow instead of leaves. To adapt to the habitat, nature rewarded cacti with special grooves, through which water accumulates to the roots and accumulates in them. The spherical shape promotes low evaporation of moisture. Ribs on the stem prevent cracking.

Thick peel protects the plant from heatand spines and villi create a protective shadow. In addition, thorns have a unique ability to attract water drops electrostatically, and also protect the plant from hungry animals and contribute to pollination. The cactus has no leaves so as not to waste precious moisture.

Can I keep at home?

Cacti have long learned to grow and keep at home in the room. Home plants are completely non-toxic. The maximum that they can annoy you with is to prick with their thorns (how to avoid pricking a cactus and what to do if this happens, find out here).

Calorie Benefits and Information

Cactus fruits are widely used in cooking, because they differ in useful properties (for more details about the fruits and their use, see here). They have a low calorie content - only 41 kcal per 100 grams. Edible fruits contain a large amount of carbohydrates (5.97 g), fats (0.51 g) and proteins (0.73 g). Cacti help fight hypertension, diabetes, lower cholesterol.

• The drink from the plant echinocactus Lofofora charges with strength and energy, is effective for neuralgia, cramps and spasms, has a hemostatic property.
• A decoction from Opuntia has a diuretic effect (read about agave and prickly pear here).
• There is a theory according to which cactus juice can inhibit the onset of cancer cells and the development of cancer.
• Cactus juice is also famous for its ability to combat the hangover syndrome (learn about this cactus juice and its preparation in this material).
• Juice from cactus fruits is a powerful antioxidant, has a huge amount of vitamin C, slows down the oxidation of fats and prevents the occurrence of atherosclerosis. Cactus juice is used to prevent degenerative and age-related diseases.
• Opuntia fruits improve blood circulation and have a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels, have an antibacterial and wound healing effect, help restore natural water balance and moisturize the skin.

Learn more about the benefits and dangers of cactus for humans in this material.

What can I cook?

All parts of the plant are eaten, except, naturally, thorns. Cacti are used to make juices that quench thirst, sugar substitutes syrups that can be consumed by diabetics.

Cactus Fruit Dishes

The fruits are consumed not only in raw form, but they also make jams, preserves, marmalade and even seasonings from them. The fruits of some species have not only a pleasant taste, but also healing properties. Cactus stems are also eaten: they can be pickled, fried, cooked, baked, stewed, made from them salad.

Beverages

From cacti, they make not only healthy refreshing juice, but also alcohol. The “king” of this trend is the prickly pear, widely distributed in Mexico. The most famous cactus drink is Baytra liquor, which is produced in Malta.

Not so long ago Czechs learned to make diet beer from cactus, which has not yet achieved worldwide recognition, but is popular in Europe. Mexicans make cacti a strong alcoholic drink “Sahuaro”, which is used not only in its pure form, but also as a part of cocktails, and also goes well with martini.

Care Features

A cactus at home needs enough light, so it’s best to place pots on a south or east window. But only if it comes to desert species! Forest cacti, by contrast, prefer western and northern windows.

In summer, cactus is best placed on the balcony to provide more fresh air. In winter, they need a cool place (15-17 degrees) and a shadow. Contrary to popular belief, a cactus needs abundant watering. To do this, it is better to use water at room temperature, and ideally rain or melt water.

Breeding

At home, a cactus propagates in the following ways:

• Children (processes).
• Cuttings.
• The seeds.
• Vaccinated.

The simplest are the first two ways.

Kids

1. From the mother plant, children are detached (1.5-2 cm).
2. Children are fixed on a glass with water at a distance of 5-7 mm from water to a cactus.
3. As water evaporates, it is added. It is better to maintain a temperature of 25-30 degrees.
4. After the formation of the roots, the children sit down. Around the cactus you can sprinkle virmiculite, zeolite, coarse sand or small stones.

Cuttings

1. Healthy and strong parts of the cactus are selected.
2. The upper part of the cactus is cut off, sharpened, dried for about 7 days and rooted in the ground.
3. For better rooting, the lower part of the cut cactus is placed in a warm Kornevin solution (1 teaspoon per 0.5 liter of water) for several hours. Then it is dried for 2-3 days and planted in the ground.

Seeds

Rarely crowned with success. A fungus appears on some of the sprouts that have manifested, others lose their roots, dry or rot.

Blossom, my star!

Cacti may not bloom at all if there are no suitable conditions for this. Some species begin to bloom from the age of three, some will need as much as 10 years to do this. Cactus flowering usually begins in spring, after a period of dormancy.. Flowering plants is difficult to achieve, and suitable conditions for them are not always enough.

It is necessary to alternate the life stages that are observed under the natural conditions of cactus growth. Therefore, if you want the cactus to bloom, you need to choose one of two ways: either make maximum efforts for the desired result, or choose unpretentious species.

Disease

Cactus diseases are most often caused by bacteria, lower fungi, mycoplasmas, viruses. Their impact can lead to the death of the plant, and rare and valuable species most often become the target of enemies. To avoid infection of cacti, favorable living conditions will help again.

Among cactus diseases, the most common are:

• spotting;
• viral mosaic of epiphyllum;
• euphorbia mosaic virus;
• jaundice;
• witches brooms of prickly pear;
• dry and wet rot;
• sprouting of mushrooms and others.

You can find out about the diseases and pests of cacti here.

Cacti, like any plants, require careful maintenance., caring and special conditions. Sometimes you need to take care of home flowers as your own children, because it is the host’s attitude to plants that determines their health, beauty and their normal development.

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