When cacti bloom
These plants are beautiful in themselves. But it's still nice to see them bloom, which is very rare. There is an opinion that after this the plant dies, but it is erroneous. Healthy cacti produce flowers every year. Much depends on the conditions in which they are kept.
In order for them to bloom, they need a good root system. And the plant must be in a state of growth. Cacti that do not have living roots will not give flowers. They require top dressing - potassium phosphate. But it is often harmful to use it. Cacti should overwinter in a cool, dry place, and in summer - get enough fresh air. For an active and healthy existence of sunlight, they need three to six hours a day. It depends on the specific species. To the sun, the plant should always be turned on the same side.
Origin
Of the whole variety of ficus species, about two dozen are grown at home. One of the leaders is rubber. It is unpretentious in care, grows and develops easily, boasts good immune protection against many diseases. Such a ficus calmly tolerates pruning and undergoes a quick recovery. A tree flower with proper care can grow up to two meters. It has dark foliage, oval leaves can grow up to 35 cm. And this promising culture comes from Burma, as well as Nepal, the Himalayas and partly from West Africa.
Consider the origin of other types of ficus.
Lyre flower. It is notable for its light emerald leaves. The name speaks: the flowers really resemble a lyre. It comes from the West African forests in the plains. Not in a dwelling, it grows up to 11-12 meters.
These are just a few popular varieties. But seeing their description, you can understand where the flower came from, which you are going to use to decorate your own home. Bringing the aesthetics of the tropics into your home is sometimes very useful, and if you consider that the plant really purifies the air, reducing the content of formaldehyde, benzene and pathogenic bacteria in it, then it is even necessary.
Some sources of folk signs say that the ficus in the home is unfortunately. Where the legs grow from in this belief is completely incomprehensible, because in most cultures the ficus symbolizes wisdom. It is even used in meditation incense recipes. According to Ayurveda, there should be a plant in a living room.
Cacti in America
The main growing area of cactus is quite extensive and stretches from Canada to Chile. A number of epiphytic varieties can be found in Madagascar, Africa and the Mascarene Islands. The flora of the Antilles and Galapogos is also not devoid of these unusual plants.
The habitats of cactus species differ significantly in climate, for example, on the northern border of Canada in winter, the thermometer drops to -40 degrees and everything is covered with abundant snow. So, it is not so easy to determine the suitable habitat for this or that cactus.
In southern North America, in the states of Nevada, Utah and Arizona, succulents have to endure significant temperature extremes - hot summers and snowy winters.
Prolonged droughts and intense heat are common conditions in New Mexico, Texas, Southern California, and Mexico. Warm-loving species are found in the subtropics and tropics of southern Mexico, as well as in Central and South America.
Where does the plant live?
The homeland of the species is America. But this plant is ecologically plastic.This property allows it to adapt to almost any climatic zone.
Cacti can be found all over the world:
- in tropical forests;
- in the savannahs;
- in deserts and semi-deserts;
- in the mountains up to an altitude of 4.5 km above sea level.
More about the habitat of cacti:
- The mountains. In mountain ranges, the plant receives solar irradiation, it is affected by sudden temperature fluctuations and strong winds. The soil in the mountains cannot control the moisture level for a long time. Mountain types include:
- mammillaria;
- non-messiness;
- escobaria;
- telocactus.
The spherical structure and short-cylindrical stems help the species survive in mountainous conditions.
- Desert. In the deserts, those representatives of the species live that do not have leaves. This is necessary to save "precious" moisture. Desert dwellers are distinguished by a ribbed stem and long thorns (read about how not to be pricked by a cactus and what to do if this happens, read here). It is in the deserts that the most persistent and not fastidious species grow, so they adapted to life in this environment:
- echinopsis;
- astrophytum;
- prickly pear (you can learn about prickly pear and agave here, and about prickly pear is described here).
- Forests and jungle. In this area, cacti act as parasites; they live on the stems of other plants. This is the Schlumberger family, Epiphyllum. They settle on the crowns of large trees.
- Home conditions. In an artificially created habitat, most species can grow (how cacti grow and what to do if the flower does not develop, described in this material). The main condition for care is proper watering, temperature control and feeding. But unlike natural conditions, cacti at home will be smaller and less lush flowering (or lack thereof). Read about the types of cacti and how to grow them at home here.
Reproduction of cacti
Cacti from seeds
Cacti propagate by seed and vegetative means, namely by children or cuttings.
Growing cacti from seeds has its own difficulties: preliminary sterilization of seeds purchased at the store will be required - they are soaked for half an hour in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate. It is also necessary to sterilize the substrate - steam it or roast it in the oven at a temperature of 110-130 ºC. The wet substrate is poured into the container with a layer of about 1 cm, prepared seeds are laid out on it, after which the crops are covered with film or glass.
The soil is kept in a slightly moist state all the time, the crops are aired twice a day. In order for cactus seeds to germinate, it will take from several days to several months. When the first spines appear at the seedlings, they are transplanted into a more nutritious substrate, and at the age of several months they begin to look after them, as for adult plants, but they are protected from too sharp temperature changes and are watered more often.
It is better to sow seeds so that seedlings appear in early spring.
Reproduction of a cactus by children
It is easier to propagate cacti vegetatively: on many plants, children are formed with rudiments of roots. The babies are easily separated, after which they are laid on a moist substrate, into which their roots sprout, eventually forming a root system. Choose a larger baby, separate it with a sterile instrument, dry the cut site for 3-4 days and root the cutting in a moist substrate.
What can't he adapt to?
What environmental conditions is the cactus not adapted to and how is this explained?
- "Thorns" do not like a lot of sun. Only 70% of plant species react normally to it, the rest prefer darkened places. This is the first problem for the plant.Do not plant a cactus in the sun or put it on a windowsill where there is a lot of light. The most correct place for home growing will be the eastern parts of the room, where the sun's rays are replaced by shadows.
- Temperature jumps are the second challenge for growth and development.Limits of acceptable temperatures: from -10 to + 35C (provided that the temperature changes gradually). If the jump is sharp, the plant will die.
- Excess moisture is the third hazard. If there is a lot of moisture, bacteria and fungi appear. It is better to ventilate the room more (at least once a day), where there is a "thorn".
Cactus is the oldest exotic plant. These "thorns" are distinguished by their unusual appearance, fleshy structure, and unique colors. Thanks to this, the plant is a frequent inhabitant of floristic collections. The root, stem, thorns and flowers allow the cactus to adapt to the environment. You can meet the view all over the world: from mountains to deserts.
Habitat
It is believed that a cactus is an unpretentious plant in terms of the fact that it does not need a lot of water, but in fact this also means certain obstacles to growing. Most thorny species grow in nature in hot and dry climates, respectively, they do not like either coolness or excessive humidity.
Pay attention to where most of these plants grow in North and South America - they choose the Mexican deserts, as well as dry Argentine steppes, but they cannot be found in the Amazon jungle
Having figured out that even bushes and trees with leaves can belong to cactus, it should not be surprising that the typical growing conditions for such species can differ significantly. Some species grow well in the same humid tropical forests, although in appearance they do not resemble their closest relatives in any way, others are able to climb high into the mountains, up to 4 thousand meters above sea level, and there are no longer typical deserts at such an altitude.
The same applies to the soil on which the home flower will be grown. The classic prickly cactus from Mexico grows in the desert, where the soil is not fertile - soils there are traditionally poor and light, with a high content of mineral salts. However, any "atypical" cacti growing in fundamentally different natural conditions usually choose heavy clay soils. It is the unpretentiousness of the classic Mexican "thorn" that is the reason that cacti have become so popular as a houseplant. They do not require special care, no fertilization is needed, even the irrigation regime can not be strictly observed - this is very beneficial for a busy person who may not appear at home for a long time. As we already understood, when choosing a cactus, it is still worth showing a certain amount of care, since exceptions to this rule, although not very popular, exist.
Important! If you consider yourself to be a real lover of succulents and want to plant cacti in large quantities, please note that different species relate differently to the close neighborhood of their own kind. Some species do not like to be located next to each other, in nature they grow only at a considerable distance, while others, on the contrary, tend to grow in dense thickets
Some species do not like to be located next to each other, in nature they grow only at a considerable distance, while others, on the contrary, tend to grow in dense thickets.
Growth law
Cacti are indeed very unpretentious and beautiful plants, but their significant drawback is slow growth. Although cacti are believed to love dry soil and do not need frequent watering, they grow best when it rains when it comes to wild plants. In addition to the level of humidity, sunlight is also important for them. Therefore, cacti begin to grow actively in the spring.
It is easy to determine the beginning of this phase, because in many plant species it manifests itself externally. For example, in some, the tops of the thorns become brighter, the thorns 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 up a lot of energy, so the plant simply does not have "strength" to grow.
In winter, the cactus goes through a dormant cycle, and they most of all need nutrients. In the spring, the plant begins to bloom, it needs more moisture, fertilizer, a lot of light and heat. Flowering continues in summer.
More details about how cacti grow is described here.
Creating natural conditions for indoor cacti
Despite the fact that the flowers are native to America and they are adapted to droughts, you need to know some of the nuances in care so that the plant blooms regularly and does not hurt.
Lighting and temperature
In a warm period of time, it is advisable to put the plants on the loggia, veranda.
Advice! In winter, experts recommend moving flowers to a place with a temperature of no more than 18 degrees and ensuring high humidity, since this part of the year is considered a dormant period.
These plants love a lot of light, so it is recommended to place them on windowsills on the sunny side of the house, and use lamps in case of insufficient lighting. Experts recommend giving preference to the south and east windows.
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Watering and feeding
It is recommended to water the flowers with melt or rain water. If this is not possible, then you must give preference to filtered water. In spring and summer, they are watered daily or every other day. In the fall, watering is reduced to once every 7 days, and in winter, the plant will only need one watering every two weeks.
Watering a cactus
For feeding, choose fertilizers with a high content of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Top dressing is carried out during the growth period, that is, in spring and autumn. Experts do not recommend fertilizing plants with damaged roots.
Transplant and reproduction
It is very important to choose the size of the pot when transplanting. To do this, remove the flower from the container and look at the size of the root system.
It is from her that the size and shape of the pot will depend. It is not advisable to buy metal containers, since corrosive processes can affect the condition of the flower.
Transfer
The soil should contain leafy, old greenhouse, sod and clay soil, humus, sand and crushed charcoal. In addition, the acidity of the substrate should not exceed pH 6.0. The pot should have drainage holes so that excess water does not stagnate during watering.
The most common is the method of propagation by cuttings and children. To do this, the baby or stalk is disconnected from the mother plant and disinfected. The shoot is placed in a container with water. When roots appear on the shoot, it is dried for several days and rooting begins. To do this, prepare a substrate with a high sand content and plant a shoot without filling the neck. For several days, the pot is placed in a cool, dark place. After rooting, the young flower is "accustomed" to normal conditions.
Diseases and pests
The most common diseases of fungal origin are wet and dry rot. The disease initially hardly manifests itself, as it develops from the inside and gradually passes to the external part. The disease occurs due to excessive watering. For treatment, the damaged areas are pruned, and the plant is treated with fungicides.
Of the parasites, spider mites, nematodes and worms are often found. Their presence can be determined by the larvae and bugs on the vegetative part. For treatment, insecticides of a wide spectrum of action are used.
The habitat of cacti and succulents in nature (with photo)
The natural habitat of cacti in nature is limited to the New World.Several species of Rhipsalis, native to tropical Africa, Madagascar and India, may have been brought there by sailing ships or carried by birds. However, in America, cacti are found mainly only in arid areas. At the same time, two regions are distinguished by the greatest richness of species: the Mexican Highlands up to Arizona in North America and the dry mountainous regions of the Andes from Peru to Argentina and Southern Brazil on the South American continent.
Let us briefly consider the most important natural landscapes, in the vegetation of which cacti play a significant role. Most of the deserts are not home to cacti, since in deserts proper plants do not grow at all; there are a small number of plant species only in special places, in the valleys or at the foot of the slopes. Although there are also cacti among them, the number of their species is very small, and they are difficult to cultivate, so they are not of particular interest to plant lovers.
A typical landscape with huge columnar cacti and prickly pears (Arizona, Mexican Highlands, Baja California or certain high Andes valleys in Peru), on the contrary, cannot be called a desert. The vegetation of these places is quite lush, if there can grow, for example, multi-meter columnar cacti with lignified stems, in which hundreds of liters of water accumulate.
If succulents prevail in nature in the plant community of some area, this does not mean at all a special lack of moisture in this area, but only that it comes in very briefly and unevenly, with which huge cacti do an excellent job, although their absolute need for water relatively large. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, it is better to call such areas instead of deserts dry cactus thorny woodlands or, at least, semi-deserts.
In culture, these large cacti also need, at least from time to time, in abundant watering.
See how cacti look in nature in the photo, where their most bizarre forms are illustrated:
Mexico and cacti
There are not many places on Earth where the weather is as warm in winter as in summer, and Mexico is one of them. Maybe that's why a great variety of cacti grow here, about 1000 species - spherical, cushion-shaped, columnar, tree-like, compact and very large. It is not for nothing that Mexico was nicknamed "the country of cacti".
These plants are so deeply embedded in the lives of local people that it is almost impossible to separate concepts such as Mexico and cacti. The modern capital of the state - Mexico City, is located on the site of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, whose name translates as "the place of the sacred prickly pear".
In general, it is difficult to imagine the landscape of this country without these plants, because most often it, with some exceptions, consists of mountains, desert expanses and ... cacti. At the end of a 5-6 month drought, the desert will be transformed, it will turn green, and some of the cactus will bloom luxuriously.
Some of them grab the attention more than others:
Myrtillocactus
It is impossible not to notice the huge candelabra cacti, the height of which can exceed three meters. If you look closely, you can see small white flowers on them.
Ferocactus
These tree-like cacti are successfully grown in pots, in such conditions it looks like a compact ball-shaped, sturdy succulent, decorated with bunches of colored needles. In their natural environment, ferocactuses are larger, their tops are dotted with dark reddish spines that secrete sweet nectar.
Prickly pear
For us, it is nothing more than a pretty house and greenhouse plant, and for the Mexicans it is an important industrial crop.Here, whole plantations of prickly pears are grown, the fruits and shoots of which are eaten, fresh and canned food, drinks are prepared from them, used as hedges, feed for livestock.
And one of the varieties - polycantal prickly pear or multi-prickly, has become a symbol of the country and is depicted on the coat of arms. It is on this plant that an eagle sits, which eats a snake.
Opuntia are fast-growing cacti, therefore they often grow outside the plantations, reducing the area of pasture. Therefore, these landings need constant monitoring and restriction. Some succulent species brought to Australia have become veritable pest weeds. And to get them out, outside help was required - moths were imported into the country from Argentina.
As practice has shown, the most frost-resistant cactus also belongs to the genus of prickly pears. Dark-thorny prickly pear is successfully grown in the Astrakhan region, where it can withstand temperatures up to -20 degrees in the open field without additional protection.
Pachycereus Pringla (cardon cactus)
This giant, abundantly covered with thorns, grows up to 10 meters in height. Perhaps, thanks to such natural protection, succulents live up to 350-400 years and gain weight up to 8000-10000 kg.
Pringle's pachycereuses branch at the base and the branches grow upward, rushing into the sky. The prickly fruits of the cactus are used to make brushes and combs.
What do they still need?
Cacti are not at all dependent on aridity, as one might think. If your cactus is growing slowly, then everything is more than okay with it - the slow growth is explained simply by the fact that the plant is unable to absorb many nutrients from the environment at once, but takes a little, without wasting its strength. In addition, cacti grow periodically, as it should be for a particular species. It is unlikely that it will be possible to speed up or change this process.
Cacti have such a concept as hibernation - during this period they do not need light, unlike the rest of the time, when the plant, on the contrary, requires a lot of lighting. It is because of this complexity that plant owners find it difficult to grow cacti outdoors, where it is not easy to control the light factor and some other conditions. However, ordinary cacti rarely require such diligence, and the plant will not die from insufficient lighting, but only stop growing.
With the soil, everything is a little more complicated: the distribution area of cactus is large, and many species live on radically different soil. Of the common features, a slight looseness of the earth (similar to sand) can be distinguished, as well as impermeability to water and air. Difficulties may arise with the slightly acidic reaction of the soil, which is sometimes required by cacti.
Cactus in bloom
Watering is where cacti show their legendary endurance. It is worth watering the plants during the period from spring to autumn, and stop watering altogether for the winter. The plant will not only not fade from this, but will bloom much faster and more productively. The secret of this phenomenon is, again, in a kind of hibernation, during which the cactus needs practically nothing: no light, no water, no hot temperature. He draws everything he needs from stocks accumulated over a favorable period.
At the same time, perhaps for an ordinary person, a cactus is unpretentious, but for some florist who wants to achieve a result, it suddenly turns into a rather capricious plant with its own very specific characteristics.
Where do cacti grow in nature?
To this day, cacti in the wild grow mainly on the American continents. It was from there that they were once transported by people and carried by birds to Europe.
However, representatives of cactus in nature can be found not only in America. Some species have been growing for a long time in tropical Africa, Ceylon and other islands of the Indian Ocean.
Where else do cacti grow: thickets of this plant can be found in Australia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Monaco and Spain. Cacti also grow in the wild on the territory of the former Soviet Union. In most cases, cacti were artificially introduced to these places by humans.
The geographical location of the homeland of the indoor cactus
For most of us, these cute and at the same time threatening thorny plants are associated with the arid conditions of the desert, of which there are many in Africa. That is why many ordinary people believe that the place where the cactus is home to is the so-called "black" continent.
In fact, "thorns" prefer desert regions, but not Africa, but other continents. Surprisingly, the deserts of America are the birthplace of cacti. More specifically, the plants originated from arid places, primarily South and North America. Scientists report that cacti appeared in South America a very long time ago - about 35 million years ago. Then, about 5-10 million years ago, cacti appeared in the northern part of the continent. To Africa, including the island of Madagascar, and other parts of the world, for example, Asia (the island of Sri Lanka) and Australia, excluding, of course, Antarctica, cacti were naturally moved by birds much later. The Europeans were the last to get acquainted with the thorny representatives of the flora. It is interesting that cacti are found not only in the Mediterranean, but also on the Black Sea coast, for example, on the southern coast of Crimea, in Gelendzhik.
An interesting fact is that throughout the continent, where the color family comes from, the distribution of "thorns" is extremely uneven. Cacti cannot be found at all in humid tropical regions, in particular, they are not found in the lands belonging to the basin of the great Amazon River. But Mexico is famous for its special variety of species. By the way, out of the known two thousand species of "thorns", slightly less than a thousand can be found in the arid regions of this country. Many cacti grow in such Latin American states as Argentina, Peru, Chile, Bolivia.
In which countries do cacti grow?
If we designate the geography of cactus growth by country, the list will be something like this: Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, USA (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico), Canada, China, India, Australia, Spain, Monaco, Madagascar, Sri- Lanka, western countries of Africa.
As ornamental plants, people have learned to grow cacti in the open field almost everywhere, with the exception, perhaps, in the Arctic. As indoor plants, cacti have long populated the entire planet.
Natural conditions of the homeland of the home cactus
If we talk about the natural conditions that these perennials prefer, then basically, as mentioned above, these areas are arid. By the way, there are also species that prefer not only mountainous and desert regions, but also steppes. Even more - epiphytic cacti prefer tropical forests with high air humidity. As for the acceptable composition of the soil in the homeland of the indoor cactus, usually these are poor and light lands. The soil is characterized by a small amount of humus, but there is an abundance of mineral salts. But the types of cacti that can be found in forests and steppes grow well on heavy clay soils.
It is also interesting how differently plants with thorns grow. Most often, whole thickets are found. Some species form such dense colony forests, through which it is simply impossible to get through. This is primarily typical for carpegia, turbinicarpus. There are representatives of the cactus family that prefer to "settle" at great distances from each other. Sometimes cacti are locally arranged in columns or rows.
The form of green "hedgehogs" that are found in America is also diverse: spherical and slightly elongated, straight, bushy, flat or volumetric, some species even with real leaves or with bare roots.
What are the natural features of cactus plants and what are they
Some features of biology and physiology. Cacti are succulent plants (Latin succulentus - juicy). Their stems contain a lot of water. One of the most important physiological features of these plants is a special type of photosynthesis, which is also characteristic of some other succulents. In the overwhelming majority of plants, photosynthesis, which takes place with the absorption of carbon dioxide and the simultaneous evaporation of water, occurs during the daytime. This process, which gives them the opportunity to live and increase their mass, depends on the intensity of solar radiation, temperature and water availability. The Cactus family was formed in the harsh conditions of a hot climate, where large losses of water during the daytime are unacceptable. Therefore, unlike most other plants, cacti have a fundamentally different type of photosynthesis. Its essence lies in the fact that the absorption and binding of carbon dioxide with the release of oxygen occurs not during the day, but at night, through the stomata that are open at this time. The acidity of plant sap becomes very high at night. During the day, when the stomata are closed and prevent the evaporation of water, carbon dioxide is released in the stem and used in the process of photosynthesis.
Another physiological feature of cacti is their slow growth. The root system and stem of plants are not able to quickly assimilate a large amount of nutrients and just as quickly transform them into an increase in the mass of roots and stems. This feature must be taken into account when cultivating cacti. The desire to quickly grow large specimens due to additional feeding can result in spoiled plant stems and even their death. At the very least, additional feeding should take into account all factors of the environment in which the collection is contained. First of all, the illumination: the higher it is, the more nutritious the soil can be.
Economic and aesthetic value of cacti. At home, cacti have a certain economic value. Their stems are eaten raw and cooked. Fruits are also used for food, mainly prickly pears. Dry stems of large plants are used as fuel and light building material. Cacti are used as livestock feed. Due to the high content of alkaloids and other substances, cacti are used in medicine. A huge number of representatives of the Cactus family are decorative, greenhouse and indoor plants widely cultivated throughout the world.
Option 2
Cactus is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the Clove group. Plants evolved about 30 million years ago, at which time it acquired the form we are accustomed to. The habitat of cacti is the countries of the New World. They are widespread in the Americas and the West Indies. They are found in Africa, on the island of Madagascar and in Sri Lanka, where they were introduced by migratory birds. Since the cactus is a very unpretentious plant, today it can be found on all continents in botanical gardens or in private collections of indoor plant lovers.
In Greek culture, the word "kaktos" was used to denote plant species unknown to scientists. Later, Karl Liney began to use this word to classify cacti.
Plants of the cactus family come in different shapes (from spherical to cone-shaped and elongated). They grow in desert areas. The root system of a cactus consists of two parts: surface roots and roots that go deep into the ground.The climatic conditions of deserts form large temperature differences, due to which moisture falls in the form of dew. Surface roots, whose length reaches 5 meters, collect this moisture, allowing the plant to do for a long time without irrigation and rain.
The second type of roots holds massive cacti above the ground. Such a root has an impressive size, so even during hurricanes, plants do not suffer from gusty winds. However, it does not reach groundwater and therefore mainly serves only as an “anchor”.
The stalk of a cactus is capable of storing water. It can be ribbed or smooth. On its surface, depending on the type of cactus, bristles, spines or leaves are formed. They are modified renal scales of the stem tissue. Large cactus flower has a pleasant aroma. It contains areoles in the form of spines and hairs.
Since ancient times, people have been using the fruits and stem of the cactus for food. It is used as a medicine. It also serves as a building material and a hedge. Dwarf cactus species are grown in homes as an ornamental plant.
In which countries are succulents found?
Desert varieties prefer steppe, desert and semi-desert climates. Tropical epiphytes like the forests of the tropics and subtropics. Rare varieties are found in coastal areas where the humidity is quite high.
Cacti are found in the Peruvian, Chilean, Bolivian and Argentine deserts. A rich variety of these succulents is noted here. Many varieties grow in Mexico, Brazil, some US states, New Mexico, Canada. Chinese, Indian, Australian, Spanish nature, although not abundant in these plants, but some species feel great here. Cacti also grow in Monaco, on the scarce soils of Madagascar, the Republic of Sri Lanka, and Western African states.
Description
It's worth starting with what can generally be called a cactus. You yourself most likely know that the characteristic thorny plant can theoretically take on completely different forms. Given the confusion that sometimes occurs in biology, it should come as no surprise if some of the species commonly thought to be cacti are actually not, and vice versa. So, according to the modern biological classification, cacti or cactus plants are a whole family of plants belonging to the order of Cloves, the approximate number of species in general reaches about two thousand.
All these plants are perennial and flowering, but they are usually divided into four subfamilies, each of which has its own characteristic features.
Interestingly, the word "cactus" is of ancient Greek origin, although, looking ahead, these plants do not come from Greece at all. The ancient Greeks called a certain plant with this word, which has not survived to our times - at least modern scientists cannot answer what is meant by this term. Until the 18th century, what we now call cacti were commonly called melocactuses. Only in the classification of the famous Swedish scientist Karl Linnaeus did these plants receive their modern name.
Now let's figure out what is a cactus and what is not. It is wrong to confuse the concept of a cactus and a succulent - the former necessarily refer to the latter, but the latter are a broader concept, that is, they may include other plants. Cacti, like all other succulents, have special tissues in their structure that allow them to store a supply of water for a long time. Actually, cacti are distinguished by areoles - special lateral buds from which spines or hairs grow. In a real cactus, both the flower and the fruit are, as it were, an extension of the stem tissues, both organs are equipped with the aforementioned areoles.Biologists identify at least a dozen more features that are characteristic only of this family, but it is almost impossible for an ignorant person to see and evaluate them without appropriate instruments.
If by mistake you can call many thorny plants a cactus, which in fact are not related to such, then sometimes you can completely ignore the representative of cactus in green spaces, which are nothing like a typical indoor version. Suffice it to say that a cactus (from a biological, not a philistine point of view) can turn out to be a deciduous bush and even a small tree. Or it can consist of almost one root with a barely noticeable aerial part. The sizes, respectively, can differ dramatically - there are tiny specimens of several centimeters in diameter, but in American films you have most likely seen many-meter branching cacti weighing several tons. Naturally, all this variety is not grown at home - as a houseplant, only those species are usually chosen that meet two main requirements: they must be pretty and relatively small. At the same time, everything also depends on the region - in some countries those species that are practically unknown in our country can be massively grown.
