cactus: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	Cactaceae • cactuses • cacti

Photos and Videos

fishhook cactus

Large pipe cactus, Cereus thurberi, with multiple tall, ribbed stems growing upright among other desert plants and palm trees.

White flower of the Dutchman's pipe cactus, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, with long, narrow petals and yellow stamens, set against green leaves and a dark background.

Santa Fe Island

desert ecosystem

Eastern prickly pear cactus, Opuntia humifusa, with flat green pads and several large yellow flowers blooming among grass and dry leaves.

Study how desert plants adapt and survive harsh conditions and how cacti provide sustenance for desert animals

Orange and red leaves on a tree.

Behold Saguaro National Park plant life. such as the saguaro cactus, unique to the Sonoran Desert

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Topics

Neolloydia Echinocactus Ferocactus climbing cactus cereus Sclerocactus Thelocactus Escobaria barrel cactus Can You Drink Water from a Cactus?Amaranthaceae Nyctaginaceae Caryophyllaceae Droseraceae Portulacaceae Phytolaccaceae Basellaceae

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Key People

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George Engelmann

German botanist and physician

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap

Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous