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cactus
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saguaro cacti coastal cacti fishhook cactus Large pipe cactus, Cereus thurberi, with multiple tall, ribbed stems growing upright among other desert plants and palm trees. rose cactus peyote 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.
At a Glance
Golden rainbow cactus (Echinocereus dasyacanthus), a hedgehog cactus, growing in the desert of southwestern Texas.
cactus summary
Quizzes
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
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saguaro cacti
saguaro cacti Saguaro cacti, Arizona, U.S.

cactus

plant
Also known as: Cactaceae, cacti, cactuses
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

cactus, (family Cactaceae), flowering plant family (order Caryophyllales) with nearly 2,000 species and 139 genera. Cacti are native through most of the length of North and South America, from British Columbia and Alberta southward; the southernmost limit of their range extends far into Chile and Argentina. Mexico has the greatest number and variety of species. The only cacti possibly native to the Old World are members of the genus Rhipsalis, occurring in East Africa, Madagascar,...

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