AY Honors/Cacti - Advanced/Answer Key
1. What are succulents?
- Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants are water- retaining plants adapted to xerophilic climatic or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and/or roots. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants, also known as succulence. In addition to succulence, succulent plants variously have other water-saving features.
2. Identify from plants or photos five succulents that are not cacti. How are they different from cacti?
3. Know the definitions of the following terms within a cacti/succulents frame of reference.
a. Areole
b. Cephalium
c. Coalesce
d. Corymb
e. Diurnal
f. Epiphyte
g. Glochid
h. Nocturnal
i. Offshoot
j. Panicle
k. Scale
l. Stolon
m. Zygomorphic
4. When raising succulents — including cacti — they may be attacked by maladies. What are the most common and how can you prevent or cure the problems?
The most common cactus malady is mold, usually caused by overwatering. If mold is detected on a cactus, the affected part should be cut off as soon as possible, using a sharp knife. Then the wound should be sprinkled with sulphur or a fungicide. If the roots are affected, the core of the cacti is probably also affected and the plant will almost certainly die.
The only pests that bother cacti are a type of scale insect of the family Coccoidea, and nematodes. Scale insects may be killed by squirting the plant with a mixture of rubbing alcohol and nicotine. If nematodes are detected, the roots of the cactus must be cut off with a sharp knife and the plant repotted in sterile soil until it grows new roots. The old soil should be sterilized and the removed roots should be burned.
