AY Honors/Cacti/Answer Key

1. Name the chief characteristics of a cactus.

Areoles - Flowers, branches, spines sprout from these- no other plant has this feature.

Spines - Perhaps the most familiar feature of cacti, spines can vary greatly in appearance, shape, size, and color. Spines are not thorns.

Flowers - Flowers are not unique to cacti, but cacti flowers are unique. Cacti flowers are typically quite spectacular and very complex. Unfortunately this field mark is only helpful, of course, if the plant happens to be blooming.

Leaves - Most cacti do not have leaves, however, some do. Pay special attention to the presence or absence of leaves.

Origin - All cacti are native to the America's and surrounding islands. With one exception - Rhipsalis baccifera. Although, world wide cultivation has made this less helpful for identification.

2. Name three uses of cacti.

Cacti are used for:

1. Decorating

2. Edible Fruit Producing

3. Psychoactive uses

3. In what places are cacti the most plentiful? Why?

Cacti are mostly found in extremely arid and hot environments.

The majority of cacti are found in the North and South America as well as in the West Indies.

Why? Cacti are adapted to arid and hot environments.

5. Photograph, observe or sketch at least 10 species of cacti and classify them or grow at least 3 different species of cacti.

I took photos of these two:

File:Cacti70512c.png

Cacti

File:Cacti70315a-davismtns.png

Davis Mountains

Some identified ones from Cactus on Wikipedia

• Echinocactus grusonii kew.jpg

  Echinocactus grusonii

• Pricklypearcrop.jpg

  Prickly Pear

• Echinopsis - Blüte von der Seite.jpg

  Blooming Echinopsis

• Cactus arizona.jpg

  Saguaro cactus

• Lightmatter cactusflower.jpg

  Echinopsis spachiana

• Ferocactus1.jpg

  Mexican Lime Cactus

• Schlumbergera gaertneri.JPG

  Christmas Cactus

• Pereskia grandifolia3.jpg

  Pereskia

• Hylocereus undatus.jpg

  Hylocereus

• WeißeNachtblüte.jpg

  Orchid Cactus