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.

4. Know and identify from life or pictures 15 species of cacti.

Heh! This is your part. Enjoy!

I took photos of these two. Can you identify them?

Cacti

Davis Mountains

Now go and identify more...

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

There are different tribes of cacti:

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  Browningia (example: B. hertlingiana)

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  Cacteae (example: Ariocarpus retusus)

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  Calymmantheae

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  Cereeae (example: Cereus peruvianus)

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  Hylocereeae (example: Hylocereus undatus)

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  Notocacteae (example: Parodia magnifica)

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  Pachycereeae (example: Golden cereus)

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  Rhipsalideae (example: Schlumbergera gaertneri)

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  Trichocereeae (example: D. rhodacantha)

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  Austrocylindropuntieae (example: A. subulata)

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  Opuntieae (example: Cuija)

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  Pterocacteae (example: Pterocactus tuberosus)

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  Tephrocacteae (example: Maihueniopsis subterranea)