Cactaceae

Cacti have a special place among the variety of plants and differ from them in appearance and in terms of content. This large family includes three subfamilies, have a fundamental difference in the structure: |

Subfamily Opuntioideae, includes 16 families - the Bushes are having a flat or cylindrical succulent stems. All prickly pears are characteristic segmented structure of the stem (some segmentation of the stem is very weak). Tiny needle-thorn (glohidii) are characteristic only for the subfamily opuntsievyh. Some opuntsievyh at a young age are modified by fleshy leaves, which disappear with age. Flowers are usually solitary, regular shape. The fruits of many opuntsievyh edible.

Subfamily Pereskioideae, includes all 3 species - cacti, which are fully preserved real leaves. Representatives of this subfamily - trees or shrubs, with round stems and flat leaves of areoles, which are in the axils of the leaves can be thorns, are usually straight and rigid. The flowers of cacti of this subfamily may be the single of pedicle, and can be collected several. Fruits of most pereskievyh edible. In the culture room you'll find most one species of this subfamily - Pereskiyu ribbed Pereskia aculeata.

Subfamily Cereoideae - it remains a majority, which includes a variety of appearance cacti. Here there are giant trees (up to 18 m in height and 1.5 meters in diameter - in nature) and dwarf forms (a few centimeters in height). Representatives of this subfamily do not have leaves, and the structure and shape of the stem can be very diverse. Many of them have thorns. Fruits edible in some species of cactus.

On cacti should say first that they all belong to the succulent plants (succulents - plants with a capacity to store or accumulate water in their cells). Most cacti have leaves, and photosynthesis characteristic of all plants, perform stalks.

But the main difference between a cactus from any other plants that he has areola - a modified bud, which is a point of growth. By the same principle as that of conventional plants have apical and lateral buds from the cactus is apical areole, the so-called aksilla and lateral areola. Many cacti are capable at some point to stop the growth izaksilly and begin to develop shoots from lateral areoles. This ability is genetically assigned to individual species. It is on this so easy to form a "kids" mammilyarii and tseriusy grow literally column. It areoles of cacti grow thorns and flowers appear.

Areola is easy to see from mammilyarii - are small, about 1-2 mm pimples, located between the long papillae, while Opuntia areola are virtually invisible - it is closed by a handful of growing out of it glohidy, which are often painted in bright colors.

The stems of cacti have a different structure. It may be ribbed, wrinkled, have tubercles or papillae. Ribs can be vertically straight or twisted in a spiral, or have a small bend. Expression of ribs cacti can be quite different, some cacti, they are scarcely noticeable. Papillae or tubercles, and also differ in size and shape. Some cacti can be and leaves, sometimes cactus has leaves only at a young age. Brambles - this is the modified leaves, they can be completely different shape, length, structure and color, but not necessarily every cactus spines should be, some cacti do not have them at all. Spines emerge from the areola, and there may be several. Some cacti, such as Opuntia, spines are so small (it glohidii) that they did not immediately noticeable, but they are so prickly and so easy to bother hand, it is better not to touch the plants. Some cacti have pubescence - instead of spines or with spines of areoles grow hair (this is also the modified leaves).

Some cacti from areoles allocated sweet syrup, congealing it looks like crystals of sugar and so sweet to the taste. When this syrup stands out too much, it is better to remove a cactus gently with tweezers or a needle.

Externally, the cacti are so diverse that, in describing all possible shapes, sizes and features can make a whole book. Sometimes a completely unrelated cacti seemingly so similar that they can be confused, but there will always be opposed, as a rule, it is in flower structure.

Flowers have a cactus as it appears from the areola, and he does not have stems. In some cacti appears only one flower, every time a new location, in other cacti during flowering produced an entire hat or a circle of flowers. Size of flowers may be from microscopic (a few millimeters) to large (10 cm in diameter and 40-45 cm in length). Paint flowers of cacti may differ a great variety of colors and shades, but the cacti are no blue and black flowers, may only be shades of brown.

Some cacti are easy to bloom every year, some bloom very rarely or only under the best conditions of detention. Flowering in different cacti and can last several weeks, and can be calculated only for hours. After flowering, the fruit of cacti are formed, which may also be of different shapes and sizes, in the fruit seeds are formed, which after maturation are able to revive a new plant.

Cacti. Brief requirements for soil, temperature, lighting>> Article provides background on the requirements of certain characteristics of the genera of cacti to temperature, light, soil composition, etc. There are characteristics of the root system and the origin of each genus and species of plants.