Five Cactus

3D Model

A cactus (pl.: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus)[3] is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (/kækˈteɪsi.iː, -ˌaɪ/),[a] a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species.[4] The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain.[5] Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water.