How is cactus adapted

Registration done! Sit and relax as our customer representative will contact you within 1 business day Continue. Forum 6 grade science science-questions. Jitender Pal, 8 years ago. Enter email id Enter mobile number. Cancel Notify me. Radhika Batra Points. Saloni Rakholiya Points. Apurv 13 Points. Cactus is able to survive in habitat of desert as it is adapted to hot conditions it has thick layer to survive and it has waxy layer to store water.

It gas fibrous roots to collect water. Sayantan Garai Points. They adapt as they has muselase, pectin, long roots and cuticles. Hope you know the role of each. You can find also the role of them in internet. A cactus is a plant that grows where the soil is dry and rocky—most usually in the desert. A cactus has spines or thorns. The plural word for cactus is cacti.

Plural means more than one. When it rains, the cactus plant can easily shoot out more roots to ensure that there is maximum water absorption.

However, during the drought season, the excess roots dry up and break off from the main plant to prevent water loss. Some types of cacti also have a modified root system that can store water and food. This means that once the stem is full and there is still more water to be absorbed, the roots take up the water storage function.

The other essential feature of the cactus that helps it to survive in deserts is the thick cuticle. Just like other succulent plants, cacti have a thick, waxy outer covering that is often referred to as cuticle. In fact, on some cactus species, the cuticle can be thick enough such that you can easily scratch wax off the plant surface with your fingernail. The thick cuticle prevents water stored in the plant from evaporation into the atmosphere. It also protects the plant from germs and other microorganisms that may try to attack it from the surface.

The primary purpose of stomata is to let in carbon dioxide that helps the plant to manufacture food. When the stomata open, water vapor escapes from the plant into the atmosphere. Typically, the stomata open during the day and close at night.

To minimize water loss through the opening of stomata, cacti experience reversed opening and closing of the stomata. This means that the stomata close during the day and open at night. Areoles are plant structures unique to cacti. They usually appear as woolly or hairy areas on the stem from which spines emerge. They also produce flowers. In Pereskia , one of the common types of cacti, the areolas appear in the axils of leaves the angle between the leaf stalk and the stem.

In the leafless cacti, the areoles can be found on the raised areas of the stem where the leaf bases would have been. In most cases, areoles are circular or oval and separated into two parts. The part that is nearer the top of the stem produces flowers while the other part produces spines.

In most cases, they are yellow or brown and only produce spines or flowers for a few years before they become inactive. This is the primary reason why most cacti plants have a relatively fixed number of spines and a few flowers that are mostly produced from the top end of the stem. How long does it take a cactus to grow? Typically, the cactus plant grows slowly with all the growth occurring at the tip of the plant. It takes between 10 and 70 years for a Saguaro cactus plant to mature and attain a height of about 7 feet tall.

Does cactus die? Just like any other living thing, the cactus plant dies after attaining maturity or even before that. The desert conditions can sometimes be too harsh for cacti to survive.

If there is no rain for prolonged periods and the cactus depletes its water reserves, the chances of dying are quite high. However, a cactus is rarely killed by predators since it has prickly spines that serve as an effective self-defense mechanism. How does a cactus plant reproduce?

Cacti are flowering plants , which means that they rely on the pollination of their flowers to reproduce. Like any other flowering plant, cacti reproduce sexually depending on the ability of pollen to reach the stigma.

They rely on simple pollination methods such as wind transfer. Stay updated with the latest facts, tips, advice, and more! Your privacy is important to us. Written by Cactusway Team. Most of us know that a desert is a harsh environment, but how is the cactus adapted to the desert?

Share on facebook. Share on twitter. Share on pinterest. The primary reason why cacti survive in that ecosystem is because of their numerous adaptations, which include: The leaves of this plant are reduced to needle-like structures referred to as spines that limit water loss, which could occur during the process of transpiration.

The needle-like leaves act as a self-defense mechanism that protects the plant from predators. The stem of the cactus plant is swollen and contain numerous collapsible water-storage cells that store water for a relatively long period The stem is green and performs photosynthesis.

The plant has a shallow root system that absorbs maximum water even during light showers. The plant is covered with a thick waxy cuticle that helps to conserve water and protect it from desiccation in the scorching heat. Characteristics of the Cactus Plant that Helps It to Adapt to Desert Climate The cactus plant can survive in the desert because it has developed mechanisms to absorb a maximum amount of water whenever it rains, store the water for a relatively long period while using it efficiently.

The green and thick-walled stems help to store water for a long period The vast majority of cacti have succulent stems that are well adapted to living in arid and semi-arid areas.

Finding Water in the Desert Water is a basic need for any living organism. The Mexican Saguaro Fog is another reliable source of water in deserts whenever the conditions are right for it. Modifications to the Root System that Helps the Cactus Plant to Adapt to Desert Climate The roots of the cactus plant are usually found near the surface and rarely go deep. The roots absorb as much water as possible and direct it to the stem region for storage Some types of cacti also have a modified root system that can store water and food.

Surprisingly, cactus spines actually play several very important roles in helping the plant conserve water and protect itself from the harsh effects of the sun — and they even help collect moisture, too! However, there are a couple of ways that spines can be quite effective as a protective sunblock:.

Another interesting way that spines help cacti survive desert environments is by regulating the airflow around the plant. By breaking up the airflow, spines create a layer of air — or what could be called a microclimate — that serves as insulation against changes in temperature as well as accelerated evaporation brought on by hot air or wind. Perhaps the most surprising way that spines help cacti survive in the desert is by collecting moisture for the plant.

Learn more about why cacti have spines here. So spines are modified leaves, and they grow out of organs called areoles that are modified branches. Areoles are small raised cushions out of which spines, flowers, and branches grow. Areoles are a key adaptation of cacti because they gave rise to the spine clusters that are so important to cactus survival, and they can cover the plant with spines much more effectively than plants that grow spines directly from their stems.

The spine clusters they produce may have central and radial spines as well as different types of spines, often including many small hairs or the tiny, vicious, barbed spines known as glochids.

Different types of cacti produce various types of flowers depending on what kind of pollinators they are trying to attract. While the most common cactus pollinators are bees, cactus flowers may also be designed to attract butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and, in the desert, bats.

Bat pollination is not very common among flowering plants. But cacti have a high proportion of species that strive to attract bats, which can travel considerable distances between sparse populations of cacti in desert and semi-desert environments. These cacti produce flowers that tend to open in the evening and at night, are less brightly colored than is typical of other cactus flowers, exude a musty smell, and produce a large amount of sugary nectar.

I hope you have enjoyed this look into the amazing cactus adaptations that help these plants survive in desert environments. Read on to learn how every part of the cactus plant has become optimized for desert survival.

Cactus Adaptations — An Introduction You may be interested in learning about these cactus adaptations out of curiosity or because you would like to better understand them so you can provide your cactus houseplants with the best care possible.

Shallow Root Systems Most desert cacti have an extensive system of shallow roots that spread out widely near the surface of the soil, with some larger cacti such as the giant saguaro also having a deep taproot that anchors the plant and stores water.

Temporary Root Hairs Another interesting way cactus roots harness precious water and prevent water loss is by sprouting temporary root hairs when it rains. Succulence The cortical layer, or cortex, of a plant stem is the area just inside the outer layer of cells known as the epidermis, and the cortical layer of cacti is unique among plants in having an inner region that serves as a water reservoir, where walls of the water-holding cells are thin and flexible. Enlarged Cortical Layer Cacti also have thicker cortical layers than any other plants.

The Accordion Effect Most cactus stems have a pleated surface. Impervious Skin The stems of cacti often have a waxy coating, or cuticle, that helps retain moisture inside the plant. Cactus Plant Shapes Maximize Internal Volume Desert cacti have shapes, or what botanists call growth habits, that are very different from anything else in the plant world, and they can be pretty odd looking! Slow Metabolism Allows Cacti To Save Energy Without leaves serving as factories for plant growth, desert cacti have less green tissue conducting photosynthesis.

A slow metabolism is one of the most essential cactus adaptations for surviving in the desert, where conditions are difficult and uncertain, for several reasons: Energy Conservation. Rather than expending their energy on developing the foliage that other plants need to maintain their more rapid growth, cacti can concentrate on maintaining the structures and habits that help them survive.

Fewer Needs. Desert landscapes often have poor soil fertility in addition to little rainfall, so taking it easy and being able to survive with fewer resources is a great advantage for cacti to have developed. Long Lifespans. Cacti are in it for the long haul, with typical lifespans ranging from 10 to years! Learn more about the growth rate of cacti here Spines Play Vital Roles In Protecting Cacti And Collecting Water In addition to their odd growth habits and lack of leaves, another one of the remarkable cactus adaptations is their spines.