The largest cactus in the world, as well as expensive, tall, small and how long it can live without water, other interesting facts about the plant with a photo

Cacti are unpretentious plants that have become a familiar element of home decor. In addition, they have unique properties and unexpected applications.

The number of plant species is huge, and their role for the ecosystem is indispensable. Consider the most interesting facts about cacti.

This article details the little-known facts about the cactus. Get to know them.

How much can live without water?

In the dry period, the cactus does not die, but gradually wrinkles. The plant can wait for showers and do without water for up to two years. When the rain passes, the cactus spreads and again stores water inside itself.

And how many cacti live at home and in nature is described here.

The largest and smallest plant in the world

The largest and highest representative in the world of the Cactus is the California giant (or Giant Cereus). The largest copy, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, reached a height of 33.4 meters. The giant cereus has not only unique growth, but also weight, medium specimens (12-15 m) weigh 6-10 tons each and hold about 2 tons of water.

The smallest representative is the tiny Blossfeldia, found in the mountains of Bolivia and Argentina. The cactus has a stem 1-3 cm high and small flowers 0.7-0.9 cm in diameter, while the length of the roots exceeds the aerial part by 10 times (the flowering of cacti is described here). Its annual growth is calculated in millimeters.

Could it be without thorns?

The misconception is the fact that all cacti are covered with thorns. Lacking spines, as a rule, forest cacti belonging to the group of epiphytes and growing on trees in the tropical forests of Brazil. They are characterized by long, wide, leafy stems hanging down.

The most famous barbed cacti:

epiphyllum;
ripsalis;
hator;
Vitthia is Amazonian.

Edible varieties

There are varieties of cacti that have edible and very tasty fruits:

Prickly pear - sweet red-burgundy berries with a slight sourness; stems are also eaten both raw and fried and canned.
Melocactus ("Candy Cactus") - eat candied, jelly, stewed fruit and jam are cooked from it.
Nonweaving - stalks are eaten baked and boiled; it tastes like potatoes and is widely used in Bolivian and Paraguayan cuisine.
Gilocereus - A fruit known as pitahaya or dragon heart that tastes like strawberries.

Before eating, thorns must be removed from the stems and fruits of the cactus (on how not to prick the cactus and what to do if this happened, read here).

Maximum root length

In pursuit of the extraction of nutrients and fluid from the soil, the roots of cacti can grow up to 2 meters. When moisture becomes critically low, the plant can tear off excess rootsthat are no longer able to supply water and "food" to the stem.

Use as a musical instrument

One of the first instruments imitating the sounds of nature was made by the Aztecs from a dried cactus, into the cavity of which seeds were poured. Currently often used by Latin American musicians as a percussion instrument.

Use for animal feed

It has been proven that cows that feed on cacti produce more milk.

Mexican farmers emptying thickets of prickly pears around their farms, so they have to be specially transported from other places.

To prevent injuries, prickly pear prickly pear need to be cleared of needles.

South American donkeys have adapted to knock down needles on their own to feast on prickly pear (for agave and prickly pear prickly pear read here, but for small-fruited prickly pear, see this article).

How many species of cactus are there?

The classification of cactus species is constantly changing. According to the authoritative taxonomy of E. Anderson, over 1,500 species of cacti and 130 genera are distributed on the earth.

The secret to tequila production

The famous Mexican tequila is not distilled from a cactus at all, but from blue agave. Agave only resembles a cactus in appearance and shares its habitat with it, but it belongs to the Liliaceae family and belongs to the group of succulents.

From agave, the traditional low alcohol (2-8%) Mexican drink is produced.

The most expensive "prickly flower" in the world

The most expensive known cactus sale took place in 1843. Ariocarpus Kochubey was sold for 200 US dollars (approximately 4500 thousand dollars today). By the standards of the time, a cactus weighed half the amount of gold paid for it.

Cactus is an amazingly tenacious desert inhabitant, requiring minimal care when grown at home. It is still considered one of the most unusual plants and occupies a worthy place in the collections of many flower growers.