Cactus, also known as prickly pear, is a plant of the genus Opuntia in the Cactaceae family. It is a variant of the prickly pear cactus in the Cactaceae family and is known as the "Desert Hero Flower".
Cacti are clustered succulent shrubs with upper branches broadly obovate, obovate-elliptical or nearly round, with upright barbs; the flowers are radial, and the receptacle is obovate; the seeds are mostly oblate, with slightly irregular edges, hairless, and light yellowish brown.
Cactus likes strong light, is resistant to heat, drought, and barrenness, and has tenacious vitality. The suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C. It is mainly distributed in arid areas of tropical and subtropical regions such as the southern and southeastern coastal areas of the United States, the West Indies, Bermuda, northern South America, and Southeast Asia.
Cactus is a huge group. There are about 2,000 known species of cacti, varying in size and shape. The world's largest cactus "Mexican giant cactus" can grow up to 20 meters high, and the smallest cactus "Blossfeldia" is only a small ball with a diameter of fewer than 2 centimeters.
Economic value of cactus:
1. The Cactus family has many uses
In some places in the tropics and subtropics, they are used as food and fruit. Some species of the genus Cactus can be cultivated as fruit trees, and their pulpy fruits can be eaten raw or made into preserves and jams, called prickly pears.
2. Cacti are spiny and most are not suitable for direct feed
Only a few species of the genus Cactus are commonly used to feed livestock. Burbank, a famous American breeder, once cultivated a thornless cactus with fat stems that are more than one centimeter long.
It can achieve high yields in arid areas where other pastures are difficult to grow. It has been introduced to many countries around the world. In India, the thornless cactus has also saved tens of thousands of people suffering from famine.
3. Many species in the Cactaceae family can be used as medicine
The succulent plant contain an alkaloid called mescaline, which has hallucinogenic and anesthetic effects. According to reports in American newspapers in recent years, some cactus plants contain anti-cancer ingredients, which have attracted widespread attention.
However, the reason why cactus plants can spread to various countries under various climate conditions and become familiar to people all over the world is not because of the above-mentioned economic significance, but because of their special value as ornamental flowers. Cactus plants have strong vitality and vigorous growth and do not require special water and fertilizer management. This is the first reason for their popularity.
Some people say that all genera in this field have been domesticated and cultivated, and have not encountered any difficulties that are difficult to solve. Another reason why people love to plant cacti is that they have large flowers, bright colors, and strange shapes, which are very different from other plants outside the Americas. Interspecies and intergenus hybrids within the family produce seeds, and grafting is easy to survive.
Many banded and petrified varieties that are not found in nature can be bred from them, as well as varieties that lose green and become red, yellow, and white after hybridization. They can be grafted onto normal green plants. Above, the ornamental value is higher.
