Healerwitch's Garden
Cactaceae - Cactus Family
Species: Cactaceae.
This family includes approx. 2000 species of plants distributed in places of desert or very dry climate, mainly in Central America and South America. They have been introduced and adapted to other places of dry warm climate, such as Australia, the Mediterranean and East Africa
True cacti have a woody axis (central core) surrounded by a large fleshy stem, which takes various forms and is usually covered with spines (actually reduced leaves). They are all specially adapted to growing in dry areas.
Cactus flowers are often large and brightly colored; the fruit is fleshy and often edible, as in the case of the prickly pear. The Cactaceae are a New World family and include the treelike saguaro and the night-blooming cereus with blossoms 30 cm/12 in across.
