News tagged with cactus
Cactus
A cactus (plural: cacti, cactuses or cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines. Many species are used for ornamental plants, and some are also grown for fodder, forage, fruits, cochineal, and other uses.
Cacti come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. The tallest is Pachycereus pringlei, with a maximum recorded height of 19.2 m, and the smallest is Blossfeldia liliputiana, only about 1 cm in diameter at maturity. Cactus flowers are large, and like the spines arise from distinctive features called areoles.
For more information about Cactus, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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Cactus may give farmers a cure for poisoned crop land
The prickly pear cactus may not sound like a trendy cash crop, but it could become a phenomenon among farmers on the arid west side of California's San Joaquin Valley.
Feb 02, 2012 |
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Succulent plants waited for cool, dry Earth to make their mark
The cactus, stalwart of the desert, has quite a story to tell about the evolution of plant communities found the world over.
May 03, 2011 |
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For the birds
Kristine Preston steps softly onto UC Irvine's Ecological Preserve, 62 acres of cheerful wildflowers and sweet-smelling sage scrub tucked above University Hills.
Mar 01, 2011 |
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'Walking cactus' rewrites arthropod odyssey
Fossils of a bizarre animal dubbed the "walking cactus" have shed light on the evolution of crabs and spiders, Chinese researchers reported in the journal Nature on Wednesday.
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Feb 23, 2011 |
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Common cactus could be used to clean water
(PhysOrg.com) -- Access to clean drinking water is lacking in many parts of the world but most technologies to clean water to make it fit for drinking are expensive and hard to maintain. Now researchers propose ...
Apr 30, 2010 |
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Photosynthesis: a new source of electrical energy
French scientists have transformed the chemical energy generated by photosynthesis into electrical energy. They thus propose a new strategy to convert solar energy into electrical energy in an environmentally-friendly ...
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Feb 18, 2010 |
4.2 / 5 (6) |
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Magnetic Cactus Experimentally Demonstrates Mathematical Plant Patterns
(PhysOrg.com) -- One of humanity’s earliest mathematical inquiries might have involved the geometric patterns in plants. The arrangement of leaves on a branch, seeds in a sunflower, and spines on a cactus ...
May 20, 2009 |
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