CACTUS

Cacti are a family of the order Caryophyllales which includes around 3,000 species and around 150 genera. They are xerophytic plants, adapted to arid environments by accumulating water inside succulent tissues. used as ornamental and harvest plants, they have managed to adapt to extremely arid and hot environments, developing various physiological and anatomical characteristics to conserve water. Their stems have adapted by becoming succulent and photosynthetic, while the leaves, very often, have become thorns, one of the most distinctive characteristics of the plants of this family.