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They are present in hot deserts which are scarce in water so in order to reduce the loss of water by Transpiration from the surface of the leaves, its leaves are reduced to spines.This is a type of adaptation of the plant.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoCactus needles are the best defense the cactus plants have against animals looking to eat them, especially in desert climates where moisture is hard to find. Over years of evolution, cactus plants with needles survived the process of natural selection to become the dominant species. Cactus species without needles or other defenses became extinct.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoOne reason that a cactus has spines is defensive. The spines have the responsibility of protecting the stem from predators. The stem moves, processes, and stores water and watery products and solutions. It's the location of the breathing pores, or stomata, by which some gases are allowed inside the stem, and others are allowed out. It also is the location of the growth buds, from which come the plant's flowers, fruits, and seeds.
Another reason is conservational. Spines direct any available moisture - be it dew, fog, or rainfall - down to the ground. Underground, the precious drops are added to the water table, or taken in by the cactus plant's roots. The water contains whatever nutrients, in the form of minerals and trace elements, are present in the soil. The water and its nutrient solutions then are sent up from the roots, and into the stem. Above ground, they're the plant's contribution to the photosynthetic interaction with sunlight. Photosynthetic products are energizing starches and sugars that support the cactus plant in its vital, life sustaining activities.
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The benefits of cactus spines are similar to the benefits of what?
The benefits of cactus spines are similar to the benefits of the thorns and the leavesof herbaceous plants. The spines act the part of thorns in their defense of the cactus plant's stem, growth buds, and breathing pores. They act the part of leaves in their channeling of any available moisture - be it dew, fog, or rainfall - down to the immediate ground around the cactus. From the ground surface, the drops seep into the soil, to be added to the water table or taken in by the cactus plant's roots.
What are the two purposes of the spines saguaro cactus?
Spines protect the plant from animals that would injure it. They also provide some shade for the stem of the plant.
What are two major types of true plants?
cactus
why do cacti have prickles?
They have spines for a few reasons. The main two reasons are: 1- Most to all cacti live in hot sunny deserts where they receive a lot of sun. However, the skin of most cacti are sensitive and will get "sunburned" so the spines, believe it or not, give a lot of shade for the cactus. 2-The spines are used for defence against animals,insects,reptiles, etc. They have to defend their moisture inside them from animals who try to drink and eat the cactuses water.
What is the phylum of cactus plants?
The term that's synonymous with phylum, in the plant world, is division. So the phylum, or preferentially the division, of cactus plants is Magnoliophyta. It's the division for angiosperms, which also are called flowering plants. Flowering plants may develop from an embryo that has one or two leaves. A cactus is a dicotyledon, because it has two embryonic leaves.
What are two kinds of plants that grow in the desert?
2 plants that grow in the desert are cactus and desert flowers. i hope this helps. excuse the improper grammar
Is a cactus a herbivore?
A cactus is a carnivore; they enjoy eating desert foxes and the odd rat or two.
Can cactus plants be infected by cold places?
Yes, cactus plants can be infected by cold places. The two main types of cactus plants are the desert cactus and the jungle cactus. The desert cactus handles higher heat and light levels and lower moisture levels. The jungle cactus handles higher heat and humidity levels and lower light levels.But neither type of cactus handles cold, damp temperatures. Chilling temperatures makes a cactus susceptible to all sorts of fungal problems, such as basal stem rot. The cactus' tissue ends up softening and blackening. It has to be dried out or removed.
What are two reasons the plants needs butterflies?
Plants need butterflies for two main reasons such as pollination. Plants also need butterflies to bring other animals into the ecosystem.
What are the 15 types of cacti?
There are more than 15 different types of cactus plants. Cactus plants all belong to the cactus family, Cactaceae. But they don't all belong to the same genus, or to the same species. In fact, there are many more than 15 genus and species categories into which a cactus plant may be classified.But all cactus plants fit into one of two broad groups of cactus plants. The group depends upon the native environment. One environment takes in the deserts of North and Latin America. The other takes in Latin America's jungles.
Name two ways plants ahve adapted to the landscape of the Sahara?
The African welwitchsia manages to survive in the Sahara desert due to its extremely deep roots The African peyote cactus is built with thick stems. The thickness of the stems helps the plant to hold back water for a considerable amount of time. The leaves of the cactus are reduced to spines. This helps in preventing water loss from the stomata, due to evaporation.
What are some desert plants of the U.S. and Mexico?
The ocotillo sprouts leaves a day or two after a good rain in the desert. It blooms in the late winter.
