The barrel cactus [Echinocactus and Ferocactusspp] has spreading, shallow, fibrous roots. It's the only kind of roots that a cactus plant has. The roots need to spread out in search of rare soil moisture. They also need to be shallow to catch the drops of dew, fog, or rain that drip to the ground and into the soil. They need to be fibrous, too, to take in water and dissolved nutrients, to send up the stem for the photosynthetic interaction with sunlight.
it absorbs more water
Cactus are a desert plant, and so need to send their roots deep down for their food.
The size of the barrel cactus [Echinocactus and Ferocactus spp] depends upon the particular kind of cactus. For example, there are about 35 species within the genus Ferocactus. The species ranges from small, such as the 10 inch/25 centimeter crow's claw cactus [Ferocactus latispinus] to the tall, such as the 10 feet/3 meters candy barrel cactus [Ferocactus wislizeni].
it wouldnt unless it rained alot and the rain was absorbed deep into the ground for the roots of the cactus to drink.
it has long roots that edge into the ground so deep that they can find water and feed
No they don't. BEcause of their natural environment (the desert), where water is scarce, cacti develop shallow root systems. They are shallow, but they spread out, making it more likely that the plant would find surface water.
The roots of a cactus plant grow deep to find water in arid environments, while hickory tree roots spread wide to gather nutrients and water from a larger area. These root systems have evolved to help the plants survive in their respective habitats and optimize their access to necessary resources.
Cacti have very strong roots that go deep into the Earth searching for water. Since they go so far, they must be very strong. The stronger the roots, the deeper they search for water. Roots secure plants to the ground, but some can't. Cacti can.
Cactuses grow by storing water inside them. They barely need water, so it would be even easier.
The roots to a cactus are long thick and go very wide and deep. When it rains the roots absorb the water and store it in its leaves. The cactus doesnt need a lot of water. A couple drops a year will keep it alive. Its leaves are protected with spines.
Cactus roots have adapted by burrowing deep to reach water that is not quickly evaporated by surface heat. The stems grow very thick to act as a sort of insulation against evaporative loss. And the leaves have evolved as needles which have a low surface area to reduce evaporation and to deter animals and insects that would pierce the stem to suck moisture from the plant.
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