Sonoran Desert
- The most interesting region in the world -
Adaptations
The Barrel cactus has adapted to hot areas of the Sonoran Desert well. Other than its obvious spines, the Barrel cactus’s main adaptation is its special metabolism that allows the stomata to stay closed during daytime when water loss would be greatest then opening at night to release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide which is stored as malate which is later used in photosynthesis during the day. Also, the Barrel cacti have shallow root systems that reach out long distance to more efficiently collect needed water. When it comes to resources the Barrel cactus is designed to use very little. Its fruits are not very moist, grows extremely slow, and with all these adaptations it is able to grow in very poor conditions making the Barrel cactus one of the most successful life forms in the Sonoran Desert.
Uses
The Barrel cactus has a number of uses of which most originated from Native Americans. The fruit can be eaten, the cactus can be stewed, water can be salvaged from its pulp, the pulp can be made into a candy, and the spines of the Ferocactus genus of the cactus can be used as fish hooks.
Barrel Cactus
Description
The Barrel cactus is easily distinguished with its green cylinder shaped body bearing numerous parallel ridges that run down the sides. These ridges are topped with 3-4 inch spines. Also, the Barrel cactus is a flowering plant that blossoms with rings of yellow-green or red blossoms at the top of the cactus. In adulthood, the cactus can be around five to eleven feet tall.
Life Cycle
The barrel cactus buds start to bloom in April with its bright yellow, orange, and or reddish flower appear at the very top of the plant. When the buds mature they become a pineapple shaped green fruit filled with seeds and the flowers wilt away.
Region
The Barrel cactus is found all throughout the Sonoran desert.
