Types of indoor cacti: descriptions, names and photos. The largest cactus in the world The tallest cactus

During the dry period, the cactus does not die, but gradually shrinks.. The plant can wait for showers and go without water for up to two years. When the rain passes, the cactus straightens out and again stores water inside itself.

The largest and smallest plant in the world

The largest and tallest representative in the world of Cactus is the California giant (or Giant cereus). The largest specimen, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, reached a height of 33.4 meters. The giant cereus has not only a unique growth, but also a weight, average specimens (12-15 m) weigh 6-10 tons each and contain about 2 tons of water.

The smallest representative is Blossfeldia tiny, found in the mountains of Bolivia and Argentina. The cactus has a stem 1-3 cm high and small flowers 0.7-0.9 cm in diameter, while the length of the roots exceeds the aerial part by 10 times. Its annual growth is calculated in millimeters.

Can it be without thorns?

It is a misconception that all cacti are covered with thorns. They do not have thorns, as a rule, forest cacti belonging to the group of epiphytes and growing on trees in tropical forests Brazil. They are characterized by long, wide, leafy stems hanging down.

The most famous cacti without thorns:

• epiphyllum;
• ripsalis;
• hatiora;
• vittia amazonica.

Edible varieties

There are varieties of cacti that have edible and very tasty fruits:

1. prickly pear- sweet red-burgundy berries with a slight sourness; the stems are also eaten, both raw and fried and canned.
2. melocactus(“Candy cactus”) - eaten candied, jelly, compotes and jam are made from it.
3. Neoverdemania- the stems are eaten baked and boiled; it tastes like potatoes and is widely used in Bolivian and Paraguayan cuisine.
4. Hylocereus- a fruit known as pitahaya or dragon heart, which tastes like strawberries.

Before use, thorns must be removed from the stems and fruits of the cactus.

Maximum root length

In pursuit of prey nutrients and liquid from the soil, the roots of cacti can grow up to 2 meters. When moisture becomes critically low, the plant can reject extra roots., which are no longer able to supply water and "food" to the stem.

Use as a musical instrument

One of the first instruments imitating the sounds of nature was made by the Aztecs from a dried cactus, in the cavity of which seeds were poured. It is now often used by Latin American musicians as a percussion instrument.

Use for animal feed

Cactus-eating cows have been proven to produce more milk.

Mexican farmers empty prickly pear bushes around their farms, so they have to be specially transported from other places.

So that the animals do not get hurt, the prickly pear has to be cleaned of needles.

South American donkeys have adapted to knock down needles on their own in order to feast on prickly pear.

How many types of cactus are there?

The classification of cactus species is constantly changing.. According to the authoritative taxonomy of E. Anderson, over 1500 species of cacti, 130 genera, are distributed on earth.

Tequila production secret

The famous Mexican tequila is not distilled from a cactus at all, but from a blue agave. Agave only outwardly resembles a cactus and shares its habitat with it, but it belongs to the Liliaceae family and is included in the group of succulents.

Traditional low-alcohol (2-8%) is produced from agave mexican drink"pulque".

The world's most expensive "thorny flower"

The most expensive known sale of a cactus took place in 1843.. Kochubey's Ariocarpus was sold for $200 (approximately $4,500 today). By the standards of that time, the cactus weighed half as much as the gold paid for it.

The cactus is an amazingly hardy desert dweller requiring minimal care when grown indoors. It is still considered one of the most unusual plants and occupies a worthy place in the collections of many flower growers.

Useful video

We offer you to watch a video on the topic "Interesting facts about cacti":

A general description with the names of the cactus family, and their classification and photos are given. Presented varieties of cacti available for growing at home

General information about cacti

Cacti are a relatively young family of plants on our planet; they appeared at a time when mammals already reigned on earth. The homeland of cacti is South America, from where they settled throughout the Western Hemisphere. And thanks migratory birds, some of their species came to Africa and Asia.

At their core, all cacti are succulents, that is, plants that can accumulate water in the stems in case of long periods of drought. Distinctive feature that distinguishes the cactus family is the presence of areoles in them - special modified branches that have the shape of kidneys. It is from the areoles that thorns, flowers and “children” grow in cacti, with the help of which cacti carry out vegetative reproduction.

Areoles of Grandifolius cactus

cacti truly unique plants. Even their photosynthesis goes differently than everything else flora: carbon dioxide for it is collected by the plant at night, and not during the day. This is due to the fact that during the day, in order to avoid moisture loss, the stomata of the cactus are closed.

The living conditions of cacti are the most extreme. Some of them live in desert regions with disastrous daily temperature fluctuations and very little rainfall. Others, on the contrary, live in conditions of exceptional humidity, capable of destroying all other plant species.

The appearance of cacti has always surprised flower growers: the appearance of the plant cannot be called attractive or friendly, but the flowers that appear on it from time to time can capture the imagination of any connoisseur.

cacti classification

From the point of view of biology, cacti are divided into 4 subfamilies and 11 tribes. However, cactus growers are not interested in such a division. They share cacti either in appearance, according to living conditions in their natural environment.

In appearance, cacti are:

• treelike
• shrubby
• herbaceous
• vines

The classification by habitat is simpler: cacti are divided into desert and forest. Such a division of these plants is purely practical in nature: in order not to refresh all 11 knees in memory, it is easier for a cactus grower to immediately point out its shape and “place of residence”, and it immediately becomes clear what he is dealing with.

Forest cactus epiphyllum with flowers

However, in the bulk, these are plants whose roots practically do not come into contact with rich soils and organic matter, which they are forced to be content with, is very poor in nutrients. The shape of the leaves of tropical cacti is also very specific - these are long flattened shoots with thin short antennae instead of thorns.

If forest cacti are more or less similar to each other, then their desert relatives are represented by three types:

• They have spherical or cylindrical stems.
• Areoles, relatively evenly distributed, may be located on small ribs.
• Extremely tenacious and adaptable plants.
• Grafting of any cactus is impossible without echinopsis, which are used as rootstocks.
• However, it would be a mistake to consider them exclusively a "technical" plant.
• There are many varieties of these cacti with excellent decorative properties.

prickly pear

prickly pear

• The most common type of cactus.
• They are distinguished by the characteristic shape of the stem - it is flattened and resembles a small cake.
• There are a huge number of varieties of prickly pear, which in their places of natural growth find the most diverse application: from food to dyes or raw materials for the production of alcohol or medicines.
• The living conditions of prickly pear are also very different.
• There are species that can tolerate negative temperatures and a short stay under the snow, or partially grown into the ice.

astrophytums

astrophytums

• Cacti with pronounced ribs, on which thick spines are located.
• Unlike echinopsis, they are smaller, but have more ribs, and are also equipped with many small specks on the stem that can absorb water.
• Despite small size, astrophytums begin to bloom at a very early age.
• Their flowering lasts from May to October, which is a kind of record among cacti.
• However, you have to pay for everything.
• In winter, this type of plant is dormant and practically does not grow.
• In addition, astrophytums have the slowest growth rate of both the stem and root system.
• They are not recommended to be transplanted more than once every 5-6 years.

Not all cacti can be grown at home. Some representatives of this family simply will not be able to fit in a living room. In addition, there are poisonous cacti that can cause both allergic reactions and serious poisoning, so they better at home do not keep.

A separate category are plants used in folk medicine indigenous people of Central and South America. Among them, there are both harmless antiseptics and very serious hallucinogens, containing up to 2% mescaline in their mass.

Consider the most popular types and varieties of cacti in home floriculture, the features of their cultivation and maintenance.

Types of home cacti

At home, cacti change their lifestyle and sometimes even their appearance. This is due to the ability of all succulents to adapt to conditions. environment. Most often, such a manifestation can occur imperceptibly for the owner, for example, decreases root system or there is a change in the growth rate of the flower.

In some cases, these lifestyle changes are reflected in the appearance of the cactus. As a rule, this does not lead to deterioration in the appearance of the flowers; sometimes due to these changes, their classification can be difficult.

Ariocarpus

Ariocarpus

• An original cactus with reduced spines. Most varieties have a flattened shape and triangular branches from the stem.
• The inconspicuous appearance of the plant is compensated by large beautiful flowers or inflorescences that appear on it every spring.
• It has a tap root system, often having a large thickening, which must be taken into account when choosing a pot for this pet. Sometimes the size of the root is 4 times the size of the ground part of the flower.
• Flowering occurs at the end of autumn and lasts for several days.
• After that, fruits ripen on the plant, containing many small seeds. Ariocarpus seeds have a germination capacity for several years.

Gymnocalyciums

Gymnocalyciums

• The spherical stems of this plant can have a wide variety of sizes, depending on the variety.
• There are also giants up to 30 cm in diameter among them, and there are also very small specimens, no more than 2 cm in size.
• A distinctive feature of these flowers are bare flower tubes, completely devoid of any hairy protective cover.
• The plant is able to bloom in the second year of life. Flowering is long, lasting almost the entire season. The shades are very diverse - from white to dark purple.
• Some types of these flowers are devoid of chlorophyll in the stems, which makes their coloring very original. The stems of these cacti can be yellow or bright red.
• Gymnocalyciums are often grafted onto other cacti, for example, some varieties of astrophytums.

Cleistocactus

Cleistocactus

• Plants with a long cylindrical shape.
• Their height, even at home, can reach up to 4 meters, and thickness up to 15 cm.
• Although, basically, specimens are grown in pots that do not exceed 0.5 m in height.
• The plant is always perfectly straight, with about a dozen unexpressed ribs.
• The root system is very developed, which must be taken into account when growing.
• A distinctive feature of these plants is a large number of thin spines growing from areoles.
• Moreover, the spines can be both thick and thin. Sometimes, with a large number of soft spines, the cactus seems to be covered with a kind of fluff.

astrophytums

astrophytums

• Plants with a stem with pronounced ribs.
• Their number can reach up to 10, although there are usually specimens with 5 "rays".
• The stem has a strong, almost rigid structure, so it does not have spines to protect against potential predators.
• Blossom for 2 years of life. Flowering time depends on the species, however, its duration rarely exceeds 3 days.
• The flowers are mostly yellow or red.
• Almost all astrophytums grow slowly, which, however, does not prevent them from “exploiting” free areas quickly enough, propagating both vegetatively and with the help of seeds.

• Cacti of this type are extremely common. Some botanists believe that mammillaria is even larger than all prickly pear.
• The main difference from other cacti is the characteristic shape of areoles and their large number.
• In addition, the flowers in these plants do not appear from the areoles, but from special sinuses located between them.
• The plant requires a lot of heat and light to maintain.
• This is one of the most demanding cacti, however, if all conditions are met, its flowering will be one of the most abundant in the entire family.
• Mammillaria do not allow temperatures below +15°C in summer.
• Also critical for them are daily temperature fluctuations greater than 8-11°C.
• In winter, plants are able to tolerate temperatures of the order of 10 ° C, however, already in mid-March, the plant requires “summer” conditions.

Lophophora

Lophophora

• He is peyote or peyote. The same cactus rich in mescaline, which was used in their practices by representatives of the clergy of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations.
• And although its cultivation is prohibited by law in most countries, there are a fairly large number of photos of this plant on the net, which is clearly not grown in the wild.
• It is a relatively small plant, up to 9 cm in diameter, spherical or cylindrical in shape, devoid of thorns.
• The root system is quite developed, it is from it that many “children” of this cactus are formed.
• Flowers appear at the top of the cactus. The older he is, the more flowers.
• Flowering time is about a month.

Cephalocereus

Cephalocereus

• From Latin it is translated as "the head of an old man." It grows slowly, but under natural conditions it reaches truly gigantic sizes: specimens up to 15 m high and up to 0.5 m in diameter have been recorded.
• An amazing feature of this plant is its theoretically unlimited growth at home.
• If you do not take measures to stop the root system, the plant is able to grow at home to its natural, natural size.
• Summer requires good lighting and ventilation; watering is moderate, not more than 1 time in 10 days.
• In winter, the plant requires non-watering dormancy with a temperature of about + 5 ° C, which can sometimes be a problem for a cactus grower.
• The flowers of this cactus, although they are quite large (up to 10 cm in diameter), however, it is difficult to call them attractive because of bad smell, which in nature cephaloceruses attract bats.

Rhipsalis

Rhipsalis

• One of the unusual representatives of cactus. Belongs to the tropical type.
• Cultivated in hanging pots or placed on tall supplies.
• For about three years, it is able, growing downwards, to completely hide the support on which it is located.
• It is an epiphyte with small roots, serving mainly for attachment to a support.
• The stem is branched, up to 1.5 m long, while one hundred of their thickness does not exceed 4-5 mm.
• Possesses big amount areoles, each of which forms a flower.
• Usually, all flowers, except for those located on the growth cone, fall off, while the latter can bloom within a week.
• After flowering, all branches of ripsalis are covered with berries in shape similar to large currants.

• The so-called "Easter cactus" or "Decembrist".
• It got its name because of the time of flowering, coming in December, closer to the Catholic Christmas.
• It has many varieties and hybrids, differing both in the shape of the stems and in the shades of flowers.
• It is an epiphyte with a record short dormant period, lasting from October to November.
• Then comes the time of active flowering. About a month after flowering and fruit ripening, the plant enters a phase of active vegetation, lasting until dormant.
• During this time, it significantly increases its green mass, so transplantation of ripsalidopsis, especially in the first years of life, is a common phenomenon.
• They are made immediately after the end of the flowering process; at the same time, the capacity of the pot is selected, approximately 1.5 times larger than the previous one.
• A feature of the cultivation of this plant is its rather long ability to endure drought in natural conditions, but you should not subject it to such tests at home: the more water the plant receives, the more flowers it can form.
• The conditions for keeping the epiphyllum are as follows: the temperature in summer is from 20 to 25 ° C.
• During the dormant period - no more than 10-15 ° C. Watering is rare, 1 time in 2-3 weeks. At rest, it is necessary to completely exclude watering.
• For abundant flowering the plant needs top dressing in the form of special fertilizers for succulents or cacti.
• Usually, they are applied several times a season: every month, from June to September, top dressing is carried out twice.
• At proper care and sufficient feeding, the plant can bloom twice a season: in May and September.
• Flowering time is about 2 weeks.

Rebutia

Rebutia

• A spherical cactus native to Bolivia. Has a size of about 8 cm.
• It is unpretentious in keeping conditions, although it requires obligatory exposure at rest at a temperature of about + 5 ° C for about 2-3 months.
• In summer, bright lighting with direct rays of the Sun is necessary.
• At the same time, the cactus is able to withstand temperatures up to + 40 ° C.
• The mandatory requirement is Fresh air, so the presence of drafts is only welcome.
• In general, it is better to put the plants on the balcony in the summer or take them out into the garden to those places where there is wind. This is due to the conditions in which rebutia grows in its natural environment: the semi-arid highlands of Bolivia.
• The plant should be watered as follows: in spring and summer moderately, once every 1-2 weeks, and in autumn (the time corresponding to the rainy season in the plant's homeland) - every 2-3 days abundantly.
• However, care should be taken to ensure that the soil is not wet. It is better to take care of this in advance by making the plant sufficient drainage.
• It is possible to apply top dressing at the beginning of summer to stimulate the first flowering, however, as practice shows, rebusia, under the conditions of maintenance, feels great without any fertilizers.

• In nature, the cereus is a giant cactus, up to 20 meters high, sometimes living for 200-300 years.
• Its name means "candle". The plant in its dwarf forms is unusually common. It is appreciated not only by flower growers, but also by designers.
• Cereus blooms in May or June. Blooms exclusively at night.
• The flowers are quite beautiful - they are giant lily-like inflorescences located on the sides of the stems.
• Flowering lasts only a day, but produces a mystical impression, often accompanied by a pleasant aroma.
• Many people start cereus solely to see its flowering process.
• As with all cacti, under the conditions of detention, flowering occurs without problems.
• Cereus requires a lot of light, but does not like direct sun rays. It is best to place it outside at the end of April and keep it there until September.
• The temperature regime of the plant: in summer + 24-26 ° С, in winter - at least + 10 ° С.
• Watering once a week, plentiful. If the stem of the plant began to shine, this means that it lacks moisture.
• In summer, it is better for the plant to be on the street, while it is better to put it in partial shade or block it from the direct rays of the sun.
• They bloom from 2 to 3 months. Flowering time is from March to July.
• Shades from bright yellow to purple.
• Usually, with normal care, they bloom at 4 years of age, after which they bloom regularly, during each season. Seed propagation is possible.

Most big cactus in the world - giant cereus (Cereus giganteus). Its height, recorded in the Guinness Book of Records, is 25 m. The second name of the cactus is the California giant. It grows in southeastern California, Arizona and Mexico. The giant cereus flower is the state flower of Arizona. The cactus itself resembles a huge candelabra, but it does not immediately acquire such a shape. Lateral branches appear around the 70th anniversary of the cactus.

The Biggest Flag in the World in Baku

The area covers an area of ​​60 hectares, and its upper part is 31 thousand square meters. The height of the flagpole is 162 meters, the diameter of its base is 3.2 meters, and the diameter of its upper part is 1.09 meters. Total weight structures - 220 tons. The flag is 35 meters wide, 70 meters long, with a total area of ​​2,450 square meters and weighs approximately 350 kilograms. The plaza cost about $32 million to build.

The 5-masted sailing ship "Royal Clipper" is the largest and fastest passenger sailing ship in the world, built in the image and likeness of the sailing ship "Prussia" (1902-1910).

The largest sandwich made in Mexico City measures 3.5m x 3.5m.

800 kg of flour, 320 kg of honey, 2400 eggs, 400 kg of almonds, 80 kg of grapes - and the largest honey cake in the world is ready. The area of ​​the cake is 400 sq.m. Built in Germany

Tokyo. The largest city in the world

It is not so easy to name the largest city in the world, because different criteria one or another metropolis outperforms its "brothers". Tokyo occupies the largest number leading places when comparing the largest cities of our time, so today the capital of Japan is considered the largest metropolis on the planet.
Of course, there was a little trick here, in fact, Tokyo is in fact not a metropolis, but a full-fledged prefecture, which includes 23 municipalities, 26 cities, 1 county and 4 districts.

This allows the capital of Japan to be far ahead of other capitals in various indicators. For example, based on recent research, the Tokyo metropolitan area (the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa and Chiba together) is home to more than 35 million people today. At the same time, the nominal population of the city and municipalities is about 13 million at night and more than 15 million during the day, due to students and workers coming from neighboring regions.

The largest city in the world covers 2188.67 km? territory, while the population density is more than 6 thousand people per square kilometer.

Cactus is an extremely common culture in indoor floriculture. There are a huge number of species of the cactus family. What are the cacti and the names of the species can be found below.

All representatives can be divided into three groups:

• Pereskievye;
• prickly pear;
• Cereus.

These species differ in structure. So, Peresciaceae have round stems and flat leaves. which are covered with straight spines. often bloom solitary flowers. Differs in edible fruits.

Opuntia cacti are different small leaves covered with thorns. In addition to spines, they also have glochidia. Glochidia are the modified leaves of a plant. Flowering large. The colors are varied. The fruits are mostly edible.

Cereus leaves and glochidia are absent. This is the largest family, which includes a variety of species. In some representatives, the fruits are edible. In general, Cereus cacti prefer dry areas.

cactus bloom

All varieties bloom, but not every representative will please with their flowering at home. For a culture to flourish, you need to create right conditions content for her.

Flowering depends on the variety. Representatives meet with small flowers(Mammillaria). And in other species - large sizes. For example, this applies to Echinopsis. The size of its flower can reach 15 cm.

Flower color is varied: white, pink, red. So, for example, night flowers (that is, those that bloom at night) are distinguished by a pale color - white, cream or light pink. Daytime - can have almost any color. The exceptions are blue and black.

The main varieties and their names

All cacti can be conditionally divided into groups:

• Room;
• Forest;
• Desert.

Indoor

Indoor cacti are called cacti that adapt to home growing conditions.

To the room can be attributed:

• Notocactus otto;
• Small-haired prickly pear;
• Rebutia.

These species fit perfectly in room conditions and bloom with proper care. Some may bloom in the first year of life, for example, some Mammillaria.

One of the most popular cacti that is grown at home is Euphorbia. This is a decorative culture, which differs not only in original appearance, but also poisonous milky juice, which is contained inside the stems and leaves.

Forest

The most popular representatives of forest crops include:

• Decembrist;
• Ripsalidopsis.

Decembrist and ripsadolipsis are similar in appearance. However, the petals of ripsalidopsis grow straight, not folded back. Coloring is red.

Epiphyllum has a not very neat shape. The specific epiphyllum is remarkable for flowers of red shades. However, many varieties with a variety of colors have been bred.

The Decembrist is distinguished by flowering in winter period . This is a very common variety. It blooms with white, pink, purple and red flowers.

Also included in the forest:

1. . It has round shape stem, blooms with a single white flower;
2. . Remarkable not only orange flowers but also edible fruits. Some of them have a pleasant taste and useful properties;

Desert

The species of desert spiny should include:

• Mammillaria;
• Rebutia.

Most representatives bloom indoors beautiful flowers . Some of them have the ability to bloom in the first year of life.

Determination of the type by external qualities

Growing a cactus but don't know what it's called? You can determine the variety by its external data.

blooming

All cacti bloom, but not all can bloom at home. Wherein flowering varies by variety.

They bloom mostly in small flowers. Possible colors: yellow and pink. There are several flowers, they may not open at the same time, but alternately.

Has many varieties. That's why flower colors are varied: white, yellow, red, hot pink. Blooms with numerous flowers.

Notable for the fact that only one flower blooms. However, it is large and yellow in color.

Decembrist or Schlumberer

Notable for the fact that blooms in winter time . They call him a Decembrist because it blooms under New Year. Flowering is large and has a red color.

cacti with leaves

In general, all representatives have leaves. However, they are represented by thorns. If we talk about cacti, which really there are leaves familiar to everyone, then you can call Pachypodium.

prickly pear have leaves in the form of elongated cakes, on which spines are located.

Is different large leaves light green in color with teeth on the edges.

Long

Cereus are considered the highest. The height of some representatives reaches 20 meters. At home, of course, they do not reach such heights. But they could, if the ceilings of the apartments did not interfere with them. Cereus is distinguished not only by its height, but also by its excellent flowering, large white with a creamy tint. In addition, they have an incredible aroma.

Up to 2 meters in height Euphorbia can grow.

Cactus with long needles

Long needles can boast Echinocactus (Echinopsis white-flowered), Carnegia, some varieties of Mammillaria, Ferocactus. This is far from a complete list.

The spines of Echinocactus Gruzoni can reach a length of up to 5 cm.

Decorative

Most varieties are decorative. Both flowers and stems and leaves of this culture are decorative. Among the most commonly grown in the house are:

• Mammillaria(differ in beautiful flowering);
• Decembrist(highlighted luxurious flowering in winter);
• (a type of milkweed, blooms beautifully large flowers);
• spurge(all types of milkweed differ not only in decorative properties, but also in healing ones);
• (a very original representative with long leaves);
• (decorative with long shoots and large flowers);
• (culture with an original spherical stem with one large snow-white flower).

fluffy

Espostow called fluffy cactus. This is a culture of Perunian origin. This species is called fluffy because of the hairs that play protective function. The height of this culture in room conditions does not exceed 70 cm, V natural conditions can grow up to 5 meters.

The plant was nicknamed the "Peruvian old man" for the hairs that appear gray.

non-thorny cactus

to the cacti that do not have spines, include some types of Ariocarpus. This is an original culture with an unusual stem and a large single flower. It can also be attributed astrophytum Asterias. This type it has a beautiful and very large single flower in the form of a chamomile, which is located on the top of the stem.

Thus, in nature there is a huge variety of different cultures. All cacti differ in height, flowering, needles. Everyone can choose a plant to their liking. Cactus - the original culture with the most incredible flowering. What could be more interesting than a blooming cactus?