CACTI of the Mojave Merrill Rudd

Join the Cacti Club! Perennial Dicotyledon- Two leaf embryo Single celled fruit Areoles- Place of all growth- side branches, flowers, spines Desert and Rainforest Native to North America, South America, and the West Indies Must have developed in the New World after continental drift Warm weather and low rainfall climates No known fossils

CAM Photosynthesis Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Stomata- pores- gas and water vapor exchange In desert- must remain closed all day to conserve water Take in Carbon Dioxide at night Without sunlight- can’t make sugar- make malic acid instead Produces sugar through Calvin Cycle

A Succulent Superstar! SPINES Protection from animals Water Collection- dew, downward facing- direct rainwater Reflect light away Grow out of areoles Radial and central

STEM Fully hydrated Stem- almost 100% water Ribs and Tubercles- help stem expand and contract Ribs- channel water to roots, shade stem photosynthesis is inefficient  cacti grow slowly Globular shape- best for water storage- max volume, min surface area Water converted to mucilaginous substance- not evaporated as easily (lower freezing point)

SKIN Skin- Epidermis and Hypodermis Epidermis- covered by waxy layer, holds in water and reflects light Fewer stomata per square area- close tighter than other plants’ stomata Hypodermis- structural support, crystals-protection from animals

ROOTS shallow, spread laterally corky layer prevents water loss Rainfall- new roots form to soak up water Drought- roots shrink- air gap, prevents water from escaping back to soil

A Field Guide to... CACTI of the Mojave

Barrel Cactus Cylinder shaped body 1-4 feet tall, live 20-30 years Parallel ridges (accordian)- expand or contract with amount of water it’s holding 3-4 inch spines Yellow, 2 in. diameter flowers in ring around top in late spring and early summer

Uses of the Barrel Cactus Stewed by Native Americans- cabbage-like Drank water from pulp Used spines to make fish hooks

Beavertail Cactus Flat, pad shaped, heart shaped Green to purple color 2 feet tall, 4 feet wide 2-3 inch wide magenta flowers clustered at top of pads, between March and April Grow on rocky slopes, below 6,000 feet elevation glochids- barbed bristles organized in clusters

Uses of the Beavertail Cactus Fruit is very sweet When pads of cactus are young, can be cooked and used as greens

Cottontop Cactus About 1 foot tall Clusters of 10 to 30 stems Spherical to cylindrical, short stems ribbed, with long spines Grow on rocky slopes between elevations of 1,000 and 5,000 feet. Cotton-like fiber grows on fruit and base of flower (yellow flower streaked with pink, blooms in late spring) Cotton stays on cactus after fruit and flower are gone

Uses of Cottontop Cactus Panamint tribe ate the seeds of the fruit Pulp of the stem contains watery juice Thorns used for basket making

Foxtail Cactus One stem, 2-3 inches diameter, 6-8 inches tall Pink or magenta flowers in May and June Sandy or rocky areas Single stems clump together to form colonies Found in creosote bush scrub- widely spaced shrubs on low lying expanses

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Hedgehog Cactus Columnar About one foot tall Bright pink flowers from February to April- close at night and open in the morning Grow from side of stem Fruit is edible- about one inch long 4-6 yellow or brown central spines (2-3 inches long) and about 10 smaller radial spines Long and stout

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Mojave Mound Cactus aka Claret Cup Cactus 1-500 single spherical or oblong stems grow in clusters Stems 1 foot tall 8-12 spines per areole Red spines on top of stems Areoles about a half inch apart May be curving and flexible Scarlet flowers- diurnal (open for 2-3 days) Red, juicy fruit

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Old Man Prickly Pear Cactus Up to 3 feet tall Elliptical, oblong shape Green, brownish purple color Two or three pads jointed together Yellow flowers, two inches wide, in May and June May become pink or orange as they age Fruits (“tunas”) edible, covered in spines

Uses of the Prickly Pear Juice, jelly, candy, tea, and alcoholic drinks Native Americans- used to treat burns Used as tea to help mothers during childbirth Mexican folk medicine- treat diabetes, ulcers, inflammation- but more clinical support Planted on steep slopes to control erosion

Pencil Cholla Up to 5 feet tall Cylindrical stems, smooth, with diamond pattern One central spine per areole 2 inches long, straight, round Small single flower at the end of stem segment Yellow, Orange, or Red Grow on sandy, rocky, or gravelly soil up to 4,000 feet elevation Low growing and hidden in shrubs– Watch out!!!

Uses for Pencil Cholla Fruit and pad- can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried for later use Seeds- roasted and ground up, used as thickener Can be used to make gum Mixed with oil to make candle Added to plaster to make it stickier

Silver Cholla 2-5 feet tall Made up of short cylindrical segments Branches densely covered by spines- about one inch long, covered by paper-like sheath 9-20 spines per areole Greenish-yellow flowers bloom May-June Sandy, rocky soils Moderate slopes Elevation 1,000 to 5,000 feet

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Teddy Bear Cholla 3-4 feet tall Cylindrical segments- easily detached Detached segments root and grow Densely covered by yellowish spines Looks soft from a distance Cooling mechanism- protects stems from intense sunlight Yellow-green flowers at top of stems in spring Rocky, south facing slopes Below elevation of 3,000 feet

Uses for the Teddy Bear Cholla Animals in the desert (such as rats) use fallen joints for protecting and camouflaging nests

IDENTIFUS that CACTUS!

Beavertail Cactus

Hedgehog Cactus

Cottontop Cactus

Pencil Cholla

Old Man Prickly Pear

Teddy Bear Cholla

Foxtail Cactus

Mojave Mound Cactus

Barrel Cactus

Silver Cholla

Works Consulted http://www.cactusmuseum.com/survival.asp http://mojavedesert.net/plants/mojave-desert-cactus.html http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/may/stories/cactus.html http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/barrel_cactus.htm http://earthnotes.tripod.com/cactus.htm http://www.fourdir.com/great_basin_forager_culture.htm http://calflora.net/bloomingplants/mojavemoundcactus.html http://www.drugs.com/npp/prickly-pear.html http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Opuntia+ramosissima http://www.cactusmuseum.com/survival.asp