1. CACTI
of the Mojave
Merrill Rudd

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

8. A Field Guide to...
CACTI
of the Mojave

9. 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

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

11. 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

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

13. 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

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

15. 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

16. MORE Foxtail Cactus!

17. 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

18. MORE Hedgehog Cactus

19. 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

20. MORE Mojave Mound

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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!!!

24. 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

25. 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

26. MORE Silver Cholla

27. 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

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

29. IDENTIFUS
that
CACTUS!

30. Beavertail Cactus

31. Hedgehog Cactus

32. Cottontop Cactus

33. Pencil Cholla

34. Old Man Prickly Pear

35. Teddy Bear Cholla

36. Foxtail Cactus

37. Mojave Mound Cactus

38. Barrel Cactus

39. Silver Cholla

40. Works Consulted http://www.cactusmuseum.com/survival.asp