Cactus
/KAK-tus/🌳 Plant Types● Basic
Also known as: cacti
A cactus belongs to the family Cactaceae, about 127 genera and some 1,750 species native almost entirely to the Americas. Nearly all are succulents that store water in thickened stems, and most have lost true leaves, keeping only spines — themselves highly modified leaves. The defining feature is the areole, a much-reduced branch from which spines, flowers and new shoots all arise.
Etymology
From Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek kaktos, a name Theophrastus used for a spiny plant whose identity is now uncertain.
Example
“Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear) and Schlumbergera species show how widely stem form varies within the family, from flattened pads to leaf-like jointed segments.”