The Probert Encyclopaedia of Nature

CACTUS

Cactus is the family of fleshy, thickened and mainly leafless plants, the Cactaceae (also known as the Indian Fig family). The species are succulent shrubs, with minute scale-like leaves (except in the genus Pereskia, tree-cactus, with large leaves), and with clusters and spines on the stems. They have fleshy stems, with sweetish watery or milky juice, and they assume many peculiar forms. The juice in some species affords a refreshing beverage where water is not to be got. All the plants of this order, except a single species, are natives of America. They are generally found in very dry localities. Some are epiphytes. Several have been introduced into the Old World, and in many places they have become naturalized. The fruits of some species are edible, as the prickly-pear and the Indian Fig cultivated throughout the Mediterranean region. The flowers are usually large and beautifully coloured, and many members of the family are cultivated as house plants.
Research Cactus