ETYM Latin, a kind of cactus, Greek.
Plant of the family Cactaceae, although the term is commonly applied to many different succulent and prickly plants. True cacti have a woody axis (central core) overlaid with an enlarged fleshy stem, which assumes various forms and is usually covered with spines (actually reduced leaves). They all have special adaptations to growing in dry areas.
Cactus flowers are often large and brightly colored; the fruit is fleshy and often edible, as in the case of the prickly pear. The Cactaceae are a New World family and include the treelike saguaro and the night-blooming cereus with blossoms 30 cm/12 in across.
(Irregular plural: cacti or cactuses).
Any spiny succulent plant of the family Cactaceae native chiefly to arid regions of the New World. + prikaži više