A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word "cactus" derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek κάκτος, kaktos, a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments, even being found in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of leaves, enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis. Cacti are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north—except for Rhipsalis baccifera, which also grows in Africa and Sri Lanka.
Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca. It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca.
Fouquieria splendens is a plant indigenous to the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert in the Southwestern United States, and northern Mexico.
Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America.
Dudleya is a genus of succulent perennial plants, consisting of about 45 species in southwestern North America.
Calochortus amabilis is a species of the genus Calochortus in the family Liliaceae. It is also known by the common names Diogenes' lantern, yellow globe-tulip, golden globe-tulip, yellow globe lily, golden fairy lantern, golden lily-bell, Chinese lantern, and short lily.
Echeveria setosa, the Mexican fire cracker, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Mexico and common throughout Puebla.
The Huntington Desert Garden is part of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. The Desert Garden is one of the world's largest and oldest collections of cacti, succulents and other desert plants, collected from throughout the world. It contains plants from extreme environments, many of which were acquired by Henry E. Huntington and William Hertrich in trips taken to several countries in North, Central and South America. One of the Huntington's most botanically important gardens, the Desert Garden brought together a group of plants largely unknown and unappreciated in the beginning of the 1900s. Containing a broad category of xerophytes, the Desert Garden grew to preeminence and remains today among the world's finest, with more than 5,000 species in the 10 acre garden.
Echeveria elegans, the Mexican snow ball, Mexican gem or white Mexican rose is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert habitats in Mexico.
Echeveria agavoides, or lipstick echeveria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to rocky areas of Mexico, notably the states of San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Guanajuato and Durango.
Echeveria lilacina, common name ghost echeveria or Mexican hens and chicks, is a species of succulent plants in the genus Echeveria belonging to the family Crassulaceae.
Echeveria runyonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, that is native to the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico. Several cultivars have been described and cultivated.
Echeveria derenbergii, the painted-lady, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, endemic to Mexico.
Echeveria pulidonis is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to central Mexico.
Echeveria multicaulis is a species of plant native to Mexico. It is a member of the genus Echeveria.
Echeveria laui is a slow-growing perennial succulent plant native to the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is a popular decorative plant due it its distinctive pink color.
Echeveria subrigida is a species of succulent plant native to Mexico. It was first formally described in 1903 by Benjamin Lincoln Robinson and Henry Eliason Seaton. Its basionym is Cotyledon subrigida.
Echeveria colorata, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, endemic to Mexico.
Echeveria atropurpurea is a species of succulent plant in the Crassulaceae family. It is a perennial commonly known as chapetona or siempreviva, and is a endemic to Central Veracruz, Mexico in tropical deciduous forests. It is noted for its fast growing, easy cultivation, and red to yellow flowers. It is currently threatened by habitat loss.
Echeveria amoena is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae, endemic to semi-arid areas of the Mexican states of Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.
