A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), 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. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, 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 true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis.
Grand Turk is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory, tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. It is the largest island in the Turks Islands with 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi). Grand Turk contains the territory's capital, Cockburn Town, and the JAGS McCartney International Airport. The island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial centre of the territory and has the second-largest population of the islands at approximately 4,831 people in 2012.
Pereskia is a small genus of about four species of cacti that do not look much like other types of cacti, having substantial leaves and non-succulent stems. The genus is named after Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc, a 16th-century French botanist. The genus was more widely circumscribed until molecular phylogenetic studies showed that it was paraphyletic. The majority of species have since been transferred to Leuenbergeria and Rhodocactus. Although Pereskia does not resemble other cacti in its overall morphology, close examination shows spines developing from areoles, and the distinctive floral cup of the cactus family.
Melocactus, also known as the Turk's head cactus, Turk's cap cactus, or Pope's head cactus, is a genus of cactus with about 30–40 species. They are native to the Caribbean, western Mexico through Central America to northern South America, with some species along the Andes down to southern Peru, and a concentration of species in northeastern Brazil.
Turk's cap is a common name for several plants and may refer to:
The buffy hummingbird is a species of bird in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. It is the only species placed in the genus Leucippus. This bird lives in dry forest and scrubland in northern South America where it feeds on insects and the nectar, flesh, and juice of cactus fruits.
Melocactus azureus is a species of cactus. It is endemic to Brazil, where it is known only from Bahia. It is locally abundant but the populations are fragmented and vulnerable to habitat degradation.
Melocactus deinacanthus, also known as the Wonderfully Bristled Turk's-Cap Cactus is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitat is rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Melocactus pachyacanthus is a species of cactus. It is endemic to Brazil, where it is known only from two locations in Bahia. Its populations are fragmented and it is vulnerable to habitat degradation.
Big Ambergris Cay is a private residential island and, since 2019, home to Ambergris Cay Private Island Resort. It is located within the Turks and Caicos Islands and has been owned privately since 1811. Not to be confused with Ambergris Cay in the Bahamas, or Ambergris Caye in Belize, the island is situated to the southeast of the main chain of the Caicos islands. Big Ambergris Cay is approximately four miles long, one mile wide, and 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) in total. Adjacent to Big Ambergris Cay is Little Ambergris Cay, which is an uninhabited natural reserve. Little Ambergris Cay is a unique and significant habitat for a wide range of birds and marine life.
The current flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands was adopted on 7 November 1968, and modified in 1999. Prior to this, the islands had several different flags either proposed or utilised.
The Bahamian dry forests are a tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, covering an area of 4,900 km2 (1,900 sq mi). They are found on much of the northern Bahamas, including Andros, Abaco, and Grand Bahama, where they are known as coppices. Dry forests are distributed evenly throughout the Turks and Caicos.
M. communis may refer to:
Melocactus intortus, also known as the Turk's head cactus, is a species of cactus endemic to the Caribbean.
Melocactus matanzanus, common name dwarf Turk's-cap cactus or Turk's-cap cactus, is a cactus in the genus Melocactus of the family Cactaceae. The epithet matanzanus is derived from the Cuban province of Matanzas.
Turk's Head is a 2010 French film.
Melocactus lemairei is a species of cactus endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It is named after French botanist and cactus expert Charles Antoine Lemaire.
The Cliff Villa Peninsula is a promontory where two currents meet on the north-westerly point of the island of Curaçao.
Melocactus ernesti is one of the Turk's cap cacti, and is native to Bahia and Minas Gerais States, Brazil.
The acitrón is a Mexican candy which is commonly used as a decoration on a three kings' cake. As an ingredient, it has great cultural significance since it is used in a large number of ritual and festive preparations. Unfortunately, the biznaga cactus from which acitróns are made is an endangered species due to excessive consumption.
