Day 5: Pancake Prickly Pear Cactus

Hi everyone!  I’ve also recently seen a lot of plants around here.  They have all made adaptations so that they can survive for long periods of time without water.  Some of them are the barrel cactus, brittle bush, crimson hedgehog cactus, jumping cholla, and the pancake prickly pear cactus.  I'll tell you about the pancake prickly pear cactus.  It is found in the Sonoran and the Mojave deserts.  It can grow up to 7 feet tall!  It has circular pads arising from a thick, round trunk..  They have pads sticking out at all angles covered with spines.  These cacti are used in many different ways.  Some examples are that they are used as food.  One of their adaptations is that they have turned their leaves into spines to reduce water loss.  The spines can also be used to protect the cactus from predators.  Roots of the prickly pear cactus can survive in immense heat and can absorb  water.  The pads of the cactus are used to store water for when they need it during a drought.  Luckily, this plant has no threats.  Well, I'm looking forward to tomorrow  morning!

-Kiran