Cacti Honor - advanced

Nature Study

Requirements

  1. Have the Cacti Honor.

    Answer: Yes. Complete the basic Cacti Honor (EN-052) before the advanced one. The basic one covers 10 species, parts of the plant, and cultivation; the advanced one goes deeper into taxonomy, diseases, and succulents. — EN-052 covers the basic structure of the cactus (succulent stem, spines, areoles, flowers). EN-053 (advanced) goes deeper into the relationship with other succulents and professional care. The SAD manual requires sequential completion in all areas (Nature Studies). UNASP-EC has a collection of 200+ species for study.

  2. What are succulents?

    Answer: Plants that store water in their tissues (leaves, stems, roots) as an adaptation to drought. Families: Cactaceae, Crassulaceae, Aizoaceae, Euphorbiaceae. More than 10,000 species. — Succulence is an evolutionary convergence — several families adapted independently. Thick leaves reduce water loss. CAM metabolism opens the stomata only at night (water saving). Aloe vera (Aloeaceae) is medicinal. Echeveria (Crassulaceae) is a popular ornamental. The saguaro (Cactaceae) reaches 15 m in height.

  3. Identify, in nature or by photograph, five succulents that are not cacti. How do they differ from cacti?

    Answer: Aloe vera, Echeveria, Sedum, Kalanchoe, and Sansevieria. Cacti have areoles (bud+spine), unique to Cactaceae in the Americas; other succulents do not have areoles. — The areole is the taxonomic hallmark of Cactaceae — where the spines (modified leaves), flowers, and new shoots are born. Succulents with 'spines' such as Euphorbia (non-cactus) have toxic latex; cacti have clear sap. Aloe vera has a healing property (intracellular gel). Spathiphyllum is NOT a succulent.

  4. Know the following terms relating to cacti/succulents:
    • Areole
    • Cephalium
    • Cochineal (scale insect)
    • Corymb
    • Diurnal
    • Epiphyte
    • Stolon or runner
    • Glochid
    • Nocturnal
    • Panicle
    • Branch
    • Zygomorphic

    Answer: 1) Areole (or areola): a typical structure unique to cacti; it is a small cushion (usually with hairs) from which the spines, flowers, and new branches sprout. 2) Cephalium: a special region at the apex or on the side of the cactus, densely covered with bristles, wool, or spines, from which the flowers emerge in some species. 3) Mealybug (cochineal): a pest (sucking insect) that attaches to cacti and succulents, looking like cottony white spots, and that weakens the plant by sucking its sap. 4) Corymb: a type of inflorescence (arrangement of flowers) in which the flowers start from different points on the stem but reach almost the same height, forming a flat top. 5) Diurnal: that opens, blooms, or is active during the day; diurnal flowers open in the sunlight and close at night. 6) Epiphyte: a plant that grows resting on another plant (on trunks and branches) without being a parasite, drawing moisture and nutrients from the air and rain, and not from the host plant. 7) Stolon (or runner): a creeping stem that grows horizontally over the soil and produces new plantlets (rooted shoots) from its nodes, serving for the plant to multiply. 8) Glochid: a very fine, small, and barbed spine, found in the areoles of some cacti (such as opuntias/prickly pears); it detaches easily and lodges in the skin, causing irritation. 9) Nocturnal: that opens, blooms, or is active during the night; many cactus flowers are nocturnal, opening at dusk and being pollinated by moths or bats. 10) Panicle: a type of branched inflorescence, in which the main axis divides into several branches that in turn support several flowers, forming an open cluster. 11) Branch: each of the divisions or arms that start from the main stem of the plant, which can give rise to new leaves, flowers, or new branches. 12) Zygomorphic: said of a flower that has bilateral symmetry, that is, it can only be divided into two equal halves by a single plane (like our face), unlike radial flowers that divide along several planes. — The areole is diagnostic of Cactaceae. The cephalium appears in Melocactus (Turk's-cap cactus). The mealybug (Dactylopius) attacked cacti in Brazil in 2010 (Cactus Moth). Epiphytes: Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus), Rhipsalis. The glochid in Opuntia sticks to skin/animals — a disperser. Diurnal/nocturnal = day/night flower (nocturnal cereus).

  5. When succulents (including cacti) grow, they can be attacked by diseases. What are the most common ones and how can you prevent or cure the problems?

    Answer: Mealybug: 70% alcohol or neem. Aphid: water+soap. Root rot (excess water): water less, repot in dry substrate. Fungus: fungicide. Etiolation: light. — The mealybug is the #1 pest (a sucker). Neem oil (azadirachtin) is organic and effective. Root rot is the #1 cause of death (overwatering). Ideal substrate: 50% soil + 30% coarse sand + 20% perlite. Copper fungicide (Bordeaux) is organic. Cacti need 6h+ of sun/day.

  6. Propagate at least one plant using one of the following methods:
    • From seeds
    • By cuttings
    • By grafting

    Answer: Seeds: sow in moist substrate, takes 1 year+. Cuttings: cut a shoot, let it dry for 1-2 weeks until a callus forms, and plant in dry substrate. Grafting: cut the top of the rootstock and the base of the scion, press them together, and tie them. — The callus is tissue that protects against fungi. Ideal substrate: sand+soil+perlite (50/30/20). Classic grafting: Pereskiopsis or Hylocereus as the rootstock. Seeds germinate in 7-30 days with indirect light and controlled humidity. A Schlumbergera cutting roots in ~1 month.