Asiento de suegra

Golden Barrel Cactus

Echinocactus grusonii

The "golden ball" cactus which is and endangered species due to its extraction to make "acitron", the candy we all eat on the "rosca de Reyes"

It is endangered...

It grows very slowly but has a lifespan of 30 years. Currently going extinct because of illegal poaching by humans. It has spikes to fend itself from thirsty desert creatures.

Classification

Kingdom- Plantae

Phylum- Tracheophyta

Class- Cactaceae

Order- Caryophyllales

Family- Cactus

Genus- Equinocactus

Species- grusonii

How does it survive?

The cactus stores water for when it is very dry helping it stay alive, it thrives off of sun but reflects the un-needed especially water. Well-draining soil that is slightly acidic. In the wild, the plant grows in rocky, sandy soil.

Type of plant

The barrel cactus is a member of the cactus family. It grows into a squat tubular shape giving it the appearance of a very spiked ribbed barrel.

Location

The Golden Barrel cactus (asiento de suegra) is native to Southwestern North America to north central Mexico

Energy

The first step for plants doing cellular respiration is a step called glycosis, spreading glucose into two little pyruvetes then get rearranged and carry on replicating over and over.

MORE ADAPTATIONS YIPPEE

Adaptation to arid enviroments, ability to thrive in calid enviroments, they store water to survive, they have thorns to protect themselves.

Habitat and endangerment

The golden barrel cactus is the most popular cactus species in the world, however, it is now in danger of going extinct. A rare and almost extinct cactus that grows three feet high and spreads two feet wide. The golden barrel cactus originated from the Chihuahua desert, temperature almost always above 32° with dominant plant species. It stores and drinks water once a month during the warm. It has a system of water and proteins that heal animals. Succulents in general help avoid soil erosion through their extensive roots, help create more soil in rocky habitats, conserve moisture in deserts, and more. Ex of eaters: turtles, camels, birds, squirrels. It is going extinct because of illegal poaching. We need to teach more kids on this topic. Cholesterol pills, sedatives, Anxiety meds, Deppression meds, Vertigo meds, are all very important and they all come from succulents like the Golden Barrel Cactus. It also looks very pretty. ;)

Evolution

Around 2005, it was believed that a group of 4 species of small with the genus name ‘Pereskia’ was the possible ancestor of cacti. However, it was soon discovered that this genus did not include all the common ancestors of a cacti’s phylogenetic chain. They did not show a link between all the members of the common ancestral groups of the ‘Core Cacti’. Meaning that the clades did not connect to the main species found in all cacti varieties.

Adaptations

Cactus have evolutioned to have spikes, not for only protection but they prevent water loss and reflect sun rays. When the night comes, the spines act like a heater, making sure the cactus stays warm enough to survive.