Important Plants in the Desert Biome
- The desert receives a small amount of rainfall.desert image by Carol Tomalty from Fotolia.com
The world's deserts make up about one-fifth of the Earth's surface. The distinguishing characteristic of the desert is the low amount of rainfall, usually less than 20 inches every year. The deserts are distributed in different corners of the globe, such as the Sahara in North Africa, and the deserts of Australia, Mexico, the American Southwest and Asia. Desert biomes are classified as semiarid, hot and dry, coastal and cold. The plants in the desert are usually short woody trees and ground-hugging shrubs. - The Saguaro is a large cactus of the American Southwest.saguaro image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
The Saguaro cactus is one of the most important plants in the Sonoran desert. The Saguro is the largest cactus in the United States, generally reaching a height between 40 to 60 feet at maturity. The Saguaro is an extremely slow-growing cactus at only 1.5 inches per decade; however, they can live up to 200 years. When there is plenty of rain, a fully hydrated Saguaro can weigh between 3,200 and 4,800 pounds. The root system is shallow, usually four to six inches deep and these roots fan out as far from the plant as its height. - Prickly pears have large, edible, fleshy pads.prickly pear cactus image by Jan Ebling from Fotolia.com
The prickly pear cactus is a desert biome plant which belongs to the genus Opuntia. These plants have fleshy pads which resemble large leaves but in reality are modified stems. These stems aid the plant in the storage of water, photosynthesis, and the production of flowers. The prickly pear plants have protective spines, just like other cacti; however, the difference in the Opuntia genus is that the spines detach easily from the the pads. The fruit of most prickly pears are edible and as such, an important food source in the dessert. The pads can also be cooked and eaten as a vegetable. The flowers of the prickly pear cactus come in red, yellow and purple colors. - The barrel cactus is so-named because the plants are always barrel shaped. They are among the largest cacti in the North American deserts. The plants have heavy, prominent spines with some shaped like a fishhook in some species. The flowers of the barrel cactus are edible and can be boiled in water to be eaten like cabbage. The older flowers can be mashed after boiling for a drink. The Native Americans used the cactus as a cooking pot by cutting the top off and scooping out the pulp. Hot stones are then inserted into the cavity, together with the food. The pulp from the cactus is used in making cactus candy while the spines are used as sewing needles and for tattooing. This plant is important because it is a source of moisture. When there is no water or food, the pulp from the stem can be chewed for the water and nutritional content.
