Introduction To Cactus

Cactus (Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw.) is a herbaceous plant of the genus Opuntia in the family Cactaceae. It has bowl-shaped, bright yellow flowers with obovate receptacles and obovate berries. Its stems are thick and fleshy, with obovate or nearly round nodes that are green or gray-green in color. They replace leaves for light, and the leaves are degenerate or short-lived. [7] The flowering period of cactus is concentrated from March to May, [8] and the fruiting period is from June to October. [9] The cactus is named because it resembles a palm with fingers together and has thorns. [10]
Cactus is native to the east coast of Mexico, the southern and southeastern coastal areas of the United States, the West Indies, the Bermuda Islands, and northern South America; it escaped in the Canary Islands, India, and eastern Australia; it was introduced to my country in the late Ming Dynasty and is commonly cultivated in the southern coastal areas. It escapes to the wild in Guangdong, southern Guangxi, and the coastal areas of Hainan. [1] Cactus likes a warm, dry, sunny and well-ventilated environment. It is drought-tolerant but not cold-tolerant. It prefers fertile, loose and well-drained sandy loam. The propagation methods of cactus include sowing and cutting. [7]
The "Luchuan Materia Medica" records that cactus has the effects of promoting qi and blood circulation, cooling blood and stopping bleeding, detoxifying and reducing swelling, and removing pus and promoting tissue regeneration. It is mainly used to treat sores, swelling and cough. [11] The stems, flowers, thorns, hairs, ridges and warts of cactus have certain ornamental value. They can be placed in pots under windows and in study rooms. In gardens, they are often used in rock gardens and greenhouse specialty gardens. [7] Cactus breathes mostly at night when it is cool and humid. When breathing, it inhales carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. Therefore, it is called "night oxygen bar". [12] There are cacti on the national flag, national emblem and currency of Mexico. The national flower of Mexico is also cactus, so Mexico is known as the "country of cactus".