| Home | E-mail | Cactuspedia | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search  |

 
 
 
(1) Cactophilous     [ Biology - Ecology  ]
Also Cactophilic or Cactophiles

Dictionary of botanic terminology - index of names

     
  Cactophilous are animal which life cycle or ecological behaviour is strictly related to cactus.  
     
For examples cactophilous nectar-feeding pollinators are insect or bats species specialized in foraging on cactus flower.  Some cactophilous insect are extremely specialized and can be found exclusively on individual species of cacti.
     
(2) Cactophilous (Synonym: Xeric)     [ Ecology ]
(Also Cactophilic or Cactophiles)
     
  A cactophiles (syn: xeric) is an organisms (plant, animal or microbe) adapted to survive in arid habitats.  
     
Cactophiles species primarily have evolved physiological mechanism for the reduction in rates of water loss
(For example by reduction of transpiration  losses)
     
(3) Cactophil  [ Horticulture ]
Plural: Cactophiles
     
  A cactophil is an impassioned cactus amateur with the hobby to collect, grow, sow, identify, recognize, photograph, swap, share, study cacti.  
     
Some cactophiles specialise in growing a particular genus of cacti (for examples Mammillaria, Gymnocalycium, Astrophytum) while other concentrate their interest on a particular forms (for examples critstates, columnar, epiphytes etc.)
     

 


Advertising



 

 

1


 
 
 
 
Holdfast roots  [ Botany  ]

Dictionary of botanic terminology - index of names

 
     
  Some species of climbing plants develop holdfast roots which help to support the vines on trees, walls, and rocks. By forcing their way into minute pores and crevices, they hold the plant firmly in place.  
     
Climbing plants, like the poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), and trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans),  develop holdfast roots which help to support the vines on trees, walls, and rocks. By forcing their way into minute pores and crevices, they hold the plant firmly in place. Usually the Holdfast roots die at the end of the first season, but in some species they are perennial. In the tropics some of the large climbing plants have hold-fast roots by which they attach themselves, and long, cord-like roots that extend downward through the air and may lengthen and branch for several years until they strike the soil and become absorbent roots.

Major references and further lectures:
1) E. N. Transeau “General Botany” Discovery Publishing House, 1994
   

 

 

 

| Home | E-mail | Cactuspedia | Mail Sale Catalogue | Links | Information | Search  |