What adaptations does a cactus have?

A cactus is adapted to life in a hot climate. Cacti are well adapted for survival in the desert. They have: Stems that can store water. Widespread root systems that can collect water from a large area. In addition, cacti have spines instead of leaves. These minimise the surface area and so reduce water loss by transpiration. read more

The stem does not have leaves (these are reduced to spines). The succulent stem is covered with thick cuticle to avoid water loss. Cactus plants are slow growing and strike a sutle balance between the arid environment around, water availability, growth vis a vis the photosynthesis they undertake. read more

Cacti have very shallow roots to soak up water immediately after rainfall, and they also have thick, expandable stems to store all of the water they absorb from the ground. Because of these adaptations, cacti are able to survive in the desert where most plants would die. read more

Do not try to get water out of a cactus. Not only are you going to fail, but if you survive you’re going to pay a massive fine.) Roots: Plants in the desert have evolved two types of roots to thrive. read more