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saguaro |
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saguaro: see cactus cactus, any plant of the family Cactaceae, a large group of succulents found almost entirely in the New World. A cactus plant is conspicuous for its fleshy green stem, which performs the functions of leaves (commonly insignificant or absent), and for the spines (not ..... Click the link for more information. . saguaroLarge, candelabra-shaped, branched cactus (Cereus giganteus, or Carnegiea gigantea) native to Mexico, Arizona, and California. Slow-growing at first, mature saguaros may eventually reach 50 ft (15 m) in height. They bloom for the first time when 50–75 years old. They may die at 150–200 years (at a weight of up to 10 tons, or 9,000 kg), most commonly by being uprooted by wind or washouts. Shallow, wide-ranging roots gather moisture from a large area of desert to support the weighty top growth. The white, night-blooming flowers, which remain open into the next day, are the Arizona state flower. The red fruits have been an important food of American Indians. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| The Sonoran Desert, which straddles the border between southern Arizona and northwestern Mexico, is a haunting, stark landscape punctuated by towering saguaro cacti with arms reaching skyward as though praying for rain (though they sometimes droop when especially water-stressed). Nathanson suggests that the city may even want to consider a preference for aesthetically disguised cell towers, such as the faux palm trees and saguaro cacti that have sprung up during recent years in the Southwest. As an example, one of the prize winners in the American Express Geography Competition was an in-depth project by four seventh graders to determine whether Arizona laws protecting saguaro cacti and ironwood were sufficiently strict. |
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