Order Opuntiales (Noun)
Meaning
Coextensive with the family Cactaceae: cactuses.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The order Opuntiales is a botanical name for an order of flowering plants, coextensive with the family Cactaceae, commonly known as cactuses.
- The Opuntiales order comprises plants that are adapted to dry environments, such as deserts, and are characterized by their thick, fleshy stems and sharp spines.
- Cactuses, which belong to the order Opuntiales, have evolved unique features to conserve water and protect themselves from herbivores.
- The Opuntiales order is a monotypic order, meaning that it consists of only one family, the Cactaceae, which includes all species of cactuses.
- In the order Opuntiales, cactuses have developed a range of specialized structures, including areoles, which are modified branches that produce flowers and spines.