Cactaceae
CACTUS cactus classification : Classification of Cacti : Kingdom - Plantae (plants) Phylum - Tracheophyta (vascular plants) Division - Magnoliophyta = Anthophyta ] ( angioperms ) Class - Dicotyledonae = Magnoliopsida ( dicots ) Subclass - Caryophyllidae Order - Caryophyllales Family - Cactaceae (cacti) Genus - About 100 genera and 1000-2000 species divided into three tribes life cycle of a cactus the character of cactus Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Most cacti live in habitats subject to at least some drought. Many live in extremely dry environments, even being found in the Atacama Desert , one of the driest places on earth. Cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. Almost all cacti are succulents , meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leav