Barrel cactus

Barrel cacti are classified into the two genera Echinocactus

Echinocactus

Echinocactus is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek εχινος , meaning "spiny," and cactus. It and Ferocactus are the two genera of barrel cactus. Members of the genus usually have heavy spination and relatively large flowers...

 and Ferocactus

Ferocactus

Ferocactus is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The young specimens are columnar but as they grow older ribs form and they take...

, both of which are found in the Southwest Desert of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. Their pineapple-shaped fruits can be easily removed but are not recommended for eating. The barrel cactus may reach over a metre in height. Its ribs are numerous and pronounced and the spines are long and yellow. Small yellow flowers appear around the end of the plant only after many years. It is considered easy to grow and relatively fast growing. They may also produce round offshoots from the main The Seri Indians distinguished three species of barrel cactus: mojepe simlsamahlataen' is a liquid found in the cactus and can be deadly if snifed. (
'saguaro barrel cactus', Ferocactus acanthodes), siml caacöl ('big barrel cactus', Ferocactus covillei) and siml áa ('true barrel cactus', Ferocactus wislizenii). The species F. covillei also had several other names. The species Ferocactus covillei was also called siml cöquicöt, 'killer barrel cactus', to indicate that it should not be eaten or its liquid consumed.

Many people mistakenly believe that the common sight of a tipped over barrel cactus is due solely to the cactus falling over from water weight. Actually, barrel cacti fall over because they grow based on the sun, just like any other plant. Water weight is just part of this occurrence. Unlike other plants, however, the barrel cactus usually grows towards the south (to prevent sunburn), hence the name "compass cactus."

The barrel cactus is the last of the cacti to bloom in the calendar year. When it does bloom, a bright orange flower appears. The flower yields a yellow small pineapple-shaped fruit

Fruit

In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...

.

Barrel cacti can store up to and sometimes more than 500 kilograms of water.