Nothing more than a sandy and dry region devoid of heavy rainfall and less flora and fauna with hot and humid climate is what everybody pictures on their mind when they come across the term ‘Desert’. Low precipitation and high evaporation marks the environment of a desert. On the contrary, deserts act as an abode to many plants and animals. In fact, they are ranked the second to tropical rainforests in the variety of plants and animals living there. Plants find it difficult living and sustaining themselves in such an arid region, and it poses as a challenge to their survival. But as we know, every living species, let alone plants, adjust themselves to the required habitat. Similarly, desert plants have adopted and developed certain mechanisms of storing in water for their survival in the desert. With so much heat during the day hours, opening up of stomata to let in carbon dioxide necessary for the process causes evapotranspiration and so conserving water becomes an essential priority. In order to do so, desert plants adopt any one of the two methods- ability to collect and store water and contain features that reduce water loss. Some plants have the ability to store in water in their roots, stems, leaves or fruit. These kinds of plants are known as succulents and cactus is regarded to be one of them. While some other plants have developed a speciality that allows their long roots to penetrate deep inside the ground in search of underground water. There are perennials (plants which live for years) which survive in the desert by being dormant during the dry periods and come out to life only when water is available. While another type, called the annual, germinate after a heavy downpour and quickly complete their reproductive cycle. Owing to the climatic difference in each desert all over the world, the kinds of plant found vary in some way or the other. Nevertheless, most of the plants mentioned below fall under the common three categories- cacti, wildflowers and trees, shrubs or herb. Take a look at them.
10. Elephant Tree-
Elephant tree, commonly known as the Bursera Microphylla, is found in the Anza-Borrego Desert Park region of the United States. It grows mainly on the rocky slopes of desert mountains into a sculptural form with thick water-storing trunk. This tree is native to Mexico, Baja California, Sonora and Zacatecas. They are basically small trees, very short and stout with tapering trunks and branches that resembles the legs and trunks of an elephant and hence got its name. They are semi-succulent with alternate leaves and are mostly once-pinnate or twice-pinnate. The fruit it bears is a drupe and contains a yellow stone. Sceptics refuse to acknowledge the existence of elephant trees until 1937 because of its rare growth and poor distribution....
9. Organ Pipe Cactus-
Organ pipe cactus is a species of cactus which can be found in a small area of the Sonoran Desert from southwestern Arizona to western Sonora and Mexico. It is found in rocky deserts and is locally known as Pitaya Dulce. It has several stems that grow from a short single trunk just above the ground level. The plants produce funnel-shaped white flowers on an annual basis which opens during the night and closes during the day time and has got either a purple or a pink tinge on them. Organ pipe cactus also produces fruit that is said to have tasted better than a watermelon. This fruit acts as a source of food to the Native Americans and is also used for medicinal purpose. The pulp of this cactus can be made into a jelly and eaten or fermented into a beverage.
8. Saguaro-
Saguaro belongs to the cactus family and is as large as a tree. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Mexico and California. The saguaro blossoms as the State Wild Flower of Arizona. It grows up to 20 meters tall. These cactuses have a long life span, the largest plant being 200 years old, consisting of 50 arms. They require 75 years to develop a side arm. ‘Spear’ is referred to an armless saguaro. You must be wondering what are these arms for !! Well, these are to help increase the capacity of the plant’s reproduction. Saguaros provide shade and protection to animals, reptiles and also to the desert people. The arms of the saguaros, including the stem expands in diameter when water is absorbed in them tons.
7. Desert Marigold-
Desert marigold, also called as the Baileya, is a genus of three species in the aster family and is found in California and other parts of south western North America and Mexico. They are annual plants though a few can be perennial. Leaves of this plant are found clustered often ranging from being entire to deeply lobed. The flowers are of yellow in colour that arises out of the flower stems up to 18 inches. Desert marigolds bloom at the time of spring and extend to July. These flowers are used by larvae as food plants since they feed on them.
6. Desert Sage-
Also known as the wooly sage, this plant grows in soil with high limestone content. Desert sage has different varieties one of which is known as the purple sage and/or texas sage. It is a perennial plant which is relatively drought resistant. The botanical term of desert sage is Leucophyllum Frutescem. These shrubs are evergreen and provide lovely flowers. These are found mostly in California and Phoenix. Green cloud and the Thundercloud are two forms of desert sage that are abundant in the Phoenix area. The sage bushes consume full Sun energy and blooms only after rain or when there is humidity. The Indians threw the purple sage into the fire at night so as to keep the ghosts away since they believed that spirits hate the odour.
5. Joshua Tree-
Joshua tree belongs to the genus Yucca. It is native to south western North America in the states like California, Arizona and Nevada but is mostly confined to Mojave Desert where do we find the largest of yuccas. The tree received its name by a group of Mormon settlers, who were reminded of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hand up to the sky in prayer, considering the unique shape of the tree. Joshua tree grows faster in the desert. But due to the lacking of its annual growth rings, it’s difficult to determine the exact age of the tree. It has a heavy top branch with deep roots reaching up to 11 meters away. These trees provide shelter and food for many desert animals, and they rely on the female Pronuba Moth for pollination.
4. Desert Primrose-
Desert primrose belongs to the genus Oenothera of the flowering plants. The common species of the same kind includes evening primrose, suncaps and sundrops. They especially grow near sand dunes in the desert. This flower varies in size from small alpine plants to vigorous ones. The leaves of the plant form a basal rosette at the ground level that spirals up to the flowering plant. Desert primrose opens in the early evening and closes in mid-morning and hence the name “evening primrose”. The flowers range from yellow to white, pink to purple. One distinctive feature of the flower is its stigma that has four branches in X-shape. This plant gets pollinated by insects such as long-tongued White-Lined Sphynx Moths and bees.
3. Palm Trees-
Palm trees belong to the plant family. It is called Arecaceae. Palm trees are actually not trees by nature. They are found in a hot and dry climate since they do not take in cold too well. Palm trees are straight and not branched, but a few of them have a system of branching or even a creeping vine. They possess large leaves and grow flowers on an inflorescence and are white in colour with star-shaped. Palms bear fruit which is a seed surrounded by flesh. Coconut and dates are two kinds of palm fruits. Palms are well known plants since historical times and were a symbol of peace, victory and fertility.
2. Creosota Bush-
Creosota bush is known by many names such as “larrea tridentate” as a plant, “gobernadora” in Mexico, “hediondilla” in Sonora, etc. It is a flowering plant belonging to the family of Zygophyllaceae. It can be found in the deserts of North America, California, Texas, Arizona and Mexico. Creosote bush is an evergreen plant that grows merely 1-3 meters tall. It pertain dark green leaves with leaflets in the opposite direction and joined at the base. These bear yellow flowers with one-inch wide twisted petals. This bush blooms from February till August. They shed off their old branches and die eventually, and this occurs when the plant reaches the age of 30-90. These bushes are mostly found in well-drained soils of alluvial fans and flats. Its foliage acts as a refuge for crickets, grasshoppers and praying mantids.
1. Barrel Cactus-
Barrel cactus are found in the southwest desert of North America and distributed scarcely in a few other deserts all over. These cactus looks like a pineapple with pointed thorns surrounding them. The thorny ribs differ in colour ranging from red to orange depending on its maturity. The Native Americans collected its fruits for emergency use like in extreme drought condition. They even used its sharp spines as fishhooks. This cactus grow over one meter in height and are one of the dangerous forms of cacti. If any of its thorn punctures your flesh, it might lead to severe injury and would take time in healing. Many people believe that barrel cactus is filled with water which is a fallacy since it is actually filled with slimy alkaline juice.
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