Saguaro
The
stem of the Saguaro Cactus stores all of its water. The stem is green.
Photosynthesis occurs in the top layer of the stem instead of in leaves.
This plant has another adaptation that is hidden from us. This is its large
net of roots -- that extend far away from its trunk. How would these roots
help a desert plant? The roots collect water after rain. Stored in the
pleated expandable stem, the water keeps the saguaro alive until the next
rain. Saguaro fruit is used in jam and woody skeletons are used in building
materials. The Saguaro only grows in the Sonoran
Desert.
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