Stats

Lifespan

50-100 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Desert

Range

South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Rare

About

Cottonball Cactus, native to the Sonoran Desert, is a tiny cactus with a distinctive fuzzy appearance that resembles cotton balls. Despite its small size, it can store up to 100 liters of water, making it incredibly resilient in the harsh desert environment.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Caryophyllales

Family

Cactaceae

Genus

Espostoa

Species

Espostoa lanata