Old Man Cactus
Old Man Cactus
Cephalocereus senilis
Plantae
ENDANGERED

Stats

Lifespan
Up to 200 yrs
Size
Large
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Desert
Range
North America
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Seeds
Defense
Spines
Status
Endangered

About

This cactus grows in the rocky canyons of central Mexico. Its long white hairs can grow up to twelve centimeters to shade its skin from the sun.

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

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Cephalocereus
Species
Cephalocereus senilis