Cacti, are they flowers or herbs?
This article provides a comprehensive introduction to whether cacti are flowers or herbs in the aspect of green plants and flowers. What follows is a detailed explanation.
Cacti, are they flowers or herbs?
Cacti come in a wide variety of species, but most of them are herbaceous plants. Some are少数 are woody plants, and a few species are shrubs or grass-like plants, such as the Century Plant. They are mostly native to tropical and subtropical deserts or arid regions in the Americas and can produce seeds. When the seeds are sown in the soil, the seedlings will have two cotyledons.
Most species of cacti are herbaceous plants, also known as "Angel's Palm" or "Divine Palm," native to the Americas. In South China and Southeast, they grow wild on seashores and in rock crevices.
The appearance of cacti
Cacti are fleshy shrubs, growing in clusters, with flat, obovate elliptical stems, spiny; the flowers are solitary, bright yellow with multiple tepals; the fruit is a berry, obovoid, turning purplish red when ripe. Cacti can be planted as hedges, their flowers are ornamental, and the fruit is sour and sweet, edible.
The origin of the name "cactus"
The name "cactus" has appeared in poems and essays since the Han Dynasty, but it did not refer to a plant. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty set up a copper statue of an immortal in the Jianzhang Palace, twenty zhang tall, with a copper plate on top to collect dew, which was used for cultivating immortality. This copper plate was called "Angel's Palm."
It was not until the Song Dynasty that the herbalist Su Song used the name "Angel's Palm" for a plant: "Angel's Palm, often grows on stone walls, resembling a human palm, hence the name. The leaves are thin and long." But the so-called Angel's Palm here is probably a plant that looks like a human hand, and the specific species cannot be ascertained, but it is definitely not today's leafless and spiny cactus.
The legend of cacti
Cacti are native to the Americas and were introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty. Due to their flat and large shape, spiny without leaves, they were considered exotic flowers and herbs. Because the name "Angel's Palm" was passed down from the Song Dynasty, it has been misused and carried forward to this day.
In folk tales, cacti are also commonly known as "Angel's Palm." Due to its celestial name, there are many conjectures and legends about this plant. One legend says that if the juice of the cactus gets into your eyes, it can cause blindness, making people respect and keep it at a distance. Another says that cacti are thick and watery, planted on rooftops, they can prevent fires. This has evolved into the belief that they can ward off evil spirits and dispel evil... Among them, only one is practical: because of their many spines, planting them at the edge of fields can prevent cattle and sheep from trampling on the land.
Seeing that cacti are leafless and thrive, with a forest of thorns, scholars initially had a reverent attitude towards this plant. In the Qing Dynasty, the scholar Zhang Chang wrote a poem about it: "All touch is刺,无心竟坦平." It describes the flat and spiny nature of the cactus and praises its open-mindedness. Also, because cacti remain green all year round and do not wither in autumn and winter, they are also seen as plants with character.
The above is a specific introduction to whether cacti are flowers or herbs, hoping you will like it!