What is the function of cactus spines?

Many of us might wonder what is the function of cactus spines if apparently they are stems that seem to have no use for plants, right?

When you live in an area where the climate is especially hot and the rains are so scarce, You have to protect yourself in some way so that no one leaves you without water. Although only with this you will not be able to survive.

The thorns, the »new leaves»

Cacti are plants that have evolved over 40 million years, since the Paleozoic era. At the beginning they did have leaves, as do those of the Pereskia genus (the most primitive of all), but little by little, as the climate became drier as America separated from Africa and moved towards its present location, they were losing them.

Why? Good because to feed the leaves it is necessary to have water available, and when the precious liquid is scarce, there is no other option but to adapt or disappear. It is the law of natural selection, and against that plant beings by themselves cannot do anything. But, thanks to it, they have become more resistant and have managed to adapt without difficulty to their respective habitats.

What functions do they have?

Cactus spines serve several functions, which are as follows:

• Defend them from potential predators: inside the body of vegetables there is a large amount of water; if herbivores could access it, these plants would not survive.
• Provide shade: it is true that not much, but it is enough so that the loss of water by evaporation is minimal.
• Reflect the sunlight: many species have white spines. This is a color that reflects sunlight, so it prevents them from overheating.
• Direct the water towards the fleshy part of the cactus: dew drops settle on all aerial parts of plants. By doing so, the pores open up and can be hydrated. But in addition, those that fall on the thorns are directed towards the fleshy bodies, so that they can "drink" more water.

Therefore, even if your plants have dried thorns, do not remove them! Still dry are still very useful for cacti; although you should know that if you took them off by mistake, they would grow back.

Did you know what thorns were used for cacti?