Saguaro Skelton - a photo on Flickriver

Saguaro Skelton

The skeleton is left with the tubes that take the water up the cactus. It can be used for furniture, walking sticks and other things. You cannot remove the skeleton from the desert

The Saguaro Cactus, is composed of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, often with several large branches (arms) curving upward in the most distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti.

The skin is smooth and waxy, the trunk and stems have stout, 2-inch spines clustered on their ribs. When water is absorbed , the outer pulp of the Saguaro can expand like an accordion, increasing the diameter of the stem and, in this way, can increase its weight by up to a ton.
The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life. The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet. The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall.
The Saguaro has a surprisingly shallow root system , considering its great height and weight. It is supported by a tap root that is only a pad about 3 feet long, as well as numerous stout roots no deeper than a foot, emanating radially from its base. More smaller roots run radially to a distance equal to the height of the Saguaro. These roots wrap about rocks providing adequate anchorage from winds across the rocky bajadas.
Desert USA

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Taken on: March 10, 2016

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Camera: Canon EOS 7D, f/11.0, 1/160 sec, 18mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 7D
Lens:	EF-S17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	18mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.0 (Windows)
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