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The Green Planet

The Plant that Makes Its Home on a Cactus

Tristerix seeds travel in bird droppings to invade the bodies of giant cactus.

07/27/2022

The Green Planet

The Plant that Makes Its Home on a Cactus

Clip: Episode 4 | 3m 16sVideo has Closed Captions

Tristerix seeds travel in bird droppings to invade the bodies of giant cactus.

Tristerix seeds travel in bird droppings, when they land on a cactus they grow long probe-like stems, that latch onto the cactus body and inject it with parasitic threads. A year later Tristerix bursts out of the cactus skin as a bloom of beautiful flowers that attract hummingbird pollinators.

07/27/2022

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