Profiles in Insurgency: The Irish Republican Army. Introductory note: This article is part of a series profiling different âinsurgentâ or âterroristâ groups. Care was taken to avoid including any inflammatory language about any organization profiled in the series or the organizationâs opposition.
Barrel cactus are the classic desert denizens of lore. There are a number of barrel cactus varieties within two genus types, the Echinocactus and the Ferrocactus. The Echinocactus has a fuzzy crown of fine spines, while the Ferrocactus are ferociously thorned.
The fleshy stems of the barrel cactus are pleated like an accordion and shrink as moisture is used up. These pleats also channel water to the base of the plant during rain showers. When water is no longer available in the summer, many desert shrubs drop their leaves and become dormant.