cac|tus

cac|tus «KAK tuhs», noun, plural -tus|es, -ti «-ty».

a plant with a thick, fleshy stem that usually has spines, but no leaves. Most cactuses grow in very hot, dry regions of America and often have brightly colored flowers. Cactuses range in height from a few inches to more than 50 feet. »

Cacti of the American deserts have been transplanted into the corresponding climatic regions of Africa, Australia, and southern Europe, becoming in some places such a nuisance as to be bad weeds (Fred W. Emerson).

╂[< Latin cactus < Greek káktos a kind of artichoke, cardoon]

Usage Cacti is the usual plural in scientific writing.