Unlike Mexico, Brazil is normally not associated with cacti – those hearty plants capable of surviving in extremely dry and hot regions. But the country is home to some 500 species of the Cactaceae family, present in most of the territory, not only in the arid states. You will also see cacti in many Brazilian vases (they are popular in decoration, thanks to their very low maintenance), tables (figo da índia or “Opuntia ficus indica“, a watery fruit originally from Mexico) or bathrooms (aloe, known in Brazil as babosa because of its gooey interior, is frequently used as a hair treatment).
Learn more about Brazilian cacti in this article by Liana John, that previously published here on Deep Brazil an extract of her recent book about the jaguar.
