Abstract

Cacti are unlike any other plants. Captivated by their unique shapes, humans have long enjoyed them as houseplants. But how much do we really know about cacti? Why do they have spines? How do they survive in the desert? Are they plants or trees, after all? This book answers these endless questions through 46 Q&As.

Author’s Information

Takanori Horibe was born in Motosu City, Gifu Prefecture in 1986. He graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, and completed his doctoral studies at the Graduate School of Applied Biology, Chubu University. After working in the news department of Gifu Broadcasting, he returned to academia. Since 2022, he has been an associate professor in the Faculty of Applied Biology, Chubu University. His main work is "Cacti are Amazing!" (Beret Publishing). He conducts research on the development of technologies to improve the productivity of cacti and their application to decarbonization technologies, and promotes numerous initiatives for the use of cacti in collaboration with local governments and private companies. He is the Asia Coordinator for "CactusNet," an international technical cooperation network for cacti. His hobbies are martial arts and visiting natural cactus habitats.