Succulents via cacti!

All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti: a cactus is merely a succulent with spines. Most cacti have lost any true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. The spines also protect the plants from being eaten by most animals. ■ Succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, which means ‘juice’ or ‘sap’.