Saguaro
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The saguaro is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea that can grow to be over 12 meters tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the
Carnegiea gigantea in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona during November
Old growth saguaro
Some saguaros are cristate or "crested" due to fasciation.
A house sparrow nesting on a saguaro cactus
Fasciation
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Fasciation, also known as cresting, is a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in vascular plants in which the apical meristem, which normally is concentrated around a single point and produces
Saguaro
…formation is believed to be found in one in roughly 10,000 saguaros, with 2,743 crested saguaros documented as of 2020. The crest formation, caused by fasciation, creates a seam of abnormal growth along the top or top of the arm of the saguaro. Inside the saguaro, many "ribs" of wood form something like a skeleton…
Wyethia helianthoides or mule's ear wildflower (on right) showing fasciation
A "cockscomb" strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa)
An example of fasciation, or "cresting," on a coneflower (Echinacea).