Spiny cacti sprout tiny leaves

clipped from www.abc.net.au Jennifer Viegas Cacti, the hardy plants best known for their spines, have tiny leaves that may well be the world's smallest, according to a new study. The findings, published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Plant Sciences, not only add to the fascination surrounding these already unusual plants, they may also broaden the known functions of leaves. But curious cacti owners who want to glimpse the leaves should watch out. "They need to be careful of spines close to their eyes," says author James Mauseth, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Austin at Texas. He says that the newly found leaves are best viewed under a microscope and exist at the base of spine clusters. Leaf sizes ranged from 30 to 2310 micrometres, so the documented cactus leaves may very well be the world's smallest. Mauseth suggests that cacti began as regular, leafy plants in the Americas, with many species later evolving spines. Some cacti, in fact, still have large leaves and stems