File:Only these can grow here... (5837089933).jpg

English: In the dry inland portions of the Galapagos Islands the most common plant is the Cactus. These succulents, able to store water in their stems and leaves, thrive in hostile climates and during times of drought. Most cacti have spines, which have evolved from leaves. The spines are a fundamental part of the Cacti, used to guard against grazing animals making the plant difficult to chew, offer shade keeping the internal temperature of the plant down, and it channels any rainwater towards the base of the plant. The waxy coating that covers the skin of the cactus known as the glaucus bloom reduces evaporation by the plant by holding in moisture. Leaf like stems known as pads store and conserve moisture and works as photosynthetic organs for the cacti.

The lava cactus (Brachycereus nesioticus) is a species of cactus and the sole species of the genus Brachycereus. The plant is a colonizer of lava fields, hence its common name.

Growing in lava fields as their name suggests, these small cactus grow in clumps measuring up to 23 in (60 cm) in height. New growth on the cacti is yellow as the cacti mature the color fades becoming paler and eventually becomes a gray or black color with age. The creamy white flowers are visible in the early morning hours only, and have normally faded by 8 in the morning.