Carnegiea

/kɑɹˈniːdʒiə/ noun

Definition

A genus of giant columnar cacti native to southwestern North America, including the famous saguaro cactus.

Etymology

Named after Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist, by botanists who wished to honor him. The -ea suffix is standard for plant genus names.

Kelly Says

Andrew Carnegie never set foot in the desert, but the giant saguaro cactus is named after him because his charitable foundation funded botanical research that discovered and classified these amazing plants.

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