春天盛开的沙漠毒菊，索诺拉沙漠，亚利桑那州 Brittlebushes blooming in springtime, Sonoran Desert, Arizona (© Charles Harker/Getty Images)

春天盛开的沙漠毒菊，索诺拉沙漠，亚利桑那州 Brittlebushes blooming in springtime, Sonoran Desert, Arizona (© Charles Harker/Getty Images)

最热的地方也有凉爽之处 Even the hottest places are cool!

索诺拉沙漠，亚利桑那州

当温暖的阳光照在你身上时，你就知道自己来到了亚利桑那州的索诺拉沙漠！在这片干旱的土地上，生活着各种动物，如走鹃、吉拉毒蜥和沙漠乌龟。索诺拉沙漠有两个雨季，因此会有五颜六色的野花盛开，图中的沙漠毒菊就是其中之一。这些耐寒的灌木适应了干燥的气候，银灰色的叶子上覆盖着细毛，有助于减少蒸腾作用导致的水分流失。沙漠毒菊开出鲜艳的黄色花朵，一簇簇地挂在枝头，为沙漠增添了一抹亮色。另一种耐旱的沙漠植物是名为巨人柱的仙人掌，它可以活150多年，长到40英尺高。这些仙人掌为沙漠物种提供食物和栖息地。在托霍诺奥德姆人的文化中，仙人掌也是一种神圣的植物，可以用来满足生活需求和举行宗教仪式。

The Sonoran Desert, Arizona

Welcome to the Sonoran Desert, where life thrives despite the heat thanks to two seasons of rainfall. This subtropical desert spreads across parts of Mexico, California, and Arizona and is home to animals such as roadrunners, Gila monsters, and the Morafka's desert tortoise. Its rainy seasons are followed by the blossoming of colorful wildflowers such as the brittlebush, seen in today's image. These hardy shrubs are adapted to the dry seasons, with their silvery-gray leaves covered in fine hairs that help reduce water loss. Brittlebushes produce bright yellow flowers that bloom in clusters, adding splashes of color to the desert landscape. Another drought-loving desert flora is the saguaro cactus, which can live for over 150 years and grow up to 40 feet tall. The saguaro also provides food and shelter for desert species and is a sacred plant in the culture of the Tohono O'odham people.