Cacti in all shapes and sizes are protruding through the dry sand along with a rotted tree trunk nearby.

The air is warm and the breeze is scarce but then these are the perfect conditions for some of the succulents and cacti on display in the JJ Outerbridge Building at the Botanical Gardens.

The exhibit, which is called "Succulent Summer'', also contains more tropical scenes in the rear.

It is the first of many educational displays that slat house-skilled gardener Laura Cox, who works at the Department of Agricultural Fisheries and Parks, will be creating.

"I wanted to show the public that there is more than one habitat that cacti come from,'' Mrs. Cox said.

She added: "The display shows that the cacti are not just from the desert and we are introducing the public to succulents.

"All cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. A unique and distinct cacti feature is the areole, which is the plant's growing point. This is where the spines, flowers etc. come out. No other succulents have the areole.

"A succulent is a plant that has a modified water storage organ which is either in the roots, leaf or stem. The plants need this because most succulents are from a habitat in which they need an extra water resource because of low rainfalls causing dry periods.'' Mrs. Cox also said the display also corresponds with a lecture she gave in June on cacti and succulents to the Bermuda Botanical Society. "The purpose of that meeting was to introduce a cacti and succulent club which has its first meeting on September 25.

"There are four different habitats on display -- desert, mountain and grassland, which are dry habitats, and tropical forest.

"In the tropical forest exhibit you find all your epiphytic cacti. They grow on other plants without harming them. They are not parasitic they just grow off of other plants and they don't use their roots like normal plants.

"They have arial roots that collect moisture out of the air and nutrients from the bark of dying tree bark.'' Mrs. Cox also said that four stations were set up in the exhibit. "In the first one we have families that make up groups of succulents, in the second there is a focus on one of the families -- the cactus family, the third consists of Bermuda succulents that can be found growing wild, including our native prickly pears.

"And in the fourth station there are economic succulents including the cacti.

They are labelled economic because of their medicinal uses, and their ability to be a source of food, shelter, and fences.

"It is a real family educational display.'' Mrs. Cox added that the department was hoping to have quarterly displays of an educational nature.

"This display will end in three weeks so we encourage everyone to come down and have a look.

"We hope to put up a new display in September which will focus on showing Bermudians how to use small patio space and little money for an effective pretty display. The name of the exhibit will be Container Crazy.'' SUCCULENT SUMMER -- Agriculture and Fisheries gardener Laura Cox stands in the centre of her cacti exhibit located in the JJ Outerbridge Building at the Botanical Gardens.