PHOENIX, July 25 (Reuters) - Arizona's saguaro cacti, a symbol of the U.S. West, are leaning, losing arms and in some cases falling over during the state's record streak of extreme heat, a scientist said on Tuesday. [1/4]View of a Saguaro, a resilient desert cacti affected by Arizona's extreme heat and prolonged drought, in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Liliana SalgadoPlant physiologists at the Phoenix garden are studying how much heat cacti can take. Arizona's heat wave is testing those assumptions. Cacti in Phoenix are being studied as the city is a heat island, mimicking higher temperatures plants in the wild are expected to face with future climate change, Hernandez said.

---

Persons: Tania Hernandez, Hernandez, Liliana Salgado Plant, Liliana Salgado, Andrew Hay, Sandra Maler Organizations: PHOENIX, U.S ., REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Phoenix, Phoenix , Arizona, U.S