[FZ]
Cactaceae, M. L. Gonçalves. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978
- Morphology General Habit
- Succulent perennials with stems of varied shape and bristles arising from complex axillary structures (areoles)
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers solitary on areoles, sessile (except in Pereskia), bisexual, usually actinomorphic; perianth segments ? (5–13 in species of FZ area), imbricate in bud, with gradual transition between sepals and petals, fused below to form a tube (hypanthium)
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
- Stamens ?, inserted at base of perianth; anthers 2-thecous, splitting longitudinally
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
- Carpels 3–?, syncarpous; ovary inferior, unilocular with 3–? parietal placentas; ovules ?; style single with 3–? stigmatic lobes
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit a berry
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds ?
[NTK]
Zappi, D. (2009). Neotropical Cactaceae.
- Morphology
-
Description
Trees, shrubs or herbs, sometimes epiphytes, with three distinct types of branch: normal vegetative branches, areoles (reduced branches that can originate stems, spines or flowering branches) and flowering branches. Developed leaves present in one subfamily (Pereskioideae), reduced leaves present in Opuntioideae, Cactoideae devoid of leaves. Branches green, photosynthetic, succulent , ribs and tubercles present. Spines organized within areoles, together with hairs and bristles, specialized serrated spines and glochid present only in Opuntioideae. Flowers generally showy, epigynous , with receptacular inferior ovary , solitary or in inflorescences, externally with areoles, bracts and many perianth segments arranged spirally and showing a transition between sepaloid (external) and petaloid (internal) segments, flower tube generally developed, nectar chamber above the ovary and basal region of the tube, stamens numerous, filaments fleshy ; ovary unilocular, originated from the fusion of many carpels (generally number of carpels reflected in the number of stigma lobes). Fruits berry -like, fleshy , multi-seeded, indehiscent or dehiscent , seeds cochleariform, with bone-like testa in Opuntioideae, testa dark and normally shiny in Pereskoideae and Cactoideae.
- Distribution
-
Distribution in the Neotropics
- Neotropical distribution with the exception of one species, Rhipsalis baccifera (J.S.Mill.) Stearn, distributed in the Old World.
- Diagnostic
-
Other important characters
- Succulence.
- Spines.
- Many perianth transitional segments (sepals and petals).
- Rarely present latex (different from succulentEuphorbiaceae).
- Spines are produced in areoles (different from other stem succulents like Asclepiadaceae, Euphorbiaceae, etc.).
- Cereus Mill.: Tree-like with naked large nocturnal flowers and fruits dehiscent by longitudinal slits, 30+ species mostly S. American.
- Pilosocereus Byles & G.D.Rowley: Shrubby to tree-like with nocturnal, dull, smelly flowers and fruits subglobose dehiscent by irregular slits, 30+ speices mostly S. American.
- Melocactus (L.) Link & Otto: Globose, with cephalium and small diurnal red, pink or magenta flowers, fruits white to deep red, 30+ species South American and Caribbean.
- Epiphyllum Haw.: Foliose, epiphytic with showy, large flowers, 15+ species mostly Caribbean.
- Rhipsalis Gaertn.: Epiphytic, string-like, with small white flowers without tube and fleshy fruits, 30+ species, mostly Brazilian Atlantic forest.
- Mammillaria Haw.: Small globose to cylindric, with tubercles and two different types of areoles, latex sometimes present, small flowers appearing in rings around the stem, 50+ species mostly Mexican.
- Echinopsis Zucc.: Variable habit from tree-like to globose, large flowers white to deep red, externally with areoles and hairs, 50+ species mostly Andean.
- Parodia Speg.: Globose to cylindric, flowers diurnal yellow to red or pink, short tube.
- Opuntia Mill.: Shrubs to tree-like plants with reduced, scale-like leaves and flattened pads with glochids and serrate spines, flower with well defined green pericarpel, no tube, sensitive stamens, c. 200+ species mostly Caribbean and North American.
- Pereskia Mill.: Trees or climbers with well developed leaves, flowers without developed tube, white, orange, pink or red, fruits indehiscent with large seeds, c. 18 species South American and Caribbean.
First subdivide in Subfamilies:
- Opuntioideae have bony seeds, serrated spines and glochids.
- Pereskoideae have really well developed leaves and are not very succulent.
- Cactoideae are stem succulents without leaves, with black shiny seeds.
Useful characters to define tribes/genera:
- With or without conspicuous areoles.
- Presence/absence of ribs.
- Flowering structure (cephalium).
- Fruits (aspect, dehiscence).
- Seed characters.
- Presence of three types of branches: vegetative expanded branches, reduced structure bearing branches called areoles (specific to the family), flowering branches.
- Receptacular inferior ovary.
- Spines (sometimes lacking or profoundly modified).
- General Description
-
Number of genera
- 124 genera, over 1,300 species.
The three main centres of diversity of this largely Neotropical family are the highly endemic drylands of Mexico, the Argentinian/Bolivian Andes and Eastern Brazil. A large proportion of the species are endemic to deserts and arid regions, but there are also epiphytes in the wettest forests of the Neotropics. The taxonomy of this family has been shaped by the important contribution of amateurs, who discovered and described a large number of species, many of them in cultivation nowadays.
Status- Cultivated under glass in temperate regions, naturalised outdoors in the Paleotropics (in Australia some Opuntia became weeds), especially Opuntia ficus-indica Mill. (from Mexico but widely cultivated and introduced in Mediterranean regions, nowadays part of the culture in Europe); endemic species are endangered through habitat destruction and modification (agriculture, irrigation) and, to a lesser scale, by overcollection by amateurs.
- DNA studies show that Portulacaceae possibly cannot be separated from Cactaceae because it lacks autoapomorphies; Cactaceae however presents areoles which are not present as such in Portulacaceae.
- Literature
-
Important literature
Hunt, D., Taylor, N., Charles, G. 2006. The New Cactus Lexicon. 2 vols.
[FTEA]
Cactaceae, R. Hunt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968
- Morphology General Habit
- Highly specialized fleshy perennials of diverse habit
- Morphology Stem
- Stems terete, globular, flattened or fluted, mostly leafless and variously spiny; spines always arising from complex axillary structures (areoles)
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers solitary or rarely clustered, sessile (except in Pereskia), almost always bisexual, usually regular
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
- Perianth segments ?, closely imbricated in bud, in a sepaloid to petaloid series, ± free or fused below to form a short or elongate tube (hypanthium)
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
- Stamens ?; filaments variously inserted on or at base of perianth; anthers 2-thecous, splitting longitudinally
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
- Ovary almost always inferior, with 3–? parietal placentas; ovules ?; style single; stigma-lobes 3–?
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit a dry or juicy berry, often spiny, bristly or scaly
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds ?, variously arillate or carunculate, with or without endosperm; embryo straight or curved
- Distribution
- A large, almost exclusively American family, several of whose members are grown as ornamentals in East Africa. The epiphytic genus >i>Rhipsalis is sometimes considered to be indigenous in Africa, and a number of >i>Opuntia species have become widely naturalized
[FWTA]
Cactaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954
- Morphology General Habit
- Succulent herbs and shrubs of diverse habit, often very spiny, and usually with much reduced leaves
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
- Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, often handsome, but very small in the African species (Rhipsalis)
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
- Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary and often produced beyond; lobes few to many, or reduced to minute teeth
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
- Petals 6 or more
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
- Stamens numerous, free or adnate to the base of the petals
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
- Ovary inferior, 1-celled, with parietal many- or rarely few-ovuled placentas; stigma usually radiate
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
- Fruit baccate, many-seeded
- Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
- Seeds mostly without endosperm
- Acanthocalycium Backeb.
- Acanthocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
- Acharagma (N.P.Taylor) Zimmerman ex Glass
- Airampoa Fric
- Aporocactus Lem.
- Ariocarpus Scheidw.
- Armatocereus Backeb.
- Arrojadoa Britton & Rose
- Arthrocereus A.Berger
- Astrophytum Lem.
- Austrocactus Britton & Rose
- Austrocylindropuntia Backeb.
- Aztekium Boed.
- Bergerocactus Britton & Rose
- Blossfeldia Werderm.
- Borzicactus Riccob.
- Brachycereus Britton & Rose
- Brasilicereus Backeb.
- Brasiliopuntia (K.Schum.) A.Berger
- Browningia Britton & Rose
- Calymmanthium F.Ritter
- Carnegiea Britton & Rose
- Castellanosia Cárdenas
- Cephalocereus Pfeiff.
- Cereus Mill.
- Chamaecereus Britton & Rose
- Cipocereus F.Ritter
- Cleistocactus Lem.
- × Cleistocana G.D.Rowley
- Cochemiea (K.Brandegee) Walton
- Coleocephalocereus Backeb.
- Consolea Lem.
- Copiapoa Britton & Rose
- Corryocactus Britton & Rose
- Coryphantha (Engelm.) Lem.
- Cremnocereus M.Lowry, Winberg & Gut.Romero
- Cumarinia (Knuth) Buxb.
- Cumulopuntia F.Ritter
- Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) F.M.Knuth
- Deamia Britton & Rose
- Dendrocereus Britton & Rose
- Denmoza Britton & Rose
- Discocactus Pfeiff.
- Disocactus Lindl.
- Echinocactus Link & Otto
- Echinocereus Engelm.
- Echinopsis Zucc.
- Epiphyllum Haw.
- Epithelantha F.A.C.Weber ex Britton & Rose
- Eriosyce Phil.
- Escobaria Britton & Rose
- Escontria Rose
- Espostoa Britton & Rose
- Espostoopsis Buxb.
- Eulychnia Phil.
- Facheiroa Britton & Rose
- Ferocactus Britton & Rose
- Frailea Britton & Rose
- Geohintonia Glass & W.A.Fitz Maur.
- Grusonia K.Schum.
- Gymnocalycium Pfeiff. ex Mittler
- Haageocereus Backeb.
- × Haagespostoa G.D.Rowley
- Harrisia Britton
- Hatiora Britton & Rose
- Isolatocereus Backeb.
- Jasminocereus Britton & Rose
- Kadenicarpus Doweld
- Kroenleinia Lodé
- Lagenosocereus Doweld
- Lasiocereus F.Ritter
- Lemaireocereus Britton & Rose
- Leocereus Britton & Rose
- Lepismium Pfeiff.
- Leptocereus Britton & Rose
- Leuchtenbergia Hook.
- Leucostele Backeb.
- Leuenbergeria Lodé
- Lophocereus Britton & Rose
- Lophophora J.M.Coult.
- Loxanthocereus Backeb.
- Lymanbensonia Kimnach
- Maihuenia Phil.
- Maihueniopsis Speg.
- Mammillaria Haw.
- Marshallocereus Backeb.
- Matucana Britton & Rose
- Melocactus Link & Otto
- Micranthocereus Backeb.
- Mila Britton & Rose
- Miqueliopuntia Fric ex F.Ritter
- Mirabella F.Ritter
- Mitrocereus (Backeb.) Backeb.
- Morangaya G.D.Rowley
- × Myrtgerocactus Moran
- Myrtillocactus Console
- Neolloydia Britton & Rose
- Neoraimondia Britton & Rose
- Neowerdermannia Fric
- Nyctocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
- Obregonia Fric
- Opuntia Mill.
- Oreocereus Riccob.
- × Oreonopsis G.D.Rowley
- Oroya Britton & Rose
- × Pachebergia S.Arias & Terrazas
- × Pacherocactus G.D.Rowley
- Pachycereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
- Parodia Speg.
- Pediocactus Britton & Rose
- Pelecyphora C.Ehrenb.
- Peniocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose
- Pereskia Mill.
- Pereskiopsis Britton & Rose
- Pfeiffera Salm-Dyck
- Pilosocereus Byles & G.D.Rowley
- × Polascontria Y.Cruz & S.Vázquez
- Polaskia Backeb.
- Praecereus Buxb.
- Pseudoacanthocereus F.Ritter
- Pseudorhipsalis Britton & Rose
- Pterocactus K.Schum.
- Pterocereus T.MacDoug. & Miranda
- Punotia D.R.Hunt
- Quiabentia Britton & Rose
- Rapicactus Buxb. & Oehme
- Rauhocereus Backeb.
- Rebutia K.Schum.
- Rhipsalidopsis Britton & Rose
- Rhipsalis Gaertn.
- Rhodocactus (A.Berger) F.M.Knuth
- Salmonopuntia P.V.Heath
- Samaipaticereus Cárdenas
- Schlumbergera Lem.
- Sclerocactus Britton & Rose
- Selenicereus Britton & Rose
- Stenocactus (K.Schum.) A.Berger
- Stenocereus (A.Berger) Riccob.
- Stephanocereus A.Berger
- Stetsonia Britton & Rose
- Strombocactus Britton & Rose
- Strophocactus Britton & Rose
- Tacinga Britton & Rose
- Tephrocactus Lem.
- Thelocactus (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose
- Trichocereus (A.Berger) Riccob.
- × Trichomoza Font & Picca
- Turbinicarpus (Backeb.) Buxb. & Backeb.
- Uebelmannia Buining
- Vatricania Backeb.
- Weberbauerocereus Backeb.
- Weberocereus Britton & Rose
- Xiquexique Lavor, Calvente & Versieux
- Yavia R.Kiesling & Piltz
- Yungasocereus F.Ritter
Cactaceae Juss. appears in other Kew resources:
First published in Gen. Pl. [Jussieu] 310. 1789 [4 Aug 1789] (1789)
Accepted by
- APG IV (2016) http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/boj.12385
-
Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible
ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
-
Flora Zambesiaca
Flora Zambesiaca
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Flora of West Tropical Africa
Flora of West Tropical Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
-
Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
-
Neotropikey
Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0