The Cactoideae are the largest subfamily of the cactus family,
Cactaceae
A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, ...
, and are widely distributed throughout the Americas. Cactaceae is the 5th most endangered plant or animal family evaluated globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Around 80% of cactus species belong to this subfamily. The genera of the Cactoideae are characterized by microscopic foliage leaves. All photosynthesis occurs in shoot cortex cells covered by a persistent epidermis and stomata. Another important characteristic of this subfamily is ribbed stems, which enable the inner cortex to expand radially without breaking the shoot surface to absorb large quantities of water.
[Mauseth, J. D. (2006). Structure–function relationships in highly modified shoots of Cactaceae.
''Annals of Botany, 98''(5), 901-926.]
, the internal classification of the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Cactaceae remained uncertain and subject to change. A classification incorporating many of the insights from the molecular studies was produced by Nyffeler and Eggli in 2010.
Various revisions have been published since, e.g. to the tribes
Hylocereeae
The Hylocereeae are a tribe of cacti. Most are found in the tropical forests of Central and northern South America, and are climbers or epiphytes, unlike most cacti. The tribe includes between six and eight genera in different circumscriptio ...
and
Echinocereeae
The Echinocereeae are a tribe of cactus, cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. Since 2006, the tribe has included the former tribe Pachycereeae in many treatments of cactus classification. The exact Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscription of the ...
,
and the tribe
Cereeae
Cereeae is a tribe of cacti belonging to the subfamily Cactoideae containing about 50 genera, divided in 2023 among six subtribes.
Description
Cereeae are tree-like or shrubby, sometimes climbing plants. Their mostly elongated to spherical, rib ...
.
[ Classifications remained uncertain .
]
Tribes and genera
* Blossfeldieae
** '' Blossfeldia''
* Fraileeae
**'' Frailea''
*Cereeae
Cereeae is a tribe of cacti belonging to the subfamily Cactoideae containing about 50 genera, divided in 2023 among six subtribes.
Description
Cereeae are tree-like or shrubby, sometimes climbing plants. Their mostly elongated to spherical, rib ...
[
** Aylosterinae
*** '']Aylostera
''Aylostera'', is a genus of cactus, native to central Bolivia and north western Argentina. ''Aylostera'' was formerly sunk into a broadly Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscribed genus ''Rebutia'', but Molecular phylogenetics, molecular phyloge ...
''
** Cereinae
*** '' Arrojadoa'' – '' Brasilicereus'' – '' Cereus'' – ''Cipocereus
''Cipocereus'' is a genus of cactus, cacti from Brazil. These species were previously included in the genera ''Pilosocereus'' and ''Cereus (plant), Cereus''.
Description
The plants of the genus ''Cipocereus'' are bushy, sometimes branched and co ...
'' – '' Coleocephalocereus'' – ''Discocactus
''Discocactus'' is a genus of Tropics, tropical cactus, cacti. ''Discocactus'' plants are endemic to southern Brazil, eastern Bolivia, and northern Paraguay. These species are in the risk of extinction in the wild.
Description
The species of th ...
'' – '' Espostoopsis'' – '' Facheiroa'' – ''Melocactus
''Melocactus'' (melon cactus), also known as the Turk's head cactus, Turk's cap cactus, or Pope's head cactus, is a genus of cactus with about 30–40 species. They are native to the Caribbean, western Mexico through Central America to northern S ...
'' – ''Micranthocereus
''Micranthocereus'' is genus of cactus. It originates from Brazil and includes about 10species.
The two genera ''Austrocephalocereus'' and ''Siccobaccatus'' have been brought into synonym (taxonomy), synonymy with this genus.
Species
, Plants o ...
'' – '' Pilosocereus'' – '' Praecereus'' – '' Stetsonia'' – '' Xiquexique''
** Gymnocalyciinae
*** '' Gymnocalycium ''
** Rebutiinae
*** '' Browningia'' –'' Castellanosia –'' Rebutia'' – ''Weingartia
'' Weingartia'' is a genus in the family Cactus, Cactaceae, with species native to Bolivia and Argentina. It was formerly included in ''Rebutia'', but Molecular phylogenetics, molecular phylogenetic evidence suggested that it was distinct from th ...
''
** Trichocereinae
***'' Acanthocalycium'' – '' Arthrocereus'' – '' Borzicactus'' – '' Chamaecereus'' – ''Cleistocactus
''Cleistocactus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, native to mountainous areas - to - of South America (Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina). The name comes from the Greek ''kleistos'' meaning closed because the fl ...
'' – '' Denmoza'' – ''Echinopsis
''Echinopsis'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti native plant, native to South America, sometimes known as hedgehog cactus, sea-urchin cactus or Easter lily cactus. , there are about 20 accepted species, ranging from large and treelike types to small ...
'' – '' Espostoa'' – '' Haageocereus'' – '' Harrisia'' – '' Lasiocereus'' – '' Leucostele'' – '' Lobivia'' – '' Loxanthocereus'' – '' Matucana'' – '' Mila'' – '' Oreocereus'' – '' Oroya'' – '' Rauhocereus'' – '' Reicheocactus'' – '' Samaipaticereus'' – '' Setiechinopsis'' – '' Soehrensia'' – ''Trichocereus
''Trichocereus'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti native species, native to South America (Bolivia, northern Chile, Ecuador and Peru).
Species
, Plants of the World Online accepted three species:
References
External links
*
*
Cacti of So ...
'' – '' Vatricania'' – ''Weberbauerocereus
''Weberbauerocereus'' is a genus of ceroid cactus, considered to be intermediate between the genera ''Trichocereus'' and ''Cleistocactus''. The genus is named after Augusto Weberbauer because of his extensive research in the Peruvian Andes. The ...
''
** Uebelmanniinae
*** '' Uebelmannia''
* Cacteae
Cacteae is a tribe of plants of the family Cactaceae found mainly in North America especially Mexico. , the internal classification of the family Cactaceae
A cactus (: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant f ...
** '' Acharagma'' – ''Ariocarpus
''Ariocarpus'' is a small genus of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Cactaceae.
It comes from limestone hills of Rio Grande in the south of Texas (''Ariocarpus fissuratus'') and also the north and the center of Mexico (all other speci ...
'' – '' Astrophytum'' – '' Aztekium'' – '' Chichimecactus'' – ''Cochemiea
''Cochemiea'' is a genus of cactus. The group was previously Synonym (taxonomy), synonymized with ''Mammillaria'', until Molecular phylogenetics, molecular phylogenetic studies determined that—when broadly Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscrib ...
'' – '' Coryphantha'' – ''Echinocactus
''Echinocactus'' is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient w ...
'' – '' Epithelantha'' – '' Ferocactus'' – ''Geohintonia
''Geohintonia mexicana'' (discovered in 1992) is a species of cactus, cacti, the only species in the genus ''Geohintonia''. This genus is named after its discoverer George S. Hinton. As its specific name (botany), specific epithet suggests, the pl ...
'' – '' Kadenicarpus'' – '' Kroenleinia'' – '' Leuchtenbergia'' – '' Lophophora'' – ''Mammillaria
''Mammillaria'' is one of the largest genera in the cactus family (Cactaceae), with currently 200 known species and varieties recognized. Most of the mammillarias are native to Mexico, while some come from the Southwestern United States, the C ...
'' – '' Obregonia'' – '' Pediocactus'' – ''Pelecyphora
''Pelecyphora'', pincushion cactus or foxtail cactus is a genus of cactus, cacti, comprising 20 species. They originate from Mexico and the United States.
Common species include the Missouri foxtail cactus ''Pelecyphora missouriensis, P. missour ...
'' – '' Rapicactus'' – '' Sclerocactus'' – '' Stenocactus'' – '' Strombocactus'' – '' Thelocactus'' – '' Turbinicarpus''
* Echinocereeae
The Echinocereeae are a tribe of cactus, cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. Since 2006, the tribe has included the former tribe Pachycereeae in many treatments of cactus classification. The exact Circumscription (taxonomy), circumscription of the ...
** ''Armatocereus
''Armatocereus'' (from Latin ''armatus'', "armed" and ''cereus'', "pliant/soft") is a genus of mostly tree-like cacti from South America (Ecuador and Peru). These species have a conspicuous constriction at the end of the annual growth. The flowe ...
'' – (''Acanthocereus'' is placed in Hylocereeae)[ –'' Austrocactus'' – '' Bergerocactus'' – '' Brachycereus'' – '' Carnegiea'' – '' Cephalocereus'' – '' Corryocactus'' – '' Echinocereus'' – '' Escontria'' – '' Isolatocereus'' – '' Jasminocereus'' – '' Leptocereus'' – '']Lophocereus
''Lophocereus'' is a genus of Cactus, cacti. It has often been merged into the genus ''Pachycereus'', but was separated in a 2019 revision of ''Pachycereus'', and is accepted by Plants of the World Online . Description
''Lophocereus'' are bushy ...
'' – '' Marshallocereus'' – '' Mitrocereus'' – '' Myrtillocactus'' – '' Neoraimondia'' –'' Pachycereus'' – '' Peniocereus'' – '' Pfeiffera'' – '' Pilosocereus'' – '' Polaskia'' – ''Stenocereus
''Stenocereus'' () is a genus of columnar or tree-like cactus, cacti from the Baja California Peninsula and other parts of Mexico, Arizona in the United States, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela and the West Indies. The genus has been en ...
'' – '' Strophocactus''
* Hylocereeae
The Hylocereeae are a tribe of cacti. Most are found in the tropical forests of Central and northern South America, and are climbers or epiphytes, unlike most cacti. The tribe includes between six and eight genera in different circumscriptio ...
[
** '' Acanthocereus'' – '' Deamia'' – '' Disocactus'' – '' Epiphyllum'' – '']Kimnachia
''Kimnachia'' is a monotypic genus of cacti. Its only species is ''Kimnachia ramulosa'', synonym ''Pseudorhipsalis ramulosa'', which is native from southern Mexico to northern South America and also found in Jamaica.
Description
''Kimnachia ra ...
'' – ''Pseudorhipsalis
''Pseudorhipsalis'' is genus of cactus, cacti. This genus is often included in ''Disocactus''. It is epiphytic, many branched, and elongated with flattened, serrated cladodes. In its early life, it stands erect, but soon becomes prostrate. It pro ...
'' – '' Selenicereus'' (including ''Hylocereus'') – ''Weberocereus
''Weberocereus'' is genus of cacti. It produces a green and white flower and is found mainly in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Description
The species of the genus ''Weberocereus'' grows climbing or hanging, epiphytic or lithophytic. Their shoots, w ...
''
* Lymanbensonieae
** '' Calymmanthium'' – '' Lymanbensonia''
* Notocacteae
** '' Copiapoa'' – '' Eriosyce'' – '' Neowerdermannia'' – ''Parodia
''Parodia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cactaceae, native to the eastern slopes of the Andes in northwestern Argentina and southwestern Bolivia and in the lowland pampas regions of northeastern Argentina, southern Brazil, east ...
'' – Rimacactus– '' Yavia''
* Rhipsalideae
The Rhipsalideae are a small tribe of cacti, comprising four or five genera (and around 60 species). They grow on trees (epiphytes) or on rocks (lithophytes), where they either hang down or form creeping or upright shrubs. Their flowers open in ...
** ''Hatiora
''Hatiora'' is a small genus of epiphytic cacti which belongs to the tribe Rhipsalideae within the subfamily Cactoideae of the Cactaceae. Recent taxonomic studies have led to the three species formerly placed in subgenus ''Rhipsalidopsis'' bein ...
'' – '' Lepismium'' – '' Rhipsalis'' – '' Rhipsalidopsis'' – ''Schlumbergera
''Schlumbergera'' is a small genus of cactus, cacti with six to nine species found in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil. These plants grow on trees or rocks in habitats that are generally shady with high humidity, and can be quite d ...
''
*''incertae sedis
or is a term used for a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...
''
** Cremnocereus
References
Caryophyllales subfamilies
{{Cactaceae-stub