The Rebutiinae are a subtribe of

cacti 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, ...

belonging to the subfamily

Cactoideae The Cactoideae are the largest subfamily of the cactus family, Cactaceae, and are widely distributed throughout the Americas. Cactaceae is the 5th most endangered plant or animal family evaluated globally by the International Union for Conservati ...

, 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 ...

. A 2010 classification accepted seven or eight genera, but when

circumscribed In geometry, a circumscribed circle for a set of points is a circle passing through each of them. Such a circle is said to ''circumscribe'' the points or a polygon formed from them; such a polygon is said to be ''inscribed'' in the circle. * Circum ...

in this way, the subtribe was not

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

. A 2023 classification reduced Rebutiinae to three genera.

Description

Rebutiinae are large tree-like or shrubby plants. Their columnar shoots are articulated or not articulated. The ribs are usually heavily spined. The medium to large flowers appearing on the side usually open at night. Their pericarpel has imbricated scales. The areoles have thorns or bristles. The fleshy fruits are not bursting, scaly, thorned or glabrous. The medium-sized to large seeds are often wrinkled. The hilum and micropyle of the seeds are fused, an appendage is absent, and a mucous sheath is sometimes present.

Taxonomy

In a 2010 classification of the tribe

, the subtribe Rebutiinae comprised seven or eight genera, depending on whether ''

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 ...

'' was recognized as separate from ''

Rebutia ''Rebutia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cactaceae, native to Bolivia and Argentina. The limits of the genus have varied widely, depending on whether genera such as ''Aylostera'' and ''Weingartia'' are included or treated separate ...

''. It was accepted that with this

circumscription Circumscription may refer to: * Circumscribed circle * Circumscription (logic) *Circumscription (taxonomy) * Circumscription theory, a theory about the origins of the political state in the history of human evolution proposed by the American anthr ...

the subtribe was not

. A 2023

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study confirmed that the subtribe was not monophyletic, and proposed a reduced subtribe of just three genera.

Genera

In the 2023 classification, the subtribe contains three genera:

Former genera

The following genera were formerly placed in Rebutiinae: *''

'' Spegazzini – placed in the monotypic subtribe Aylosterinae *''

Gymnocalycium ''Gymnocalycium'', commonly called chin cactus, is a genus of about 70 South American species of cactus. The genus name ''Gymnocalycium'' (from Greek, "naked calyx") refers to the flower buds bearing no hair or spines. In a 2023 classification of ...

'' Mittler – placed in the monotypic subtribe Gymnocalyciinae *'' Lasiocereus'' F.Ritter – uncertainly placed in the subtribe

Trichocereinae Trichocereinae is a subtribe of cactus that are particular to South America. There are 28 recognized genera in this subtribe. Description Arborescent to shrubby, Trichocereinae normally form unsegmented, spherical to columnar stems that are usual ...

*'' Stetsonia'' Britt. & Rose – placed in the subtribe

Cereinae ''Cereinae'' is a subtribe of Cactus, cacti in the tribe Cereeae, subfamily Cactoideae. It is one of the six subtribes into which the tribe Cereeae was divided in 2023, the others being the monotypic Aylosterinae, Gymnocalyciinae, and Uebelmannii ...

*''

Uebelmannia ''Uebelmannia'' is genus of cactus, cacti, Native species, native to southeast Brazil. In a 2023 classification of the tribe Cereeae, it was placed as the only genus in the subtribe Uebelmanniinae, having formerly been placed in the subtribe Rebu ...

'' Buining – placed in the monotypic subtribe Uebelmanniinae

References

{{Cactus-stub