Cactaceae

Plants

175 genera · 2386 species in the Library

About

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 131 genera with some 1,866 known species. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy organs adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where water storage takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis.

Summary from Wikipedia

Mammillaria

203 species

Opuntia

201 species

Echinocereus

106 species

Echinocactus

105 species

Cereus

90 species

Gymnocalycium

83 species

Parodia

73 species

Pilosocereus

61 species

Eriosyce

59 species

Rhipsalis

53 species

Coryphantha

52 species

Cylindropuntia

50 species

Melocactus

50 species

Cochemiea

42 species

Frailea

39 species

Echinopsis

36 species

Lobivia

33 species

Copiapoa

32 species

Selenicereus

31 species

Weingartia

26 species

Borzicactus

25 species

Disocactus

25 species

Soehrensia

25 species

Stenocereus

25 species

Ferocactus

23 species

Pelecyphora

23 species

Sclerocactus

23 species

Matucana

22 species

Cactus

20 species

Grusonia

20 species

Harrisia

19 species

Epiphyllum

18 species

Maihueniopsis

18 species

Cephalocereus

17 species

Cleistocactus

17 species

Corryocactus

17 species

Turbinicarpus

17 species

Acanthocereus

16 species

Discocactus

16 species

Pereskia

16 species

Thelocactus

16 species

Leptocereus

15 species

Haageocereus

14 species

Rebutia

14 species

Tephrocactus

14 species

Cumulopuntia

13 species

Leucostele

13 species

Pterocactus

13 species

Pachycereus

12 species

Arrojadoa

11 species

Austrocactus

11 species

Browningia

11 species

Espostoa

11 species

Schlumbergera

11 species

Stenocactus

11 species

Tacinga

11 species

Ariocarpus

10 species

Epithelantha

10 species

Micranthocereus

10 species

Aylostera

9 species

Myrtillocactus

9 species

Oreocereus

9 species

Peniocereus

9 species

Armatocereus

8 species

Coleocephalocereus

8 species

Consolea

8 species

Hatiora

8 species

Lepismium

8 species

Leuenbergeria

8 species

Weberbauerocereus

8 species

Weberocereus

8 species

Astrophytum

7 species

Austrocylindropuntia

7 species

Pediocactus

7 species

Chamaecereus

6 species

Cipocereus

6 species

Eulychnia

6 species

Pereskiopsis

6 species

Pfeiffera

6 species

Pseudorhipsalis

6 species

Acanthocalycium

5 species

Arthrocereus

5 species

Lymanbensonia

5 species

Parrycactus

5 species

Trichocereus

5 species

Airampoa

4 species

Bisnaga

4 species

Disoselenicereus

4 species

Escobaria

4 species

Facheiroa

4 species

Rapicactus

4 species

Strophocactus

4 species

Xiquexique

4 species

Brasilicereus

3 species

Deamia

3 species

Haagespostoa

3 species

Kadenicarpus

3 species

Lophophora

3 species

Pierrebraunia

3 species

Strombocactus

3 species

Uebelmannia

3 species

Acharagma

2 species

Aporocactus

2 species

Brasiliopuntia

2 species

Cylindrolobivia

2 species

Lasiocereus

2 species

Maihuenia

2 species

Neoraimondia

2 species

Neowerdermannia

2 species

Nopalea

2 species

Notocactus

2 species

Oroya

2 species

Praecereus

2 species

Puna

2 species

Quiabentia

2 species

Reicheocactus

2 species

Salmonopuntia

2 species

Aporberocereus

1 species

Aporodisocactus

1 species

Aporophyllum

1 species

Aztekium

1 species

Aztekonia

1 species

Bergerocactus

1 species

Blossfeldia

1 species

Brachycereus

1 species

Brittonia

1 species

Caerulocereus

1 species

Calymmanthium

1 species

Carnegiea

1 species

Cassyta

1 species

Castellanosia

1 species

Chamaebivia

1 species

Chamaezicactus

1 species

Cochemeia

1 species

Cremnocereus

1 species

Cumarinia

1 species

Denmoza

1 species

Diphalocereus

1 species

Espostoopsis

1 species

Estevesia

1 species

Geohintonia

1 species

Harrisinopsis

1 species

Isillocactus

1 species

Jasminocereus

1 species

Kroenleinia

1 species

Lagenosocereus

1 species

Lemaireocereus

1 species

Leocereus

1 species

Leuchtenbergia

1 species

Leucomoza

1 species

Loxanthocereus

1 species

Marginatocereus

1 species

Micropuntia

1 species

Mila

1 species

Miqueliopuntia

1 species

Myrtgerocactus

1 species

Nyctocereus

1 species

Obregonia

1 species

Pacherocactus

1 species

Patrocereus

1 species

Polascontria

1 species

Punotia

1 species

Rapicarpus

1 species

Rauhocereus

1 species

Rhipsalidopsis

1 species

Rhipsatiora

1 species

Rimacactus

1 species

Samaipaticereus

1 species

Setiechinopsis

1 species

Stetsonia

1 species

Trichoechinopsis

1 species

Turbinicactus

1 species

Turbiniphora

1 species

Yavia

1 species

Yungasocereus

1 species