Cacteae is a tribe of

plant Plants are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic eukaryotes of the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all curr ...

s of the family

Cactaceae A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

found mainly in North America especially Mexico. , the internal classification of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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.

Description

The spherical to short columnar plants grow individually or in cushions. Their size varies from dwarf (''

Turbinicarpus ''Turbinicarpus'' is a genus of very small to medium-sized cacti, which inhabit the north-eastern regions of Mexico, in particular the states of San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Zacateca ...

'') to huge (''

Ferocactus ''Ferocactus'' is a genus of large barrel-shaped cacti, mostly with large spines and small flowers. There are about 30 species included in the genus. They are found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Description The y ...

''). The non-segmented shoot axis is ribbed (''

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 ancient world from around 1500 B ...

''), warty (''

Coryphantha ''Coryphantha'' (from Greek, "flowering on the top"), or beehive cactus, is a genus of small to middle-sized, globose or columnar cacti. The genus is native to arid parts of Central America, Mexico, through Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas ...

'') or ribbed-warty. The size and shape of the warts ranges from long and leafy (''

Leuchtenbergia ''Leuchtenbergia'' is a genus of cactus which has only one species, ''Leuchtenbergia principis'' (agave cactus or prism cactus). It is native to north-central Mexico ( San Luis Potosi, Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (stat ...

'') to broad with flat axillae (''Turbinicarpus''). The

areole In botany, areoles are small light- to dark-colored bumps on cacti out of which grow clusters of spines. Areoles are important diagnostic features of cacti, and identify them as a family distinct from other succulent plants. Gordon Rowley - Wh ...

s are usually oval, ribbon-like, grooved, or dimorphic. The small to medium-sized, regular to rarely bilaterally symmetrical flowers appear below the crown and open during the day. The fruits are fleshy to juicy berry-like, with a scaly to glabrous

pericarp Fruit anatomy is the plant anatomy of the internal structure of fruit. Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Ag ...

. They are bursting to non-bursting or simply crumbling. The small to large seeds vary in shape and surface structure of the seed coat.

Genera

The classification of cacti is in flux; the following list of genera is that from Nyffeler and Eggli (2010). * ''

Acharagma ''Acharagma'' is a genus of two cactus species from northern Mexico. Description These cacti are usually solitary but sometimes occur in small clusters. The globose stems tend to be about 3–7 cm in diameter. The ribs have tubercles, with ...

'' * ''

Ariocarpus ''Ariocarpus'' is a small genus of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Cactaceae. The name comes from the ancient Greek "aria" (an oak type) and "carpos" (=fruit) because of the resemblance of the fruit of the two genus in acorn form. ...

'' * ''

Astrophytum ''Astrophytum'' is a genus of six species of cacti, native to North America. These species are sometimes referred to as living rocks, though the term is also used for other genera, particularly ''Lithops'' ( Aizoaceae). The generic name is de ...

'' * ''

Aztekium The genus ''Aztekium'' contains three species of small globular cactus. Discovered in 1929 by F. Ritter, in Rayones, Nuevo León, Mexico, this genus was thought to be monotypic (with '' Aztekium ritteri'') until a second species (''Aztekium h ...

'' *'' Cochemiea'' has been split off since Nyffeler and Eggli (2010) * ''

'' * ''

Digitostigma ''Astrophytum'' is a genus of six species of cacti, native to North America. These species are sometimes referred to as living rocks, though the term is also used for other genera, particularly ''Lithops'' (Aizoaceae). The generic name is deri ...

'' * ''

Echinomastus ''Echinomastus'' (meaning "spiny breast") is a genus of cacti A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. ...

'' * ''

Epithelantha ''Epithelantha'' (button cactus) is a genus of cactus that is native to north-eastern Mexico, and the south-western United States from western Texas to Arizona. There are eight species recognised in the genus ''Epithelantha''. The name ''Epithela ...

'' * ''

Escobaria ''Escobaria'', pincushion cactus or foxtail cactus is a genus of low-growing cacti that range from the southernmost parts of central and western Canada through northern Mexico, with one species in Cuba. The genus comprises about 23 species. The ...

'' * ''

Geohintonia ''Geohintonia mexicana'' (discovered in 1992) is a species of cacti, the only species in the genus ''Geohintonia''. This genus is named after its discoverer George S. Hinton. As its specific epithet suggests, the plant is found in Mexico (Nuevo Le ...

'' * ''

Lophophora ''Lophophora'' () is a genus of spineless, button-like cacti. Its area range covers southern through northeastern and north-central Mexico to Querétaro in central Mexico. The species are extremely slow growing, sometimes taking up to thirty ye ...

'' * ''

Mammillaria ''Mammillaria'' is one of the largest genera in the cactus family ( Cactaceae), with currently 200 known species and varieties recognized. Most of the mammillaria are native to Mexico, but some come from the southwest United States, the Caribb ...

'' – * '' Mammilloydia'' * ''

Obregonia ''Obregonia'', the artichoke cactus, is a monotypic genus of cacti, containing the species ''Obregonia denegrii''. The species is endemic to the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico. The genus ''Obregonia'' is named after Álvaro Obregón, while the ...

'' * ''

Pediocactus ''Pediocactus'' ( Greek: πεδίον (pedion) means "plain", "flat", "field") is a genus of cacti. The genus comprises between 6 and 11 species, depending upon the authority. Species of this genus are referred to as hedgehog cacti, though that ...

'' * ''

Pelecyphora ''Pelecyphora'' is a genus of cacti, comprising 2 species. They originate from Mexico. ''Pelecyphora'' is known for its medicinal properties and may have been utilized as a psychoactive in the same way as '' Lophophora williamsii''. It is kn ...

'' * ''

Sclerocactus ''Sclerocactus'' ("hard cactus", from Greek; refers to the hard, dry fruit) is a genus of cacti. It comprises about 15 species, the exact number depending on the authority. These species are very xerophytic. They are sometimes called 'fishhook ...

'' * '' Stenocactus'' * '' Strombocactus'' * ''

Thelocactus ''Thelocactus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae. Members of the genus are native to the arid lands of Central and Northern Mexico. Description ''Thelocactus'' species are globe-shaped, short and cylindrical. They ...

'' * ''

'' – ''

Kadenicarpus ''Kadenicarpus'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Cactaceae. It is native to eastern Mexico. It has been synonymized with ''Turbinicarpus'' but molecular phylogenetic studies have supported its monophyly and separation from t ...

'' and ''

Rapicactus ''Rapicactus'' is a genus of cactus in the tribe Cacteae, subfamily Cactoideae. It has been synonymized with '' Turbinicarpus'' but molecular phylogenetic studies have supported its monophyly and separation from that genus. Taxonomy The genus '' ...

'' have been split off since Nyffeler and Eggli (2010). The type genus is ''

''.

References

Cactoideae Caryophyllales tribes {{cactus-stub