This article should be translated (or additional material should be added) from material at de:Kakteengewächse. Please expand this article. Further information might be found in a section of the talk page or at Requests for expansion. This article is about the plant family. For the genus Cactus, see Mammillaria, Melocactus and Opuntia. For other meanings, see Cactus (disambiguation). ?Cacti Ferocactus pilosus (Mexican Lime Cactus) growing south of Saltillo, Coahuila, northeast Mexico Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Caryophyllales Family: Cactaceae Juss. Genera See Taxonomy of the Cactaceae Cactus is the name given to any member of the flowering plant family Cactaceae. The cacti have adapted to extreme arid environments and show a wide range of anatomical and physiological features which conserve water. Cacti are often used as ornamental plants, but some are also crop plants. Contents 1 Distribution and evolution 2 Adaptations to dry environment 3 Uses 4 Etymology 5 Selected important genera 6 References and external links Distribution and evolution Cactus Flower Cacti are almost exclusively New World plants. This means that they are native only in North America, South America, and the West Indies. There is however one exception, Rhipsalis baccifera; this species has a pantropical distribution, occurring in the Old World in tropical Africa, Madagascar and Sri Lanka as well as in tropical America. This plant is thought to be a relatively recent colonist in the Old World (within the last few thousand years), probably carried as seeds in the digestive tracts of migratory birds. Many other cacti have become naturalized to similar environments in other parts of the world after being introduced by people. Cacti are believed to have evolved in the last 30 to 40 million years. Long ago, the Americas were joined to the other continents, but separated due to continental drift. Unique species in the New World must have developed after the continents had moved apart. Significant distance between the continents was only achieved around in the last 50 million years. This may explain why cacti are so rare in Africa; the continents had already separated when cacti evolved. Many succulent plants in both the Old and New World bear a striking resemblance to cacti, and are often called "cactus" in common usage. This is, however, due to parallel evolution; none of these are closely related to the Cactaceae. Prickly pears (genus Opuntia) were imported into Australia in the 19th century for use as a natural agricultural fence and to establish a cochineal dye industry, but quickly became a widespread weed. This invasive species is inedible for local herbivores and has rendered 40,000 km² of farming land unproductive. Adaptations to dry environment Many species of cactus have long, sharp spines. Like other succulents, cacti are well-adapted to life with little precipitation. The leaves have evolved into spines, which in addition to allowing less water to evaporate through transpiration than regular leaves, defend the cactus against water-seeking animals. The spines grow from specialised structures called areole. Photosynthesis is carried out by enlarged stems, which also store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of a true cactus where this takes place. Very few members of the family have leaves, and when present these are usually rudimentary and soon fall off; they are typically awl-shaped and only 1-3 mm long. Two genera, Pereskia and Pereskiopsis, do however retain large, non-succulent leaves 5-25 cm long, and also non-succulent stems. Pereskia has now been determined to be the ancestral genus from which all other cacti evolved [1]. The roots are often extensive and close to the surface of the ground, an adaptation to infrequent rains. Cacti use the Crassulacean acid metabolism process. Cactus in Arizona, USA Cacti come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Some grow to great size. Cactus flowers are large, and like the spines and branches arise from areoles. Many cactus species are night-blooming, as they are pollinated by nocturnal insects or small animals, principally moths and bats. Cacti range from small and round to pole-like and tall, such as the Saguaro. Uses This section is a stub. You can help by adding to it. A number of cactus species are cultivated for use as houseplants, as well as for ornamental gardens. They often form part of xerophilic (dry) gardens in arid regions. Some cacti bear edible fruit. Etymology The word cactus is ultimately derived from Greek Κακτος kaktos, used in classical Greek for a species of spiny thistle, possibly the cardoon, and used as a generic name, Cactus, by Linnaeus in 1753 (now rejected in favor of Mammillaria). There is some dispute as to the proper plural form of the word; as a Greek loan into English, the correct plural in English would be "cactuses". However, as a word in Botanical Latin (as distinct from Classical Latin), "cactus" would follow standard Latin rules for pluralization and become "cacti", which has become the prevalent usage in English. Selected important genera For a full list see Taxonomy of the Cactaceae Acanthocalycium Acanthocereus Acharagma Ariocarpus Armatocereus Arrojadoa Arthrocereus Astrophytum Austrocactus Austrocylindropuntia Aztekium Bergerocactus Blossfeldia Brachycereus Brasilicereus Brasiliopuntia Browningia Calymmanthium Carnegia Cephalocereus Cephalocleistocactus Cereus Cintia Cipocereus Cleistocactus Cochemiea Coleocephalocereus Consolea Copiapoa Corryocactus Coryphantha Cumulopuntia Cylindropuntia Dendrocereus Denmoza Discocactus Disocactus Echinocactus Echinocereus Echinomastus Echinopsis Epiphyllum Epithelantha Eriosyce Escobaria Escontria Espostoa Espostoopsis Eulychnia Facheiroa Ferocactus Frailea Geohintonia Grusonia Gymnocalycium Haageocereus Harrisia Hatiora Hylocereus Isolatocereus Jasminocereus Lasiocereus Leocereus Lepismium Leptocereus Leuchtenbergia Lophophora Maihuenia Maihueniopsis Mammillaria Mammilloydia Matucana Melocactus Micranthocereus Mila Miqueliopuntia Myrtillocactus Neobuxbaumia Neolloydia Neoraimondia Neowerdermannia Obregonia Opuntia Oreocereus Oroya Ortegocactus Pachycereus Parodia Pediocactus Pelecyphora Peniocereus Pereskia Pereskiopsis Pilosocereus Polaskia Praecereus Pseudoacanthocereus Pseudorhipsalis Pterocactus Pygmaeocereus Quiabentia Rauhocereus Rebutia Rhipsalis Samaipaticereus Schlumbergera Sclerocactus Selenicereus Stenocactus Stenocereus Stephanocereus Stetsonia Strombocactus Tacinga Tephrocactus Thelocactus Tunilla Turbinicarpus Uebelmannia Weberbauerocereus Weberocereus Yungasocereus References and external links Anderson, Edward F. The Cactus Family (Timber Press, 2001) ISBN 0-88192-498-9 - Comprehensive and lavishly illustrated Benson, Lyman The Cacti of Arizona (The University of Arizona Press, 1981) ISBN 0-8165-0509-8 - Thorough treatment of the Arizona, U.S.A., species CactiGuide - many photos, and discussion forum Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cactus Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cactaceae Search Term: "Cactus" Categories: Translation requests | Articles to be expanded | Articles with sections needing expansion | Cacti | Plant families

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