Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Caryophyllales

Cactaceae - Cactus family

Gonçalves, M.L. (1978) Cactaceae Flora Zambesiaca 4

Leistner, O.A. (ed.) (2000) Seed plants of southern Africa: families and genera Strelitzia 10

Description of the family

Herbs, perennials, epiphytes, shrubs or trees, usually succulent. Stems variously modified: cylindric, flattened or spherical, bearing complex axillary, rounded, usually raised structures (areoles) The areoles bear flowers, leaves, spine clusters and often barbed bristles. Leaves present, often deciduous, or reduced or 0. Flowers solitary, sessile (except Pereskia), bisexual, usually actinomorphic. Perianth segments in gradual transition from green sepals to often very showy petals. Stamens numerous. Ovary inferior, 1-locular. Fruit usually a berry, rarely a capsule.

Worldwide: 97 genera and 1,400 species, mostly hot and dry habitats in the New World, a few Old World tropical.

Mozambique: 3 genera and 4 taxa.

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Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Opuntia Mill.Description
Pereskia Mill.Description
Rhipsalis Gaertn.Description

Other sources of information about Cactaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Cactaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Cactaceae
Flora of Malawi: Cactaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Cactaceae
Flora of Zambia: Cactaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Cactaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Cactaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Cactaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Cactaceae
Wikipedia: Cactaceae


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-23

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2023). Flora of Mozambique: Family page: Cactaceae.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=42, retrieved 31 March 2023

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