Family · Other eudicots
Cactaceae
Cacti
Stem-succulents of the Americas with spines (modified leaves) borne on areoles and water-storing tissue.
- Accepted species
- 2,033accepted names · Kew WCVP
- Genera
- 168accepted genera · Kew WCVP
- Origin
- ≈22 MaNeogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
- Centre of diversity
- Southern Americamost native species · WGSRPD
Open Cactaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›
Plants you might know
- Opuntia (prickly pear)
- Carnegiea (saguaro)
- Mammillaria
- Echinocactus
Where it grows
- Southern America1,229
- Northern America853
- Asia-Tropical2
- Africa1
Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.
Related families
Cactaceae sits in the order Caryophyllales.
- CaryophyllaceaeCarnations, pinks, chickweed3,403
- AmaranthaceaeAmaranth, beet, spinach, quinoa2,420
- AizoaceaeIce plants, living stones1,815
- PolygonaceaeBuckwheat, rhubarb, knotweed1,638
- PlumbaginaceaeSea lavender, leadwort1,141
- NyctaginaceaeBougainvillea, four o'clocks465
- DroseraceaeSundews, Venus flytrap277
- MontiaceaeMiner's lettuce271
- NepenthaceaeTropical pitcher plants218
- PortulacaceaePurslanes154
- TamaricaceaeTamarisks113
- MolluginaceaeCarpetweeds99
- FrankeniaceaeSea heaths86
- Anacampserotaceae61
- PhytolaccaceaePokeweeds34
- TalinaceaeFameflowers29
- Limeaceae25
- Petiveriaceae22
- Ancistrocladaceae20
- DidiereaceaeMadagascar ocotillo20
- BasellaceaeMalabar spinach19
- Microteaceae10
- Achatocarpaceae10
- Macarthuriaceae9