Home›Species›Taxonomy›CactaceaeTaxaCactaceaePlant FamiliesReference and ClassificationThoroughly VerifiedCactaceae is the cactus family of flowering plants, comprising over a thousand species across roughly 130 genera, native almost entirely to the Americas with one exception found in Africa and Sri Lanka. The family includes the genus Carnegiea, whose single species, the saguaro, is among the largest cacti, and members are characterized by succulent stems, spines derived from leaves, and adaptations for extreme drought tolerance.FactsCactaceaeConnectionsIn the Other AtlasesSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsTaxonomic RankWell-attestedFamily 1Scientific NameWell-attestedCactaceae 1Member Species/Taxa CountWell-attested1750 1Geographic DistributionWell-attestednative 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 1Defining CharacteristicsWell-attestedalmost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy organs adapted to store water 1IdentificationDistinguishing AppearanceWell-attestedMost species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves 1ClassificationLiving or ExtinctWell-attestedYes 2CactaceaeFilter Results19 entriesCommon GroupAllCarnations And Cacti (Caryophyllales) (19)HabitatAllDesert (6)River (1)Savanna (2)Conservation StatusAllEndangered (3)Least Concern (14)Vulnerable (1)EcosystemAllChihuahuan Desert (3)Galapagos (1)Great Plains (1)Kruger National Park (1)Mojave Desert (1)Sonoran Desert (2)Everyday GroupAllCarnations And Cacti (Caryophyllales) (19)DietAllPhotosynthetic Autotroph (19)System (Realm)AllMarine (1)Terrestrial (13)Relationship to PeopleAllDomesticated (1)Eaten or Drunk by People (7)Invasive or Introduced Species (2)Source of Timber or Wood (1)Used in Traditional Medicine (3)Living or ExtinctAllYes (19)Where It LivesAllAustralia (1)Bahamas (1)Bahia (1)Bangladesh (1)Belize (1)Brazil (11)Cuba (2)Cyprus (1)Dominican Republic (1)East Africa (1)Eswatini (1)Ethiopia (1)Guangdong (1)Guatemala (1)Haiti (1)Honduras (1)India (1)Jamaica (1)Kenya (1)Lesotho (1)Malawi (1)Mexico (4)Minas Gerais (1)Myanmar (1)Namibia (1)Nicaragua (1)North America (4)Paraguay (2)Parana (1)Rio de Janeiro (1)Santa Catarina (1)Seychelles (1)South Africa (2)South America (1)Spain (1)Taiwan (4)Tanzania (1)The Caribbean (1)Tunisia (1)Uganda (1)United States (2)Uruguay (1)Zambia (1)Zimbabwe (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 19Arthrocereus rondonianusCactaceaeAstrophytum capricorneCactaceaeAztekium ritteriCactaceaeCereus jamacaruCactaceaeEchinocactus horizonthaloniusCactaceaeEchinocereus engelmanniiCactaceaeEchinopsis oxygonaCactaceaeFerocactus pilosusCactaceaeGymnocalycium mihanovichiiCactaceaeGymnocalycium saglionisCactaceaeHatiora salicornoidesCactaceaeLava cactusCactaceaeParodia leninghausiiCactaceaePrickly PearCactaceaeQueen of the NightCactaceaeRhipsalis pilocarpaCactaceaeSaguaro CactusCactaceaeSelenicereus grandiflorusCactaceaeUebelmannia pectiniferaCactaceaeConnectionsParent Taxon OfArthrocereus rondonianus, Species Well-attested Source Arthrocereus rondonianus (Wikidata)tier 2Astrophytum capricorne, Species Well-attested Source Astrophytum capricorne (Wikidata)tier 2Aztekium ritteri, Species Well-attested Source Aztekium ritteri (Wikidata)tier 2Cereus jamacaru, Species Well-attested Source Cereus jamacaru (Wikidata)tier 2Echinocactus horizonthalonius, Species Well-attested Source Echinocactus horizonthalonius (Wikidata)tier 2Echinocereus engelmannii, Species Well-attested Source Echinocereus engelmannii (Wikidata)tier 2Echinopsis oxygona, Species Well-attested Source Echinopsis oxygona (Wikidata)tier 2Ferocactus pilosus, Species Well-attested Source Ferocactus pilosus (Wikidata)tier 2Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, Species Well-attested Source Gymnocalycium mihanovichii (Wikidata)tier 2Gymnocalycium saglionis, Species Well-attested Source Gymnocalycium saglionis (Wikidata)tier 2Hatiora salicornoides, Species Well-attested Source Hatiora salicornoides (Wikidata)tier 2Lava cactus, Species Well-attested Source Lava cactus (Wikidata)tier 2Parodia leninghausii, Species Well-attested Source Parodia leninghausii (Wikidata)tier 2Prickly Pear, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: OpuntiaQueen of the Night, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Queen of the Nighttier 2Rhipsalis pilocarpa, Species Well-attested Source Rhipsalis pilocarpa (Wikidata)tier 2Saguaro Cactus, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Saguaro CactusSelenicereus grandiflorus, Species Well-attested Source Wikidata: Queen of the Nighttier 2Uebelmannia pectinifera, Species Well-attested Source Uebelmannia pectinifera (Wikidata)tier 2In the Other AtlasesFound InAfricaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.AsiaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.North AmericaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.PatagoniaAlso in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.Sources1. Cactus - WikipediaIntroduction, sentence 1 (rank clause)is a member of the plant family CactaceaeIntroduction, sentence 1 (name clause)is a member of the plant family CactaceaeIntroduction, sentence 1 (count clause)comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known speciesIntroduction, distribution sentencenative 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 LankaIntroduction, adaptation sentencealmost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy organs adapted to store waterIntroduction, spines sentenceMost species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leavesIn Group: Other Eudicot Families, LeadA cactus (pl.: cacti, cactuses, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae (), a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species.View the Source2. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)tier 2Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ14560, descriptionView the SourceWikidata: CactaceaeWikidata Q14560, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the SourceWikidata: Saguaro CactusParent Taxon Of: Saguaro Cactus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: OpuntiaParent Taxon Of: Prickly Pear, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceWikidata: Queen of the Nighttier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Queen of the Night, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainParent Taxon Of: Selenicereus grandiflorus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceHatiora salicornoides (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Hatiora salicornoides, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceLava cactus (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Lava cactus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceEchinopsis oxygona (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Echinopsis oxygona, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceEchinocereus engelmannii (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Echinocereus engelmannii, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceAstrophytum capricorne (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Astrophytum capricorne, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceArthrocereus rondonianus (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Arthrocereus rondonianus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceAztekium ritteri (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Aztekium ritteri, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceUebelmannia pectinifera (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Uebelmannia pectinifera, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceGymnocalycium mihanovichii (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Gymnocalycium mihanovichii, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceCereus jamacaru (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Cereus jamacaru, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceRhipsalis pilocarpa (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Rhipsalis pilocarpa, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceParodia leninghausii (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Parodia leninghausii, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceFerocactus pilosus (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Ferocactus pilosus, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceGymnocalycium saglionis (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Gymnocalycium saglionis, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceEchinocactus horizonthalonius (Wikidata)tier 2WikidataParent Taxon Of: Echinocactus horizonthalonius, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.