| | The genera of Cactaceae |
Beehive cactus.
Including Aulacothele Monv. (nom. inval.), Cumarinia Buxb., Glandulifera (Salm-Dyck) Fric, Lepidocoryphantha Backeb., Roseia Fric (nom. inval.)
The plants laticiferous (C. macromeris), or non-laticiferous (?); cerioid, or condensed-cactoid; low and very compacted in their entirety, or not ‘low and very compacted’. The stems spiny; globose, or shortly cylindric (e.g., C. erecta, C. ottonis). The plants basally branched (forming clumps), or unbranched, or offsetting; erect; solitary, or clustering; to 0.2–0.5 m high (but mostly smaller). The stems columnar, or not columnar (mostly). The stems not segmented; not ribbed and grooved. The plants conspicuously tuberculate (often very elongate, cylindrical, pyramidal or gibbous). The tubercles longitudinally grooved adaxially from the areole towards their ‘axils’, or neither grooved nor ridged adaxially (at least, sometimes inconsistently or only very inconspicuously so). The tubercular groove short, extending less than halfway to the ‘axil’, or extending more than halfway to the ‘axil’. The tubercles not connected by ribs; spirally disposed. The areoles associated with tubercles. The components of adjacent areoles so extensively covering the mature plant body as to obscure any ribs or furrows (in a few species), or not obscuring details of the plant body. The morphologically geminate, super-imposed buds separated, with the lower one in the axil of the conspicuous tubercle that bears the upper one at its tip. The areoles with the abaxial spine cluster at the tubercle tip connected to the adaxial floriferous meristem nearer its axil by a recessed linear isthmus or a ridge, or distinctly bipartite, with the abaxial spine cluster at the tubercle tip and no recessed isthmus or other visible connection with the adaxial, floriferous meristem near its base; associated with extra-floral nectaries; with spines (at the ends of the tubercles, sometimes with a few represented by coloured glands). The spines paired, or clustered; (4–)6–34; 0.4–3.5(–5) cm long; with radials and centrals differentiated (usually, but centrals sometimes lacking), or showing little or no difference between radials and centrals. Central spines when manifest, (0–)1–5. Radial spines 4–20(–30). The spines usually including some hooked members, or never hooked; straight, or curved, or hooked (e.g., C. ottonis). The mature stems leafless.
Flowering during the day. The flowers solitary; terminal; one per areole (borne in the axillary portions of young tubercles); funnelform to campanulate; sessile; medium-sized to large; to 10 cm long (and 6.5 cm in diameter); regular. The receptacle conspicuously produced beyond the ovary into a tubular hypanthium. The pericarpel naked or with a few small scales. The hypanthial tube naked or with a few small scales; naked, or not naked; with scales (these small), or without scales. The axils of the scales of the hypanthial tube more or less naked. The hypanthial tube spineless. The perianth yellow, or red, or pink. The perianth segments spreading (showy); elongate, relatively narrow to relatively short, broad; blunt to pointed. Stamens adnate to the perianth (in the tube and throat).
The mature fruit 1–3(–5) cm long; globose to ovoid, or clavate; green to yellow; naked; with persistent floral remains; fleshy; indehiscent. The seeds 1–2 mm long; brown (rarely), or black; ovoid, or reniform; not encased in bony arils. The testa shiny, or dull; not pitted. Cotyledons reduced or vestigial.
General anatomy. Laticifers with laticifers (e.g., in C. macromeris), or without laticifers (?).
Natural Distribution. Southwestern A.S. and much of Mexico.
Classification. About 55 species. Subfamily Cactoideae. Tribe Cacteae.
Cf. Hunt, 1967.
Images. • Coryphantha cornifera, C. neo-mexicana (= ?), Cochemiea posgeleri, Sclerocactus scheeri (as Ancistrocactus): Britton & Rose (1923). • Coryphantha durangensis and C. bumamma (as elephantidens), with Escobaria vivipara (as Coryphantha arizonica), E. deserti (as Coryphantha chlorantha), Neomammillaria confusa and N. geminispina: Britton & Rose (1923).
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘Watson, L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2018 onwards. The genera of Cactaceae: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 14th November 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
