Family guide for fruits and seeds

J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz

Cactaceae Juss., nom. cons.

Synonyms: Leuchtenbergiaceae Salm-Dyck ex Pfeiff., nom. inval.; Opuntiaceae Desv.

Common name: Cactus Family.

Number of genera 92. Number of species 1650.

Angiosperm. Magnoliopsida.

Disseminule a dehisced fruit, or an intact or entire fruit, or a seed.

Fruits

Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit anthocarp, or pericarpium; simple; berry (of authors, but not Spjut), or capsule; foraminicidal capsule, or loculicidal capsule (not Spjut); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; berry indehiscent, or dehiscent; berry without central placental mass; simple; acrosarcum (Opuntia Spjut Fig. 7A-B); without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s); within derived from perianth & receptacle hypanthium, or perianth and receptacle; connate; persistent; with hypanthium wall distinct from fruit wall; with hypanthium fleshy; 10 to less than 25-seeded to many-seeded; 10-seeded (-many); 3-carpellate (-many); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; apex not beaked; indehiscent, or dehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent regularly; and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp durable; with armature, or without armature; with spines; with armature glochidiate, or without armature glochidiate; smooth, or not smooth; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present; fleshy, or dry; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds

Aril absent. Seed larger than minute, or minute; less than 1 mm long, or 1 to less than 5 mm long, or 5 to less than 10 mm long; 1–5 mm long; C-shaped, or circular, or straight, or angular; in transection compressed; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with perisperm, or endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent, or present (pseudoaril); fleshy. Testa present; with markedly different marginal tissue, or without markedly different marginal tissue; marginal tissue testalike; with fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer, or without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; dull, or shiny; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with depressed features, or discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface grooved, or punctate; surface papillate, or tuberculate, or warted; surface reticulate, or sculptured; with crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle, or without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other, or without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings, or with wing(s) (almost winged); 1-winged; with wing encompassing seed; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; black, or brown (all shades), or gray, or white, or red (-dish), or yellow; crustaceous, or bony; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo. Hilum larger than punctate; circular (usually). Endosperm development nuclear.

Perisperm copious, or scanty, or trace; mealy; with starch; with starch composed of solitary grains, or clustered grains (usually clustered though viscid in Rhipsalis); opaque. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; completely filling testa (no food reserve), or partially filling testa (with food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve); 0.1–0.7 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; peripheral; arcuate, or annular (or almost), or flatly coiled (circinate), or J-shaped; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons, or acotyledonous. Cotyledons 2; well developed, or tiny; 0.1–0.7 times length of embryo; accumbent to hypocotyl-radicle, or incumbent to hypocotyl-radicle; with margins separate, or connate; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed; not thickened.

Distribution

New World. North America, Middle America, South America.

Notes

Juice of Pereskia derives largely from hypanthium, but in Opuntia pulp originates from funiculus. Opuntia is regarded as an anthocarp, because of the thick often spiny cuticle. Fruits may be dry and fleshy and indehiscnet, fewer are fleshy and dehiscent, more are dry and dehiscent. Fruits may dehisce by 1 or more regular lines; by circular horizontal lines at any level; by formation of a basal or apical pore; or by a combination of methods.

Weed information

1 or more USA Federal noxious weeds, 1 or more USA state noxious weeds.

USA Federal noxious weeds: -- Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: FL●, MA●, NC●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.

USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Florida (FL), Hawaii (HI), Massachusetts (MA), North Carolina (NC), Puerto Rico (PR).

USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Cereus uruguayensis R. Kiesling (=Cereus hildmannianus subsp. uruguayanus (R. Kiesling) N. P. Taylor): USA state noxious weed: HI●°. -- Eriocereus martinii (Labour.) Riccob. (=Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Britton): USA state noxious weed: HI●°. -- Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: FL●, MA●, NC●. -- Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw.: USA state noxious weed: PR●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.

Listed seeds

ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.

ASOA listed seeds: -- Carnegiea gigantea (Engelm.) Britton & Rose -- Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose -- Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl. -- Opuntia polyacantha Haw. -- Opuntia Mill. spp. -- Last updated September 2008.

ISTA listed seeds: -- Austrocephalocereus dybowskii (Rol.-Goss.) Backeb. = Espostoopsis dybowskii (Rol.-Goss.) Buxb.-- Cephalocereus dybowskii (Rol.-Goss.) Britton & Rose = Espostoopsis dybowskii (Rol.-Goss.) Buxb. -- Cephalocereus senilis (Haw.) Pfeiff. -- Eriocereus martinii (Labour.) Riccob. = Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Britton -- Espostoa lanata (Kunth) Britton & Rose -- Espostoopsis dybowskii (Rol.-Goss.) Buxb.-- Gymnocalycium neocumingii (Backeb.) P. Hutchison = Rebutia neocumingii (Backeb.) D. R. Hunt-- Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Brittonw -- Opuntia aurantiaca Lindl.w -- Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw.w -- Opuntia monacantha Haw.w -- Opuntia vulgaris auct. mult., non Mill. = Opuntia monacantha Haw. -- Rebutia neocumingii (Backeb.) D. R. Hunt-- Selenicereus grandiflorus (L.) Britton & Rose -- Weingartia neocumingii Backeb. = Rebutia neocumingii (Backeb.) D. R. Hunt -- agricultural and vegetable seeds (Table 2A Part 1); ^ttree and shrub species (Table 2A Part 2); ^fflower, spice, herb, and medicinal seeds (Table 2A Part 3); ^wweed seeds. -- Last updated September 2008.

Accepted genera

Acanthocalycium Backeb. -- Acanthocereus (Engelm. ex A. Berger) Britton & Rose -- Ariocarpus Scheidw. -- Armatocereus Backeb. -- Arrojadoa Britton & Rose -- Arthrocereus A. Berger, nom. cons. -- Astrophytum Lem. -- Austrocactus Britton & Rose -- Austrocylindropuntia Backeb. -- Aztekium Boed. -- Bergerocactus Britton & Rose -- Blossfeldia Werderm. -- Brachycereus Britton & Rose -- Brasilicereus Backeb. -- Brasiliopuntia (K. Schum.) A. Berger -- Browningia Britton & Rose -- Calymmanthium C. Ritter -- Carnegiea Britton & Rose -- Cephalocereus Pfeiff. -- Cereus Mill. -- Cintia Knize & Ríha -- Cipocereus F. Ritter -- Cleistocactus Lem. -- Coleocephalocereus Backeb. -- Consolea Lem. -- Copiapoa Britton & Rose -- Corryocactus Britton & Rose -- Coryphantha (Engelm.) Lem., nom. cons. -- Cumulopuntia F. Ritter -- Cylindropuntia (Engelm.) F. M. Knuth -- Denmoza Britton & Rose -- Discocactus Pfeiff. -- Disocactus Lindl. -- Echinocactus Link & Otto -- Echinocereus Engelm. -- Echinopsis Zucc. -- Epiphyllum Haw. -- Epithelantha F. A. C. Weber ex Britton & Rose -- Eriosyce Phil. -- Escobaria Britton & Rose -- Espostoa Britton & Rose -- Espostoopsis Buxb. -- Eulychnia Phil. -- Facheiroa Britton & Rose -- Ferocactus Britton & Rose -- Frailea Britton & Rose -- Geohintonia Glass & Fitz Maurice -- Grusonia F. Rchb. ex Britton & Rose -- Gymnocalycium Pfeiff. ex Mittler -- Haageocereus Backeb. -- Harrisia Britton -- Hatiora Britton & Rose -- Hylocereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose -- Jasminocereus Britton & Rose -- Leocereus Britton & Rose -- Lepismium Pfeiff. -- Leptocereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose -- Leuchtenbergia Hook. -- Lophophora J. M. Coult. -- Maihuenia (Phil. ex F. A. C. Weber) K. Schum. -- Maihueniopsis Speg. -- Mammillaria Haw., nom. cons. -- Mammilloydia Buxb. -- Matucana Britton & Rose -- Melocactus Link & Otto, nom. cons. -- Micranthocereus Backeb. -- Mila Britton & Rose -- Miqueliopuntia Fric ex F. Ritter -- Myrtillocactus Console -- Neobuxbaumia Backeb. -- Neolloydia Britton & Rose -- Neoraimondia Britton & Rose -- Neowerdermannia Fric -- Obregonia Fric -- Opuntia Mill. -- Oreocereus (A. Berger) Riccob. -- Oroya Britton & Rose -- Ortegocactus Alexander -- Pachycereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose -- Parodia Speg., nom. cons. prop. -- Pediocactus Britton & Rose -- Pelecyphora Ehrenb. -- Peniocereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose -- Pereskia Mill. -- Pereskiopsis Britton & Rose -- Pierrebraunia Esteves -- Pilosocereus Byles & G. D. Rowley -- Polaskia Backeb. -- Praecereus Buxb. -- Pseudoacanthocereus F. Ritter -- Pseudorhipsalis Britton & Rose -- Pterocactus K. Schum. -- Pygmaeocereus H. Johnson & Backeb. -- Rauhocereus Backeb. -- Rebutia K. Schum. -- Rhipsalis Gaertn., nom. cons. -- Samaipaticereus Cárdenas -- Schlumbergera Lem. -- Sclerocactus Britton & Rose -- Selenicereus (A. Berger) Britton & Rose -- Stenocactus (K. Schum.) A. W. Hill -- Stenocereus (A. Berger) Riccob., nom. cons. -- Stephanocereus A. Berger -- Stetsonia Britton & Rose -- Strombocactus Britton & Rose -- Tacinga Britton & Rose -- Tephrocactus Lem. -- Thelocactus (K. Schum.) Britton & Rose -- Turbinicarpus (Backeb.) Buxb. & Backeb. -- Uebelmannia Buining -- Weberbauerocereus Backeb. -- Weberocereus Britton & Rose -- Yungasocereus F. Ritter

References specific to this family

Cronquist page 257. Benson, L. 1982. The cacti of the United States and Canada, pp. 44–54. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif.

General references

Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) and 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) and 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. and C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminules listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, LeMaout, E. and J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, and Co., London, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Schopmeyer, C.S. 1974. Seeds of Woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450:1–883, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper and Row, New York.

Illustrations

Acceptable seed and poor fruit (??) illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): Wood, Jr., LeMaout & Decaisne, Benson (1982), Roosmalen. Seed illustration(s): Wood, Jr., Gunn & Ritchie, Schopmeyer, LeMaout & Decaisne, Benson (1982). Embryo illustration(s): Wood, Jr., Gunn & Ritchie, Martin, Benson (1982), Schopmeyer, LeMaout & Decaisne.

• Seed. 1 of 11. Blossfeldia liliputiana Werderm.: seeds. • Seed. 2 of 11. Cereus hankeanus F. A. C. Weber ex K. Schum.: seed. • Seed. 3 of 11. Leuchtenbergia principis Hook.: seeds. • Seed. 4 of 11. Lophophora williamsii (Lem. ex Salm-Dyck) J. M. Coult.: seed. • Seed. 5 of 11. Neoraimondia arequipensis (Meyen) Backeberg: seed. • Seed. 6 of 11. Opuntia macrorhiza Englemann subsp. macrorhiza: seeds. • Seed. 7 of 11. Pereskia aculeata Mill.: seed. • Seed. 8 of 11. Rhipsalis kirbergii Barthlott: seeds. • Seed. 9 of 11. Schlumbergera sp.: seeds. • Embryo. 10 of 11. Harrisia martinii (Labour.) Britton: embryo. • Embryo. 11 of 11. Opuntia megacantha Salm-Dyck: embryo.