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The Cactaceae family is very complex and difficult to categorise due to the fact that it is a young group of plants which is still evolving. The wide distribution of the family, the long wait for flowering and the subsequent description and classification make it very difficult to obtain an overview of the family. We can only guess how many cacti types exist. There are at least 150 to 200 cacti genera and between 3000 to 4000 cacti species.
The original country of the cactus is Mexico, which is subject to extreme climate variations. From this habitat, cacti spread north and south, from the Rocky Mountains in the north and down to Patagonia: an incredible distance of 12,000 kilometres. Mexico is the fatherland of the Mammilaria. The Lobivias, Rebutias, Rhipsalis, Tephrocacti (at altitudes as high as 4700 m) can be found in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Cacti which are found at other locations around the world have probably been introduced by man or birds.
[Pictures: Arizona, US 2005] |
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