Browningieae (Buxb. 1966) Strongly branched columnar cacti, may develop a tree or shrub-like appearance over time. Prominent ribs and strong spines. Medium to large flowers that open at night. Edible fleshy fruits. Seeds with a rough appearance. Etymology: Plant tribe that resembles Browningia.Place of Origin: The Andes and the Galápagos Islands.
Cacteae (Rchb. 1832) Initially globular plants that often develop semi-columnar shapes with age. There are also a few genera with unusual forms, such as Leuchtenbergia. Their sizes can range from tiny to a couple of meters. They exhibit diurnal flowering and produce edible fruits, which are often fleshy but not always. Etymology: Name referring to it being the type tribe of the family Cactaceae.Place of Origin: From northern South America to southern North America. Most species are found in Mexico or its immediate surroundings.
Cereeae (Salm-Dyck 1840) The typical genus of this tribe is Cereus (P. Miller 1754). It consists of large columnar cacti with well-defined ribs, large nocturnal flowers generally of light colors, and huge fleshy, sweet, edible fruits. Etymology: Tribe of plants that resemble CereusPlace of Origin: Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina primarily.
Hylocereeae (Engelm. 1858) Plants generally of climbing or hanging habit, with jointed, flattened, or angular stems, and provided with ribs or wings. Short spines or spineless. Flowers are large, solitary, almost always nocturnal, with an elongated perigonial tube. The fruit is a fleshy berry, often edible, with numerous small, black, and shiny seeds. Etymology: Tribe of plants that resemble HylocereusPlace of Origin: Mainly in tropical and subtropical America, with some isolated representatives outside this region.
Notocacteae (Buxb. 1958) Almost exclusively found in the temperate to subtropical regions of South America, with their main center of diversity located between the Río de la Plata and southern Brazil. From a morphological perspective, the plants are mostly globose and small to medium in size, generally solitary, though some may be caespitose or, more rarely, columnar. The stems are typically not segmented. The flowers are diurnal, medium-sized, and arise in a subapical position. They usually display light colors, predominantly yellow. The pericarpel features scales with wool, hairs, or bristles. The fruits are generally dry. Etymology: Tribe of plants that resemble Notocactus (now Parodia)Place of Origin: Exclusively South American.
Pachycereeae (Buxb. 1958) Principalmente columnares, muchos de ellos de gran tamaño y robustez, gracias a su estructura leñosa de alta resistencia. En cambio también contiene especies pequeñas globulares o incluso rastreras. Generalmente no están segmentados, pero presentan costillas bien definidas. Poseen epidermis y cutícula muy resistentes, adaptadas tanto a la insolación intensa como a la pérdida de agua, lo que les permite sobrevivir en entornos de aridez extrema. Las flores son grandes, nocturnas, con forma de embudo y cubiertas de escamas, espinas o fibras según la especie. El fruto es carnoso y, por lo general, comestible. Estas plantas producen gran cantidad de semillas, generalmente pequeñas y con testa dura, lo que favorece su dispersión y supervivencia en ambientes áridos. Etymology: Tribe of plants that resemble PachycereusPlace of Origin: Principalmente en México, aunque también tiene cierta presencia en países limítrofes.