Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Accepted names, synonyms and distribution. A citation beside a taxon leads to its record.
Accessed 2026-10-08.
Four Andean genera
Literature on the four genera
Scientific publications and archived material, with complete bibliographic details and summaries of their contents.
Ecology and morphology of Blossfeldia liliputana (cactaceae): A poikilohydric and almost astomate succulent
Barthlott W., Porembski S., Ecology and morphology of Blossfeldia liliputana (cactaceae): A poikilohydric and almost astomate succulent, Botanica Acta, 1996, 109(2):161-166, doi: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.1996.tb00556.x
The study combines stem anatomy, measurements of stomatal density and several months of drying in Blossfeldia liliputana. It also describes water uptake through areoles, seed traits and experiments on seed transport by ants.
Resolving "Nyffeler's puzzle" - The intriguing taxonomic position of Blossfeldia
Butterworth C. A., Resolving "Nyffeler's puzzle" - The intriguing taxonomic position of Blossfeldia, Haseltonia, 2006, 12:3-10, doi: 10.2985/1070-0048(2006)12[3:RNPITP]2.0.CO;2
The analysis of chloroplast sequences and rpoC1 gene structure concerns the phylogenetic position of Blossfeldia. The results support the distinctness of this lineage from the other cacti traditionally grouped in Cactoideae.
Phylogenomics and classification of Cactaceae based on hundreds of nuclear genes
de Vos J. M., Eggli U., Nyffeler R., Larridon I., McGinnie C., Epitawalage N., Maurin O., Forest F., Baker W. J., Phylogenomics and classification of Cactaceae based on hundreds of nuclear genes, Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2025, 311(5):28, doi: 10.1007/s00606-025-01948-z
The study analyses hundreds of nuclear genes and their agreement in reconstructing Cactaceae relationships. It presents a revised classification of subfamilies, tribes and genera with morphological descriptions.
Phylogenetic relationships in the cactus family (Cactaceae) based on evidence from trnK/matK and trnL–trnF sequences
Nyffeler R., Phylogenetic relationships in the cactus family (Cactaceae) based on evidence from trnK/matK and trnL–trnF sequences, American Journal of Botany, 2002, 89(2):312-326, doi: 10.3732/ajb.89.2.312
An analysis of plastid trnK/matK and trnL–trnF sequences compares major Cactaceae lineages. It discusses the circumscription of traditional groups, the position of Blossfeldia and separation of Castellanosia from Browningia. Resolution of some generic relationships remains limited.
MICROPROPAGATION AND ORGANOGENESIS OF ASTROPHYTUM ASTERIAS (ZUCC.) LEM. (CACTACEAE JUSS.), BLOSSFELDIA LILIPUTIANA WERDERM. AND STROMBOCACTUS DISCIFORMIS (DC.) BRITTON & ROSE
Ivannikov R., Lobova O., Ivannikova N., Krasnienkova I., MICROPROPAGATION AND ORGANOGENESIS OF ASTROPHYTUM ASTERIAS (ZUCC.) LEM. (CACTACEAE JUSS.), BLOSSFELDIA LILIPUTIANA WERDERM. AND STROMBOCACTUS DISCIFORMIS (DC.) BRITTON & ROSE, Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, 2022, 11(5):e2201, doi: 10.55251/jmbfs.2201
The paper compares the regeneration of three small cacti from seedling explants. It discusses the effects of light and growth regulators on callus and shoot formation, followed by rooting, grafting and acclimatisation of the material.
A phylogenetic analysis of Pfeiffera and the reinstatement of Lymanbensonia as an independently evolved lineage of epiphytic Cactaceae within a new tribe Lymanbensonieae
Korotkova N., Zabel L., Quandt D., Barthlott W., A phylogenetic analysis of Pfeiffera and the reinstatement of Lymanbensonia as an independently evolved lineage of epiphytic Cactaceae within a new tribe Lymanbensonieae, Willdenowia, 2010, 40(2):151-172, doi: 10.3372/wi.40.40201
Analyses of eight plastid regions separate the former Pfeiffera into distinct lineages and indicate a relationship between Lymanbensonia and Calymmanthium. The paper includes comparative stem, flower and fruit descriptions, a key to six Pfeiffera species and new name combinations. It discusses variation in Pfeiffera boliviana and method-dependent differences in the inferred relationship of P. miyagawae.
Calymmanthium — Eine neue Cereengattung aus Peru
Ritter F., Calymmanthium — Eine neue Cereengattung aus Peru, Kakteen und andere Sukkulenten, 1962, 13(2):24-28
The first description of Calymmanthium substerile presents its growth form, armature, flowers, fruits and seeds. Ritter reports observations in northern Peru and successive stages of a bud enclosed in tissue bearing areoles and spines.
International Plant Names Index
Authorship and publication of botanical names. A nomenclatural register does not determine acceptance of a taxon.
Accessed 2026-10-08.
Notes on the cacti of the Sandia valley, Puno, Peru and a description of a new species of Echinopsis (Cactaceae)
Hoxey P., Notes on the cacti of the Sandia valley, Puno, Peru and a description of a new species of Echinopsis (Cactaceae), Bradleya, 2016, 34:187-199, doi: 10.25223/brad.n34.2016.a7
The account from the Sandia valley in Peru describes localities, elevations and traits of several cacti. The section on Lymanbensonia micrantha presents rocky habitats, stem structure, pink flowers, the nectar chamber and fruits.
An integrative approach to understanding the evolution and diversity of Copiapoa (Cactaceae), a threatened endemic Chilean genus from the Atacama desert
Larridon I., Walter H. E., Guerrero P. C., Duarte M., Cisternas M. A., Peña-Hernández C., Bauters K., Asselman P., Goetghebeur P., Samain M. S., An integrative approach to understanding the evolution and diversity of Copiapoa (Cactaceae), a threatened endemic Chilean genus from the Atacama desert, American Journal of Botany, 2015, 102(9):1506-1520, doi: 10.3732/ajb.1500168
The study brings together three chloroplast DNA regions, morphology and the distribution of Copiapoa. It discusses species boundaries, recurrent similarities in growth form and the consequences of classification changes for threat assessment.
Hierarchical structures of cactus spines that aid in the directional movement of dew droplets
Malik F. T., Clement R. M., Gethin D. T., Kiernan M., Goral T., Griffiths P., Beynon D., Parker A. R., Hierarchical structures of cactus spines that aid in the directional movement of dew droplets, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 2016, 374(2073):20160110, doi: 10.1098/rsta.2016.0110
The authors track droplet movement along the spines of Copiapoa gigantea, described in the paper as C. cinerea var. haseltoniana. Microscopy, labelling water with nanoparticles and imaging the stem interior allow them to discuss spine geometry and a possible route for water entry into the plant.
Orientation and its consequences for Copiapoa (Cactaceae) in the Atacama Desert
Ehleringer J., Mooney H. A., Gulmon S. L., Rundel P., Orientation and its consequences for Copiapoa (Cactaceae) in the Atacama Desert, Oecologia, 1980, 46(1):63-67, doi: 10.1007/BF00346967
The field study measures stem orientation and inclination in three historically recognised Copiapoa taxa, and their surface temperatures. A radiation balance model explains how northward orientation of the apex relates to warming of the growth and flowering zone.
Investigating taxon boundaries and extinction risk in endemic Chilean cacti (Copiapoa subsection Cinerei, Cactaceae) using chloroplast DNA sequences, microsatellite data and 3D mapping
Larridon I., Veltjen E., Semmouri I., Asselman P., Guerrero P. C., Duarte M., Walter H. E., Cisternas M. A., Samain M. S., Investigating taxon boundaries and extinction risk in endemic Chilean cacti (Copiapoa subsection Cinerei, Cactaceae) using chloroplast DNA sequences, microsatellite data and 3D mapping, Kew Bulletin, 2018, 73(4):55, doi: 10.1007/s12225-018-9780-3
The paper compares chloroplast sequences, microsatellite markers and population mapping in the Copiapoa cinerea group. It includes detailed descriptions of C. cinerea and its subspecies and C. gigantea, with an analysis of their separation and ranges.
Effects of trade and poaching pressure on extinction risk for cacti in the Atacama Desert
Villalobo-Lopez A., Peña C. M., Varas-Myrik A., Pillet M., Jahnsen P., Pliscoff P., Goettsch B., Guerrero P. C., Effects of trade and poaching pressure on extinction risk for cacti in the Atacama Desert, Conservation Biology, 2024, 38(5):e14353, doi: 10.1111/cobi.14353
The authors assess threats to Copiapoa taxa from their distribution and habitat pressures. The analysis compares the importance of trade, illegal plant collection and landscape condition. The results section gives counts for the threat categories.
Copiapoa cacti as multitrophic interaction hubs and thermal refugia in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert
Cordero S., Unamuno B., Escobar C., Vergara M. A., Roselló I., Villarroel J., Guerrero P. C., Copiapoa cacti as multitrophic interaction hubs and thermal refugia in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert, Journal of Arid Environments, 2026, 236:105659, doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105659
The study of 19 Copiapoa species documents associations with herbivores, flower visitors, predators, lichens and parasitic plants. Direct observations, camera traps and thermography also show the role of stems as thermal refuges for animals.
The Abundance and Distribution of the acdS Gene in Microbial Communities from the Rhizosphere of Copiapoa solaris, a Native Cactus in the Arid Coastal Region of Antofagasta, Chile
Cayo M., Solís-Cornejo F., Santos A., Zamorano P., Valenzuela B., The Abundance and Distribution of the acdS Gene in Microbial Communities from the Rhizosphere of Copiapoa solaris, a Native Cactus in the Arid Coastal Region of Antofagasta, Chile, Microorganisms, 2025, 13(7):1547, doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13071547
The analysis of soil metagenomes near Copiapoa solaris roots compares three sites in the coastal Atacama. It describes microbial composition and the occurrence of the acdS gene encoding ACC deaminase, taking moisture conditions and potential mobile elements into account.
Copiapoa solaris (Ritter) Ritter
Romulski T., Copiapoa solaris (Ritter) Ritter, Kaktusy i Inne, 2004, (2):31-41
The account presents Copiapoa solaris habitat, structure and cultivation experience. It discusses substrate, air movement, growth rate, sowing and offset grafting.
Copy in the supplied material
Kaktusy i Inne — zeszyt 2
[Autor nieustalony, Kaktusy i Inne — zeszyt 2, Kaktusy i Inne, 2004, nr 2]
A 2004 issue preserved in Konrad Szychowski's private archive. Supplied excerpts include material on Copiapoa, Neoraimondia, Neowerdermannia and Samaipaticereus.
Copy in the supplied material
Kilka uwag na temat Copiapoa calderana ssp. calderana
Romulski T., Kilka uwag na temat Copiapoa calderana ssp. calderana, Kaktusy i Inne, 2005, (6):40-42
The article presents Copiapoa calderana features and cultivation experience in Europe. It discusses pot and substrate selection, light, misting, flowering and grafting.
Copy in the supplied material
Influence of Abscisic Acid and Sucrose on Somatic Embryogenesis in Cactus Copiapoa tenuissima Ritt. forma mostruosa
Lema-Rumińska J., Goncerzewicz K., Gabriel M., Influence of Abscisic Acid and Sucrose on Somatic Embryogenesis in Cactus Copiapoa tenuissima Ritt. forma mostruosa, The Scientific World Journal, 2013, 2013:513985, doi: 10.1155/2013/513985
The experiment concerns somatic embryogenesis in a horticultural monstrose form of Copiapoa humilis subsp. tenuissima, named in the title as C. tenuissima. It compares embryo development directly on tissue and through callus, and the effects of abscisic acid and sucrose concentrations.
Efectos de la introducción de fauna alóctona (Canis familiaris) en ecosistemas áridos: estudio de caso en cactáceas endémicas
Carevic F. S., Barrientos E., Efectos de la introducción de fauna alóctona (Canis familiaris) en ecosistemas áridos: estudio de caso en cactáceas endémicas, Idesia, 2022, 40(2):129-132, doi: 10.4067/S0718-34292022000200129
The study from the Freirina area compares damage to three cacti attributed to feral dogs. The authors assess the size of tears in stems and the number of damaged plants at two observation times in 2021.