52 Phytologia (Aug 2004) 86(2) 



SUBFAMILIES OF CACTACEAE JUSS., INCLUDING 

 BLOSSFELDIOIDEAE SUBFAM. NOV. 



Bonnie S. Crozier 



Section of Integrative Biology, School of Biological Sciences 

 University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78713, U.S.A. 



ABSTRACT 



New data from chloroplast DNA comparisons reveal Blossfeldia 

 Werd. (Cactaceae) as an isolated lineage between a basal grade of 

 subfamilies Opuntioideae-Pereskioideae-Maihuenioideae and a more 

 derived sister pair of clades, making recognition of a new subfamily 

 warranted. Based on parsimony and Bayesian cladistic analyses of 

 chloroplast DNA sequences reported elsewhere, as well as morphological 

 distinctiveness, Blossfeldioideae Crozier subfam. nov. is erected and 

 Rhipsalidoideae Burnett is resurrected. An abbreviated history of 

 suprageneric classification in the family and a key to the six subfamilies 

 of Cactaceae recognized here is provided. 



KEY WORDS: Blossfeldia, Blossfeldioideae, Maihuenioideae, 

 Opuntioideae, Pereskioideae, Rhipsalidoideae, Cactaceae. 



As in many other families of flowering plants, there has been little 

 unanimity in the suprageneric classification of the Cactaceae Juss. but 

 slowly the discovery of new taxa, careful morphological observation, and 

 other contributions to phylogenetic knowledge have led to refinements. 

 The Cactaceae (Cacti) of Jussieu ( 1 789) encompassed all the known cacti 

 of the time under the single genus Cactus L., but also included Ribes L. 

 (Grossulariaceae). Apparently aware of studies by de Candolle (1828) 

 and Lindley (1830) that excluded Grossulariaceae from Cactaceae, 

 Eaton (1836) nonetheless chose to divide Jusssieu's Cactaceae into two 

 subfamilies, distinguishing Cactoideae (Cacteae) from Grossularieae. 

 The Grossulariaceae were not included in Burnett's (1835) concept 



