*CHARACTER NOTES 
#2. ~ (alternatively) is here used to indicate sometimes not
unreasonably included in or reduced to; cf. Airy Shaw (1973). The
\i{}sensu lato\i0{} interpretations indicated often correspond with
Hunts treatment in Hutchinson (1967), but to an increasing extent
refer to more recent cladistic pronouncements, few if any of which
are accompanied by revised generic descriptions. Sound practical
reasons for adopting tenable \i{}sensu stricto\i0{} interpretations
\i{}in the present context\i0{} are provided here.
#3. These nomenclatural data are a compilation, containing no original
research. 
#7:45-62. Cactaceae represent an extreme example of the progressive,
precocious maturation and condensation (neoteny) which is a
conspicuous feature of plant evolution, complicated by extreme
adaptation to dry environments. The cactoid \i{}areole\i0{} is a
highly specialized, non-photosynthesizing short-shoot, usually borne
at the tip of, or adaxially on, or in the axil of, a more or less
conspicuous \i{}tubercle\i0{}. The tubercles seem to represent
morphologically the expanded bases of main stem leaves, which except
in \i{}Pereskia\i0{} and \i{}Maihuenia\i0{} have no green lamina.
The laterally bi-symmetrical areole (which lacks an axillant leaf,
except in the Opuntioideae where this is ephemeral) is represented
by a pair of buds which may be closely apposed or more or less
clearly separated. The 'leaves' from the lower (abaxial) bud are
represented by spines (q.v.), while a flower or flowers may
develop from the upper, adaxial one.
#8. 'Cerioid': arborescent or shrubby, diffusely branched, with at
least some elongate stems, without leaves and glochids (q.v.), the
seeds not covered by a bony aril. \par{}'Opuntioid': arborescent,
shrubby or caespitose, with leaves (mostly ephemeral), glochids
(q.v.), and seeds covered by a bony aril. \par{}'Condensed-cactoid':
plants low and very compacted in their entirety (more or less
globular, depressed-globular, subglobular, discoid, shortly columnar
or barrel-shaped); branches if any replicating the form of the parent
plant; leafless, without glochids, seeds without a bony aril/
#14:18:33. When in doubt for purposes of identification, enter all the 
possible states.
#13:64-77. Spines: elongate, firm (presumably lignified), sharp-pointed 
organs, in cacti borne on the areoles (q.v.) and supposedly 
representing modified leaves. Inadequately distinguished in available
descriptions from bristles, with frequent references to bristly
spines.
#63. Glochid: a fine, \i{}barbed\i0{}, readily detachable spine 
characteristic of Opuntioideae.
#78. Reduced leaves denotes leaves present and identifiable as such,
but more or less vestigial.
#79:93. Uncertainties in the descriptive data and liberal overlaps 
in these state definitions indicate the need for extreme caution in
their application during identifications, and the advisability of
entering broadly inclusive ranges. 
#85-86. Poorly recorded.
#112. Calyx: the outer component of the floral envelope, represented
by sepals or equivalent structure(s). \par{}Corolla: the inner
component of the floral envelope, represented by petals or equivalent
structures. \par{}Perianth: floral envelope(s), inclusive of calyx,
corolla, tepals and all morphologically equivalent structures.
\par{}Tepal: a segment or unit of a whorled perianth which is not
resolvable into calyx and corolla. \par{}Very inadequately recorded in
the descriptions seen. Alternative interpretations
have been encoded in the descriptions where this seemed appropriate, 
but the character has often been left uncoded, and is best avoided 
for purposes of identification.
#113. Perianth: floral envelope(s), inclusive of calyx, corolla,
tepals and all morphologically equivalent structures. \par{}The DELTA
system currently has no device for encoding/interpreting the loose
botanical convention many (= too many to bother counting),
application of which varies from character to character and from
person to person. In compiling the descriptions, many has been
interpreted so as to encompass the number specified in the character
list. The actual ranges entered usually represent guesswork, and are
not reliable. 
#114. Perianth: floral envelope(s), inclusive of calyx, corolla,
tepals and all morphologically equivalent structures. 
#120. The DELTA system currently has no device for
encoding/interpreting the loose botanical convention many (= too
many to bother counting), application of which varies from character
to character and from person to person. In compiling the descriptions,
many has been interpreted so as to encompass the number specified in
the character list. The actual ranges entered usually represent
guesswork, and are not reliable. 
#121:124. Androecium: the total male component of the flower,
including all recognisable derivatives of this. Androecial members
thus include the stamens (q.v.), plus any staminodial structures
(q.v.). 
#127. Gynoecium: a collective term for the total female component of
the flower, including all recognisable derivatives of this. 
#129. False septa: secondary septa, representing ingrowths from the
ovary walls or complete (fused) extrusions or intrusions from the
placentas, which subdivide the primary locules into locelli (q.v.),
and result in cell counts in excess of (often double) the number of
carpels. Rarely, they occur as horizontal partitions, detectable only
via vertical sections of the ovary. As distinct from the true septa,
which divide the ovary into primary locules each supposedly
representing one carpel (q.v.). 
#130. An attempt has been made on principle to encode family
morphological descriptions so as to allow for likely alternative
interpretations or misinterpretations. The same device has been used
in families where the true state of affairs seems sometimes to be
deducible only from comparative morphology. Its implementation has
necessarily been somewhat selective, however, in view of the
complications arising from character dependencies. 
#132. An attempt has been made on principle to encode descriptions 
so as to allow for likely alternative
interpretations or misinterpretations. The same device has been used
where the true state of affairs seems sometimes to be
deducible only from comparative morphology. Its implementation has
necessarily been somewhat selective, however, in view of the
complications arising from character dependencies. \par{}The DELTA
system currently has no device for encoding/interpreting the loose
botanical convention many (= too many to bother counting),
application of which varies from character to character and from
person to person. In compiling the descriptions, many has been
interpreted so as to encompass the number specified in the character
list. Any actual ranges entered usually represent guesswork, and are
not reliable. 
#144. Dehiscent: a fruit opening in anatomically organized,
predetermined fashion to release the seeds. \par{}Indehiscent: a
fruit with no precise, anatomical mechanism for opening to release the
seeds (rotting, irregularly rupturing, ruptured by seedling
germination, opened by external agencies, etc.). 
#163-166. The data compiled here for Cactaceae are sparse and inadequate.
#167. Cf. our Families of Flowering Plants package, where the data
represent an attempt at comprehensive compilation from reliable
photosynthetic pathway-related data; except that no large scale,
organized attempt has been made to pursue the leaf anatomical
literature for illustrations adequate for anatomical predictions.
\par{}For sources of data, see references tagged |PP in the Families
References. Re problems in recording CAM/C\sub{}3\nosupersub{}, see
Martin \i{}et al.\i0{} 1982/ 
#168. This text character has been comprehensively recorded, and
incorporates colloquial summaries of natural distribution. 
#169. Comprehensively encoded, and intended only for use in
identification and for generating useful geographic subsets of the
data. Assignments to these pragmatically defined world regions are
intended to reflect likelihood of the genus being encountered in the
field, regardless of floristic status, but their reliability is dubious.
When borderline, for purposes of identification select adjoining regions.
DO NOT use this character for identifications when the natural providence 
of specimens is doubtful.
#173-175. International Cactaceae Systematics Group classification,
as presented by Anderson, E.F. (2001).  Note that tribes of 
Cactoideae (Cereae/Trichocereae/Notocacteae, Rhipsalideae/Pachycereeae)
are indistinguishable in terms of the tribal descriptions they 
provided .....
#177. Sources of illustrations are given on the Intkey displays. Most
are scans from Britton & Rose (1919-1923), supplemented from the
Internet and with a few by L. Steinheil's line drawings from Le Maout
and Decaisne (1873) and from Lindley (1853), with the original legends
retained.\par{}No information is recorded against this character; it
is a placeholder for links to the illustrations in HTML descriptions. 
 
