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407.0000 Family Cactaceae Juss.; Gen. Pl. [Jussieu] 310 (1789), nom. cons.
ca. 140-170 genera (circumscription still very much in flux), ca. 1700-1800 spp. Latest phylogeny: de Vos et al. (2025). There has been excessive splitting, leading to over 3000 species in some collectors view. It should be good practice in the future that each ´new species´ description is confirmed by molecular genetics, not only by morphology.
Species listed in database: 1840; hybrids: 80
= Cereaceae DC. & Spreng.(transl.Jameson); Elem. Philos. Pl. 142 (1821)
= Mammillariaceae D.L.Fu; Amer. J. Agric. Forest. 12(5): 352 (2024)
= Nopaleaceae E.Schmid & Curtman; Pflanzenreich [Petermann] 2: 135 (1856)
= Opuntiaceae Desv.; Dict. Rais. Bot. 52, 385 (1817)
407.6433 Genus Hylocereus (A.Berger) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 428 (1909)
Distribution: Tropical America from Mexico to Brazil and Caribbean. Often included in Selenicereus but kept separate by de Vos et al. (2025)
Species listed in database: 16
= Cereaster F.Berge; Buch Welt 90 (1842)
= Wilmattea Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 195 (1920)
species :
Hylocereus calcaratus (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 428 (1909)
Distribution: Costa Rica (Limon)
80 COS
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus calcaratus F.A.C.Weber; Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 458 (1902)
= Selenicereus calcaratus (F.A.C.Weber) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 30 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus costaricensis (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 428 (1909)
Distribution: Hawaii [I] (Kauai [I]); Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Colombia (Magdalena)
63 haw 80 COS NIC PAN 82 CLM
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus costaricensis (Britton & Rose) A.Berger; Kakteen [Berger] 122, 337 (1929)
= Cereus trigonus var. costaricensis (Britton & Rose) F.A.C.Weber; Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 8: 457 (1902)
= Hylocereus microcladus Backeb.; Blätt. Kakteenf. 11(2): 2 (1937)
= Selenicereus costaricensis (F.A.C.Weber) S.Arias & N.Korotkova; Phytotaxa 327(1): 25 (2017), et Willdenowia 51(2): 265 (2021)
= Selenicereus costaricensis (F.A.C.Weber) S.Arias & N.Korotkova ex Hammel; Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 138: 283 (2020)
= Selenicereus microcladus (Backeb.) Lodé; Cact.-Advent. Int. (Almeria) 36: 142 (2024)
species :
Hylocereus escuintlensis Kimnach; Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 56(4): 177 (1984)
Distribution: Mexico (Chiapas); Guatemala
79 MEX 80 GUA
Synonyms: hidden
= Selenicereus escuintlensis (Kimnach) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 31 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus extensus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) Britton & Rose; Stand. Cycl. Hort. 1626 (1915)
Distribution: Guyana; Surinam; French Guiana; Ecuador; Peru
82 FRG GUY SUR 83 ECU PER
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereaster extensus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) F.Berge; Buch Welt 90 (1842)
= Cereus extensus Salm-Dyck ex DC.; Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 3: 469 (1828)
= Cereus subsquamatus Pfeiff.; Allg. Gartenzeitung [Otto & Dietrich] 3: 380 (1835)
= Hylocereus extensus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) Ralf Bauer; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 17: 28 (2003), isonym
= Mediocactus extensus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) Doweld; Sukkulenty (Moscow) 4(1-2): 42 (2001 publ. 2002)
= Selenicereus extensus (DC.) Leuenb.; Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 123(1): 56 (2001)
species :
Hylocereus guatemalensis (Eichlam ex Weing.) Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 184 (1920)
Distribution: Guatemala; El Salvador
80 ELS GUA
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus guatemalensis (Eichlam ex Weing.) A.Berger; Kakteen [Berger] 121, 338 (1929), nom. illeg.
= Cereus trigonus var. guatemalensis Eichlam ex Weing.; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 21: 68 (1911)
= Selenicereus guatemalensis (Eichlam ex Weing.) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 32 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus megalanthus (K.Schum. ex Vaupel) Ralf Bauer; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 17: 28 (2003)
Name: Yellow Pitaya
Distribution: Colombia (Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Quindío, Valle); ?E-Ecuador; Peru; ?Bolivia
82 CLM 83 PER
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus megalanthus K.Schum. ex Ule; Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 40: 412 (1908), nomen
= Cereus megalanthus K.Schum. ex Vaupel; Notizbl. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5: 284 (1913)
= Mediocactus megalanthus (K.Schum. ex Vaupel) Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 212 (1920)
= Selenicereus megalanthus (Schum. ex Vaupel) Moran; Gentes Herbarum 8: 325 (1953)
species :
Hylocereus minutiflorus Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 210 (1913)
Distribution: Guatemala; Belize; Honduras
80 BLZ GUA HON
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus minutiflorus (Britton & Rose) Vaupel; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 23: 86, 87 (1913)
= Selenicereus minutiflorus (Britton & Rose) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 33 (2017)
= Wilmattea minutiflora (Britton & Rose) Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 195 (1920)
species :
Hylocereus monacanthus (Lem.) Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 190 (1920)
Distribution: Nicaragua; Costa Rica; Panama; Tobago; Trinidad; Colombia (Bolívar, Casanare, La Guajira, Magdalena, Santander, Valle); Venezuela (Amazonas, Anzoátegui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolívar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales, Venezuela Distrito Federal, Falcón, Guárico, Lara, Mérida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Táchira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia); Guyana; Surinam; Ecuador; Peru
80 COS NIC PAN 81 TRT 82 CLM GUY SUR VEN 83 ECU PER
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus lemairei Hook.; Bot. Mag. 80: t. 4814 (1854)
= Cereus monacanthus Lem.; Hort. Universel 6: 60 (1844)
= Cereus polyrhizus F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.; Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 1: 151 (1897)
= Cereus scandens Salm-Dyck; Cact. Hort. Dyck. [1849 ed.]: 219 (1850)
= Cereus scandens var. minor Boerh. ex Arendt; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 1: 82 (1891)
= Cereus schomburgkii Otto ex K.Schum.; Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 158 (1897)
= Cereus trinitatensis Lem. & Herment; Rev. Hort. (Paris), Sér. 4, 8: 642 (1859)
= Cereus venezuelensis (Britton & Rose) Werderm.; Neue Kakteen 23, 67 (1931)
= Hylocereus estebanensis Backeb.; Descr. Cact. Nov. [Backeberg] 1: 11 (1956 publ. 1957)
= Hylocereus lemairei (Hook.) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 428 (1909)
= Hylocereus peruvianus Backeb.; Blätt. Kakteenf. 8(15): 2 (1937)
= Hylocereus polyrhizus (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 185 (1920)
= Hylocereus scandens (Salm-Dyck) Backeb.; Cactaceae [Backeberg] 2: 817 (1959)
= Hylocereus schomburgkii (Otto ex K.Schum.) Backeb.; Cactaceae [Backeberg] 2: 816 (1959), with incorrect basionym ref.
= Hylocereus trinitatensis (Lem. & Herment) A.Berger; Kakteen [Berger] 120 (1929)
= Hylocereus venezuelensis Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 186, 226 (1920)
= Selenicereus monacanthus (Lem.) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 33 (2017)
= Wilmattea venezuelensis Croizat; Pittieria 4: 39 (1972)
species :
Hylocereus ocamponis (Salm-Dyck) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
Distribution: Mexico (Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico State, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Sinaloa)
79 MEX
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus ocamponis Salm-Dyck; Cact. Hort. Dyck. [1849 ed.]: 220 (1850)
= Hylocereus bronxensis Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 185 (1920)
= Selenicereus ocamponis (Salm-Dyck) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 34 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus plumieri (Rol.-Goss.) Lourteig; Bradea 5(44): 406 (1991)
Distribution: Barbados
81 BBD
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus plumieri Rol.-Goss.; Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54: 668 (1908)
= Selenicereus plumieri (Rol.-Goss.) Hoxey & Gdaniec; Phytotaxa 483(1): 58 (2021)
species :
Hylocereus purpusii (Weing.) Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 184 (1920)
Distribution: Mexico (Colima, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico State, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Querétaro)
79 MEX
Remarks: frequently included in S. ocamponis
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus purpusii Weing.; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 19: 150 (1909)
= Selenicereus purpusii (Weing.) S.Arias & N.Korotkova; Phytotaxa 327(1): 28 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus setaceus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) Ralf Bauer; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 17: 29 (2003)
Name: Pineapple Cactus
Distribution: Bolivia; N-Brazil (Roraima, Pará); NE-Brazil (Piauí, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, Alagoas, Sergipe); WC-Brazil (Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul); SE-Brazil (Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro); S-Brazil (Paraná); Paraguay (Alto Paraguay, Amambay, Concepcion, Paraguari, Pres. Hayes); Argentina (Corrientes, Misiones)
83 BOL 84 BRA 85 ARG PAR
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereaster setaceus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) F.Berge; Buch Welt, ed. 2: 344 (1843)
= Cereus bifrons Haw.; Suppl. Pl. Succ. 76 (1819)
= Cereus hassleri K.Schum.; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 45 (1900)
= Cereus lindbergianus F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.; Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 151 (1897)
= Cereus lindmanii F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.; Gesamtbeschr. Kakt. 163 (1897)
= Cereus setaceus Salm-Dyck ex DC.; Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 3: 469 (1828)
= Cereus setaceus var. viridior Salm-Dyck; Hort. Dyck. 65 (1834)
= Mediocactus hassleri (K.Schum.) Backeb.; Cactaceae [Backeberg] 2: 798 (1959)
= Mediocactus lindmanii (F.A.C.Weber ex K.Schum.) Backeb.; Cactaceae [Backeberg] 2: 798 (1959)
= Mediocactus setaceus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) Borg; Cacti [Borg], ed. 2: 213 (1951)
= Selenicereus rizzinii Scheinvar; Revista Brasil. Biol. 34(2): 251 (1974)
= Selenicereus setaceus (Salm-Dyck ex DC.) A.Berger ex Werderm.; Brasil. Säulenkakteen 87 (1933)
species :
Hylocereus stenopterus (F.A.C.Weber) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
Distribution: Costa Rica (eastern part); Panama
80 COS PAN
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus stenopterus F.A.C.Weber; Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. (Paris) 458 (1902)
= Selenicereus stenopterus (F.A.C.Weber) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 35 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus triangularis (L.) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
Name: Pitajaya, Night blooming Cereus, Strawberry pear, Queen of the Night
Distribution: Spain [I]; Pakistan [I]; India [I] (Uttar Pradesh [I]); Cuba; Jamaica; Hispaniola (Dominican Republic); Puerto Rico; Virgin Isl. (Guana, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Tortola, Virgin Gorda); St. Martin/St. Maarten; Saba; St. Eustatius; Nevis; Antigua; Montserrat; Guadeloupe; Marie-Galante; Martinique; St. Vincent; Grenada
12 spa 40 ind pak 81 ABA CUB GDL GRE HIS JAM MAR MTS PUE SAB STE STK STM STV VIR
Synonyms: hidden
= Cactus anizogonus C.F.Först.; Handb. Cacteenk., ed. 2 [Rümpler] 764 (1885)
= Cactus napoleonis Loudon; Encycl. Pl. [Loudon], Suppl. 1: 1202 (1840)
= Cactus triangularis L.; Sp. Pl. [Linnaeus] 1: 468 (1753)
= Cactus triangularis var. aphyllus Jacq.; Select. Stirp. Amer. Hist. 152 (1763)
= Cactus triangularis var. foliaceus Jacq.; Select. Stirp. Amer. Hist. 152 (1763)
= Cactus triangularis var. variegatus Bertol.; Giorn. Arcadico Sci. 29: 342 (1826)
= Cactus triangularis Vell.; Fl. Flumin. 206 (1825 publ. 1829), nom. illeg.
= Cactus triqueter Willd.; Enum. Pl. [Willdenow], Suppl. 33 (1814), nom. illeg.
= Cereaster triangularis (L.) F.Berge; Buch Welt 90 (1842)
= Cereaster triangularis var. variegatus F.Berge; Buch Welt 90 (1842)
= Cereus anizogonus Salm-Dyck; Cact. Hort. Dyck. [1849 ed.]: 52 (1850)
= Cereus compressus Mill.; Gard. Dict., ed. 8: no. 10 (1768)
= Cereus napoleonis Graham; Bot. Mag. 63: t. 3458 (1836)
= Cereus pomifer Weing.; Z. Sukkulentenk. 3: 70 (1927)
= Cereus triangularis (L.) Haw.; Syn. Pl. Succ. 180 (1812)
= Cereus triangularis (L.) Mill.; Gard. Dict., ed. 8: no. 9 (1768)
= Cereus triangularis var. major DC.; Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 3: 468 (1828)
= Cereus triangularis var. pictus DC.; Prodr. [A.P. de Candolle] 3: 468 (1828)
= Cereus trigonus Haw.; Syn. Pl. Succ. 181 (1812)
= Cereus trigonus var. quadrangularis Haw.; Syn. Pl. Succ. 181 (1812)
= Cereus venditus Paulsen; J. Bot. 56: 235 (1918)
= Hylocereus antiguensis Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 193 (1920)
= Hylocereus compressus Y.Itô; Cactaceae [Itô] 122 (1981) (nom. nov., as ´nov. comb.´, without repl. syn. ref.)
= Hylocereus cubensis Britton & Rose; Cactaceae [Britton & Rose] 2: 188 (1920)
= Hylocereus napoleonis Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
= Hylocereus trigonus (Haw.) Saff.; Rep. (Annual) Board Regents Smithsonian Inst. 553, 556 (1908 publ. 1909)
= Selenicereus triangularis (L.) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 35 (2017)
= Selenicereus trigonus (Haw.) S.Arias & N.Korotkova; Phytotaxa 327(1): 29 (2017)
species :
Hylocereus tricae (D.R.Hunt) Ralf Bauer; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 17: 29 (2003)
Distribution: Mexico (Chiapas); Belize
79 MEX 80 BLZ
Synonyms: hidden
= Mediocactus tricae (D.R.Hunt) Doweld; Sukkulenty (Moscow) 4(1-2): 42 (2001 publ. 2002)
= Selenicereus inermis subsp. tricae (D.R.Hunt) Ralf Bauer; EPIG 66: 12 (2010)
= Selenicereus tricae D.R.Hunt; Bradleya 7: 91 (1989)
species :
Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) Britton & Rose; Fl. Bermuda [N.L.Britton] 256 (1918)
Name: Night blooming Cereus, Chacam, Chak-Wob, Dragon Fruit, Junco Tapatio, Pitahaya, Pitahaya Orejona, Queen of the Night, Reina de la Noche, Tasajo, Zacamb
Distribution: Canary Isl. [I] (Gran Canaria [I], Tenerife [I], La Gomera [I], La Palma [I], Fuerteventura [I]); Cape Verde Isl. [I] (Santo Antao Isl. [I], Fogo Isl. [I]); Mozambique [I]; South Africa [I]; St. Helena [I]; Ascension Isl. [I]; Mauritius [I]; La Réunion [I]; Bangladesh [I]; Cambodia [I]; Jawa [I]; Australia [I] (Queensland [I], New South Wales [I]); Niue [I]; Vanuatu [I]; Society Isl. [I] ; Hawaii [I] (Kauai [I], Oahu [I], Molokai [I], Lanai [I]); SE-USA [I]; Bermuda [I]; Mexico (Aguascalientes, Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico State, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Yucatán); Honduras; Nicaragua [I]; Cuba [I]; Puerto Rico [I]; Virgin Isl. [I] (St. Thomas [I], St. Croix [I]); St. Martin/St. Maarten [I]; St. Barthélémy [I]; Barbuda [I]; Guadeloupe [I]; Martinique [I]; Colombia [I]; Brazil [I]
21 cny cvi 26 moz 27 saf 28 asc sth 29 mau reu 40 ban 41 cbd 42 jaw 50 aus 60 nue van 61 sci 63 haw 78 usa 79 MEX 80 HON nic 81 aba ber cub gdl mar pue sba stm vir 82 clm 84 bra
Synonyms: hidden
= Cereus tricostatus Rol.-Goss.; Bull. Soc. Bot. France 54: 664 (1908)
= Cereus undatus Haw.; Philos. Mag. Ann. Chem. 110 (1830)
= Cereus undulatus D.Dietr.; Syn. Pl. [Dietrich] 3: 104 (1842), orth. var.
= Harrisia undata (Haw.) Britton; Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 35: 564 (1908 publ. 1909)
= Hylocereus tricostatus (Rol.-Goss.) Britton & Rose; Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 429 (1909)
= Hylocereus undatus subsp. luteocarpus Cálix de Dios; Haseltonia 11: 12 (2005)
= Selenicereus undatus (Haw.) D.R.Hunt; Cactaceae Syst. Init. 36: 35 (2017)
= Selenicereus undatus subsp. luteocarpus (Cálix de Dios) M.H.J.van der Meer; Cact. Phantast. 8(1): 1 (2019)
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A complete, synonymic checklist of the Higher Plants of the World

Version 26.08 (August 2nd, 2026)

Covering 360,349 accepted species,
8,927 hybrids, 47,544 accepted infraspecific taxa and 1,011,667 synonyms,
in total 1,428,487* names

[*about 20,000 dubious, "unplaced" names and about 4,000 invalid names (Art. 24.3) like "typicus" are deliberately omitted]

With complete, detailed distribution data (countries and regions) and literature references

Arranged in linear phylogenetic sequence reflecting true relationships

Fully searchable and continously updated

With 38,209 pictures of 15,787 species

Assembled through 40 years independently from other databases

In cooperation with Catalogue of Life