Talk:Cactus

Cactus and Cactaceae
While this is the name of a Plant family, the name Cactacea is apter as all families are named that way. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vinayaraj (talk • contribs) 05:47, 13 March 2016 (UTC)

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Thorny problem?
From the current article.

First paragraph.

"Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves."

Second paragraph.

"Cactus spines are produced from specialized structures called areoles, a kind of highly reduced branch"

Thorns are modified branches. Do cacti have both thorns and spines? AnnaComnemna (talk) 10:20, 23 September 2017 (UTC)
 * No, it's generally said that the "spines" of cacti are true spines, i.e. are modified leaves, produced from highly condensed branches, the areoles. On the other hand, the "floral tubes" of cacti bear areoles, which is odd if they are branches. Peter coxhead (talk) 12:08, 23 September 2017 (UTC)

Cladogram inconsistency
I would like to suggest a small change in the cladogram in the phylogeny section. It currently contains a mix of genus and subfamily names, which doesn't make too much sense or is at least inconsistent. Therefore I would suggest to change it to Maihuenioideae and Pereskioideae Clade A / B. Additionally Pereskia Clade A should be called rather Leuenbergeria - which even makes the current version slightly wrong (except we talk about Preskia s.l. / s.str. The suggested change says exactly the same but looks much better in my opinion. --Pawel W. (talk) 22:18, 17 October 2018 (UTC)


 * If you have a reference that has this version of the cladogram in it, then fine. But the cladogram that is there is as per the source given; we must follow the source, as per WP:RS and WP:OR; we can't change the cladogram just because we think it would look better. Peter coxhead (talk) 16:56, 18 October 2018 (UTC)


 * I can't provide a different cladogram, but I can provide an 8 years more recent source, proving that this one is outdated. Lode J. 2013. Leuenbergeria, a new genus in Cactaceae. Cactus-Aventures International. 97: 25-27.

So as this revision rises "Clade A" to genus level, the cladogram should be adapted based on the existing sources. And in my opinion mixing up different systematic ranks simply doesn't make any sense at all. To add another source that simply gives the correct subfamily names: http://www.cactus-art.biz/note-book/Dictionary/Dictionary_S/dictionary_subfamily_in_cactaceae.htm. It's simply common sense - and if you actually need a cladogram on which this one is based on, you could still use the current one and add a note like "adapted according to Lode 2013" or something like that. --Pawel W. (talk) 16:28, 23 October 2018 (UTC)


 * I'd love to replace the cladogram with a more recent one, if there's a complete one in the literature. I have modified a cladogram in the way you suggest in the past and been reverted on the grounds of WP:SYNTH, which is justified, I think, according to the policy – if I were writing a paper, I'd have no hesitation, but Wikipedia is very strict about keeping to the source. You say and in my opinion mixing up different systematic ranks simply doesn't make any sense at all, but if it's what the source does, we are not allowed to "correct" it. Peter coxhead (talk) 19:39, 23 October 2018 (UTC)

Fossil record
The article says no known cactus fossil is known, but there's this article from 1944 that found an Eocene fossil in Utah  User:Dunkleosteus77 &#124;push to talk 21:53, 19 September 2019 (UTC)

Kaktos: uncertain over what is uncertain
"κάκτος, kaktos, a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is not certain."

Is that saying "kaktos" means "spiny plant whose identity is not certain?"

Or was "kaktos" that name of one specific plant, but the identity of that plant has since been lost? --Skintigh (talk) 15:44, 4 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Well, it's never easy to know exactly what classical authors meant - what may then have been regarded as one kind of plant might now be seen as several. But my understanding is that the latter is meant; we know that the plant Theophrastus called κάκτος was spiny, but not what it was. Maybe better to say "... for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain." Peter coxhead (talk) 21:16, 4 March 2020 (UTC)

Good article reassessment needed?
Hi article watchers. I'm going over old GAs to see if they need reassessment. Thanks! —Femke 🐦 (talk) 17:20, 14 February 2023 (UTC)
 * I see two tags in this article (citation needed in lead after unclear sentence, and update needed), and was wondering if people here could address those issues to prevent a WP:GAR?
 * The conservation section is also a bit out-of-date (sources around 2012..).
 * The lead probably also needs some details removed, as it's over 700 words.

Wiki Education assignment: Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2024
— Assignment last updated by Warmedforbs (talk) 01:26, 18 April 2024 (UTC)

More books in the bibliography needed?
The Wikipedia page has a respectable 120 references, but since there are so many books on cacti, some of which have just been published, I think we might add more to the bibliography section. Let me know your thoughts. Mufasave (talk) 19:48, 19 January 2024 (UTC)