Erect or spreading multi-branched shrubs or small trees, usually many-branched, the growth indefinite. Stem segments cylindric to somewhat clavate, rarely compressed, distinctly tuberculate, firmly attached to easily detached. Tubercles elongate, raised and rib-like, sometimes mamillate. Leaves restricted to young developing stems and on pericarpels and hypanthia, rudimentary, terete, ± subulate, soon deciduous. Areoles terminal or subterminal on tubercles, variable in shape, invested with glochids, spines, hairs and/or glands. Spines 1–many, rarely absent, setaceous, acicular or subulate, barbed or smooth, epidermal sheath eventually deciduous. Glochids usually in tuft at adaxial margin, yellow to brown. Flowers lateral or subterminal, rarely terminal, bisexual or occasionally functionally female, regular. Perianth segments numerous, spreading to erect, virtually free, inserted on pericarpel apex, deciduous; outer tepals usually green, usually with margins tinged the colour of the inner tepals; inner tepals green, yellow, bronze to pink, red or magenta, acute to oblong to spathulate, emarginate, apiculate. Stamens numerous, inserted in numerous rows. Ovary inferior; style thick; stigmas 5–10. Fruit cylindric to subglobose, occasionally clavate, smooth to prominently tuberculate, green, yellow to red when fleshy or succulent, or tan to brown when dry, indehiscent, with glochidiate areoles and sometimes spines (spines eventually deciduous as fruit matures), solitary or forming short to long chains by proliferation. Seeds flattened, circular, squarish to angular, 2–7 mm long, glabrous, funicular girdle smooth or with a low marginal ridge.
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Trees or shrubs, rarely forming mats, erect, usually many branched. Stem segments firmly attached to easily dislodged, straight to curved, cylindric to slightly clavate, 2-40(-50) × 0.3-5.5 cm, usually glabrous, tuberculate; areoles elliptic, circular, ovate, obovate, or obdeltate to rhombic, 0.7-5 mm diam.; wool white, yellow, or tan to brown. Spines with whole epidermis sheath deciduous; major spines not or only basally angularly flattened. Glochids usually in tuft at adaxial margin, yellow to brown. Flowers bisexual or sometimes functionally pistillate, radially symmetric; outer tepals green with margins tinged color of the inner; inner tepals yellow-green, yellow to bronze, or red to magenta, spatulate, emarginate-apiculate. Pollen spinulo-punctate, not reticulate (cylindropuntioid type). Fruits, if fleshy, green, yellow, or scarlet, sometimes tinged red to purple or, if dry, tan to brown, cylindric to subspheric, sometimes clavate, fleshy or dry, spineless or spiny; areoles bearing short feltlike wool of various colors, often tan or gray. Seeds pale yellow to tan or gray, flattened to subspheric, angular to squarish or circular, often warped, 1.9-7 mm, commonly bearing 1-4 large depressions per side due to pressure from adjacent developing seeds, glabrous; funicular girdle smooth or with low marginal ridge. x = 11.
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