Cacti have a very special fascination all their own. Like the brilliantly colored hummingbirds, the Cactaceae are creatures of the New World. Miniature spiny dwarf cacti less than an inch in diameter are hidden in the arid regions of North and South America; the majestic columns of the giant saguaro, Carnegiea gigantea, dominate the deserts of Arizona. Yet all these cacti, given time, offer the surprising paradox of brilliant flowers, their delicacy a striking contrast to the strong spines that keep the viewer at a respectful distance.

More than likely, cacti were among the gifts that Christopher Columbus presented on his return from the New World to Isabella, queen of Castile. The first reports of cultivation of cacti in Europe date back to about 1570. Somewhat later, a single plant of Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus, named after Otto von Kotzebue (1787-1846), the explorer, was sold immediately after its discovery to a nursery in Paris for a price many times exceeding the value of the plant's weight in gold. And the fascination continues -- cactus and succulent societies exist around the world. Despite the beauty and wonder of the cactus family, the last professional monograph of the plant was the 1919-1923 publication by Nathaniel Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose.

In this new book, Anderson covers the family Cactaceae in an encyclopedic manner, addressing 125 genera and 1811 species. Descriptions are short but information-packed, and the book includes 1022 color photos. The introduction to each genus concentrates on the discovery of the cacti and the improvements in our understanding of them, in many cases as a result of relatively recent investigation. This makes the book a vivid case study of the science of plant taxonomy or plant systematics.

1008 color photos, 6 b/w photos, 3 drawings, 8 maps, 8 1/2 x 11"

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