Cactus

Found in a variety of forms and sometimes with very attractive flowers, cacti and other succulents have elicited widespread interest and tremendous popularity worldwide. Although the subject of a certain amount of debate, about 10,000 species of plant are recognised as belonging to the succulent group. Of these, an estimated 2,000 are threatened with global extinction in the wild and many more are regionally or nationally threatened.

Handbook for the identification of the Cactaceae included in CITES. The purpose of this publication is to facilitate their identification by customs officers or other border inspectors. It can also help collectors to identify the rare species so that they can avoid purchasing specimens of wild origin.

This checklist gives information on a number of species of Cactaceae included in Appendices I and II of CITES regarding their identification, nomenclature and distribution. It is a first step towards a better implementation of CITES for this group of plants.

The purpose of this publication is to facilitate the identification of Cactaceae and succulents by customs officers or other border inspectors. It can also help collectors to identify the rare species so that they can avoid purchasing specimens of wild origins.