Badmin: Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Browningia | image = Browningia_candelaris.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Cereeae | subtribe = Rebutiinae | genus = '''Browningia''' | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). }} == Etymology == The genus was named in honor of Webster E. Browning (1869–1942), who was the director of the English Institute in Santiago, Chile. == Description == '''Browningia''' is a genus of typi..."

2026-03-28T11:36:45Z

Created page with "{{Taxobox | name = Browningia | image = Browningia_candelaris.jpg | kingdom = Plantae | family = Cactaceae | subfamily = Cactoideae | tribe = Cereeae | subtribe = Rebutiinae | genus = '''Browningia''' | notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). }} == Etymology == The genus was named in honor of Webster E. Browning (1869–1942), who was the director of the English Institute in Santiago, Chile. == Description == '''Browningia''' is a genus of typi..."

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{{Taxobox
| name = Browningia
| image = Browningia_candelaris.jpg
| kingdom = [[Plantae]]
| family = [[Cactaceae]]
| subfamily = [[Cactoideae]]
| tribe = [[Cereeae]]
| subtribe = [[Rebutiinae]]
| genus = '''Browningia'''
| notes = Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015).
}}

== Etymology ==
The genus was named in honor of Webster E. Browning (1869–1942), who was the director of the English Institute in Santiago, Chile.

== Description ==
'''Browningia''' is a genus of typically treelike, branched cacti. They can grow in a candelabra-like or columnar fashion. A fascinating characteristic of some species (like ''B. candelaris'') is the differentiation between the trunk and the branches: the main trunk is often densely covered with formidable spines, while the upper reproductive branches are nearly or completely spineless.

The flowers are nocturnal but often remain open into the following morning. They are self-sterile, tubular or funnel-shaped, and slightly curved. Their colors range from white and creamy-white to orange-red. They are pollinated by bats (specifically ''Platalina genovensium'') and hummingbirds. The fruits are relatively small, spherical to egg-shaped, and become dry when ripe. The seeds are dispersed by bats and birds.

== Habitat ==
The genus is found in mountainous and extremely arid regions, growing on steep, rocky terrain among xerophytic vegetation. They have a wide altitudinal range, from 400 m up to 3000 m above sea level.

== Distribution ==
* Bolivia
* Chile (North: Arica, Tarapacá)
* Colombia (Boyacá - a disjunct population)
* Ecuador (Cañar, Loja)
* Peru (widely distributed across many regions)

== Species ==
According to the Joël Lodé index, the genus includes 9 recognized species (and one doubtful taxon):

* [[Browningia albiceps]]
* [[Browningia altissima]]
* [[Browningia amstutziae]]
* [[Browningia candelaris]]
** [[Browningia candelaris subsp. icaensis]]
* [[Browningia chlorocarpa]]
* [[Browningia hernandezii]]
* [[Browningia microsperma]]
* [[Browningia pilleifera]]
* [[Browningia utcubambensis]] (considered a doubtful taxon by some authors)

== Notes ==
* Recent molecular data (Lendel et al. 2006, Ritz et al. 2007) has revealed a surprising and close phylogenetic relationship between the giant ''Browningia'' and the tiny ''Rebutia'', leading to its placement in the subtribe '''Rebutiinae'''.
* The old tribe ''Browningieae'' is considered paraphyletic by Lodé. Most of its former members (like ''Armatocereus'' and ''Jasminocereus'') have been moved to other clades.
* ''Azureocereus'' was previously included in ''Browningia'' by some authors, but Lodé maintains it as a separate genus to avoid making ''Browningia'' paraphyletic.
* A notable recent discovery is ''B. hernandezii'' in Colombia (2006), which represents a significant geographical disjunction for the genus.

[[Category:Cactaceae]]
[[Category:Cactoideae]]
[[Category:Cereeae]]
[[Category:Rebutiinae]]

Browningia - Revision history