This book deals with the small Opuntias, which are often no more than a few centimetres tall. They are clustering plants, mostly of 9 genera (Austrocylindropuntia, Cumulopuntia, Maihuenia, Maihueniopsis, Miqueliopuntia, Pterocactus, Punotia, Tephrocactus, and Tunilla) from South America from the mountainous west side, from Ecuador in the north to Chile and Argentina in the extreme south, as well as a few small genera from North America (Corynopuntia, Grusonia, and a few smaller species of Cylindropuntia and Opuntia). The book is illustrated with 276 colour photos of flowering plants and 15 maps, and has been written with the collaboration of many explorers, scientists, hobbyists and cultivators.