The information regarding cacti (Cactaceae) in contemporary Madeira Floras and plant catalogues is very unclear and contradictory. Furthermore, only a few (or just a single) species
are listed as occurring in the wild. Recent fieldwork in the island of Madeira has shed new
light on which species are present and what status should be assigned to them. Four species are
clearly naturalised: Austrocylindropuntia subulata, Opuntia ficus-indica, O. monacantha and O.
stricta. The second and fourth can definitely be considered invasive, although only the occurrence
of O. ficus-indica (sometimes as O. ficus-barbarica) was unambiguous until now. Several additional species are reported here for the first time from the island of Madeira but all are only known from single or a few populations: Brasiliopuntia brasiliensis, Nyctocereus serpentinus, Opuntia elata and O. leucotricha. All newly reported species are illustrated.