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Accepted Scientific Name: Melocactus macracanthos (Salm-Dyck) Link & Otto
Verh. Vereins Beford. Gartenbaues Konigl. Preuss. Staaten 3: 418-419 1827.
Origin and Habitat: Curagao and the adjacent Islands.
Synonyms:
- Melocactus macracanthos (Salm-Dyck) Link & Otto
- Cactus macracanthos Salm-Dyck
Melocactus macracanthos (Salm-Dyck) Link & Otto
Verh. Vereins Beford. Gartenbaues Konigl. Preuss. Staaten 3: 418-419 1827.
Synonymy: 118
- Melocactus macracanthos (Salm-Dyck) Link & Otto
- Cactus macracanthos Salm-Dyck
- Melocactus albispinus Suringar
- Melocactus albispinus f. quadrispina Suringar
- Melocactus angusticostatus Suringar
- Melocactus appropinquatus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus approximatus Suringar
- Melocactus arcuatus Suringar
- Melocactus argenteus Suringar
- Melocactus argenteus var. tenuispinus Suringar
- Melocactus armatus Suringar
- Melocactus baarsianus Suringar
- Melocactus barbarae Antesb.
- Melocactus bargei Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus bozsingianus Antesb.
- Melocactus buysianus Suringar
- Melocactus capillaris Suringar
- Melocactus citrispinus Antesb.
- Melocactus compactus Suringar
- Melocactus contortus Suringar
- Melocactus cordatus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus cornutus Suringar
- Melocactus cylindricus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus dilatatus Suringar
- Melocactus eburneus Suringar
- Melocactus eburneus f. plurispina Suringar
- Melocactus elongatus Suringar
- Melocactus euryacanthus Suringar
- Melocactus evertszianus Suringar
- Melocactus exsertus Suringar
- Melocactus extensus Suringar
- Melocactus ferox Suringar
- Melocactus ferus Suringar
- Melocactus firmus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus flammeus Suringar
- Melocactus flavispinus Suringar
- Melocactus flexilis Suringar
- Melocactus flexus Suringar
- Melocactus gilvispinus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pachycentrus Suringar
- Melocactus gracilis Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus grandis Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus grandispinus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus grollianus Suringar
- Melocactus hexacanthus Suringar
- Melocactus inclinatus Antesb.
- Melocactus incurvus Suringar
- Melocactus inflatus Suringar
- Melocactus intermedius Suringar
- Melocactus intermedius var. laticostatus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus intermedius var. rotundatus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus intermedius var. tenuispinus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus inversus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus laui Antesb.
- Melocactus lehmannii Miq.
- Melocactus leucacanthus Suringar
- Melocactus limis Suringar
- Melocactus lutescens Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus martialis Suringar
- Melocactus microcarpus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus microcephalus Miq.
- Cactus microcephalus (Miq.) Borg
- Melocactus microcephalus var. olivascens Suringar
- Melocactus nanus Suringar
- Melocactus obliquus Suringar
- Melocactus obliquus f. quadrispina Suringar
- Melocactus obovatus Suringar
- Melocactus ovatus Suringar
- Melocactus parvispinus var. carneus Suringar
- Melocactus patens Suringar
- Melocactus pentacanthus Suringar
- Melocactus pinguis Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pinguis var. areolosus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pinguis var. laticostatus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pinguis var. planispinus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pinguis var. tenuissimus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pulvinosus Suringar
- Melocactus pusillus Suringar
- Melocactus pyramidalis (Salm-Dyck) Link & Otto
- Cactus pyramidalis Salm-Dyck
- Melocactus pyramidalis var. carneus Miq.
- Melocactus pyramidalis var. compressus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pyramidalis var. costis-angustioribus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus pyramidalis var. pumilus Suringar
- Melocactus radiatus Suringar
- Melocactus rectiusculus Suringar
- Melocactus reticulatus Suringar
- Melocactus reversus Suringar
- Melocactus rotalus Suringar
- Melocactus rotifer Suringar
- Melocactus rotifer var. aciculosus Suringar
- Melocactus rotula var. angusticostatus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus rotula var. angustior Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus rotula var. validispinus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus rubellus Suringar
- Melocactus rudis Suringar
- Melocactus salmianus var. aciculosus Suringar
- Melocactus aciculosus (Suringar) Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus salmianus var. adauctus Suringar
- Melocactus aciculosus var. adauctus (Suringar) Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus salmianus var. contractus Suringar
- Melocactus salmianus var. spectabilis Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus sordidus Suringar
- Melocactus spatanginus Suringar
- Melocactus spatanginus f. tenuispinus Suringar
- Melocactus spatangus Pfeiff.
- Melocactus stellatus Suringar
- Melocactus stramineus Suringar
- Melocactus stramineus f. pluricostatus Suringar
- Melocactus tenuissimus Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus trachycephalus Suringar
- Melocactus trichacanthus Suringar
- Melocactus trigonaster Valck.Sur.
- Melocactus trigonus Suringar
- Melocactus uncinatus Suringar
- Melocactus zuccarinii Miq.
- Cactus zuccarinii (Miq.) Borg
Description: Nathaniel Lord Britton, Joseph Nelson Rose “The Cactaceae: Descriptions and Illustrations of Plants of the Cactus Family” Volume 3, 1922:
Plants pale green or dull green, globular or somewhat broader than high, often 3 dm. in diameter and in time crowned by a cephalium; cephalium elongated, becoming 2 dm. high or more, 1 dm. in diameter, composed of white felt and brown bristles longer than the felt; ribs 1 1 to 15, broad at base, rounded ; spines all brown to yellow at first; radial spines 12 to 15, acicular, widely spreading, 3 cm. long or more; central spines usually 4 but sometimes more, subulate, much stouter than the radials, unequal in length, sometimes 7 cm. long; flower, including the ovary, about 2 cm. long, swollen at the base, the segments linear-lanceolate, acutish, about 5 mm. long; fruit broadly clavate, shining, 1.5 to 2 cm. long, capped by the more or less persistent perianth; seeds short-oblong, 1 mm. long, dull black.
Type locality: Not cited.
Distribution: Curagao and the adjacent Dutch Islands.
Dr. Britton, while studying the vegetation of Curagao in 1913 with special relation to the cacti, closely examined this species at many localities. Many slight variations in size and shape of the plant-body, length and color of the spines, and development of the cephalium were observed, but the conclusion was reached that all the individuals were, doubtless, referable to but one species, notwithstanding Professor Suringar's contrary opinion; Dr. Shafer who accompanied Dr. Britton agreed with this result. Dr. Rose, visiting Curagao in 1916, arrived at the conclusions reached by Dr. Britton and independently by Dr. I. Boldingh, who studied the vegetation of Bonaire, Curagao, and Aruba in 1909 and 1910. The synonymy of the species is the largest of any of the cacti and perhaps not exceeded by that of any other plant.
Cultivation and Propagation: These cacti are not the easiest things to grow and aren’t plants for beginners. Melocactus peruvianus grows from April to October, it can’t endure long stretches of total dryness, and also too much water will rot it, as its weak root systems tends to be inefficient at sucking up water from wet soil. Nonetheless, again as a result of their tropical origins, they need a fair amount of water, but allow the soil to dry quite a bit before watering again. Melocactus rests from October to April but can’t stand cold, or even fairly cool temperatures, so is indispensable to keep it above 8-12°C at all times, severe damage or death occurring at temperatures that the great majority of cacti wouldn’t mind in the least and prefer more frequent water in winter than other cacti, say once a month. Do not feed in winter. The root system is weak and generally resents being repotted and can take a long time to re-establish. The soil mix should be very quick draining, prefers very bright light, not as much as the most arid growing cacti, but plenty nonetheless.
Propagation: Exclusively by Seeds. Sow in February-march in a light, sandy, porous soil. Cover germinating tray with glass to prevent seed from drying out. Germination is most successful at a temperature of 18 to 22° C.
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