Salvadorian Turk’s cap cactus
Melocactus salvadorensis
Cactus family (Cactaceae)
Decreased by 30% in 30 years
This cactus species was discovered in 1932 near the Brazilian city of San Salvador, hence its name. Cacti belonging to the genus Melocactus, also known as ‘meloencactussen’ or ‘melon cacti’ in Dutch, are distinguishable when they reach maturity by a cephalium - a furry ‘hat’ out of which the flowers emerge – that appears at the top of its barrel shaped body.
This hat resembles the Turkish fez and from this derives the English vernacular name for the genus, the ‘Turk’s cap cactus’. The only other cactus to have this hat like structure is the related Discocactus. The cephalium is in fact a large clump of small spines. When the cephalium emerges, the green stem stops growing. The cephalium in Melocactus salvadorensis can grow up to 15 cm high on a stem of 20 cm.
The flowers are magenta red whereas the edible fruits are a tomato red colour. The flowers are pollinated, predominantly, by hummingbirds. This cactus is locally popular as sweets, for medicine, as a houseplant and to keep evil spirits away from the home.
Read more.... »Themes
The flowers are pollinated, predominantly, by hummingbirds.
The fruits of the Salvadorian Turk’s cap cactus are tomato-red in colour and edible.
The species is a local favourite for sweets and medicine and as a house plant, and is said to keep angry spirits from entering the home.
Details
Description: | Succulent, cactus, up to 0.35 m. |
---|---|
Distributions: | Brazil (bahia, minas gerais) |
Habitat: | On soils of weathered granite and gneiss between 200-1100 m in altitude. in dry steppe vegetation with a mean annual temperature of 28°c, low humidity and average precipitation of less than 800 mm per year. |
Year cycle: | Perennial (trees and shrubs included) |
Hardiness: | 50 - 59 f (heated glasshouse - subtropical) |
Flower color: | Pink, red |