Growth Habits: They are slow-growing, and often very difficult to grow. They are globular plants, generally solitary, except if the growing tip has been damaged. When they are mature, the body stops growing and produces a crown on its apex named cephalium. This densely spined area is where the flowers and fruit will be produced. The cephalium can keep on growing for many years, and in some species can exceed the height of the body itself. The colour of the cephalous varies from species to species and can be anything from a pinkish red through to a bright orange
Scientific name: Melocactus conoideus
Common names: The striking difference between the body and the cephalium, reminds one of a cap, hence the name Turk's Cap Cacti given to many specimen in this genus
Synonym: None known to me.
Etymology: A shortened form of the original name Echinomelocactus. The botanical name Melocactus comes from the Latin for 'melon cacti'.
Origin: The genus Melocactus includes around 40 cacti from Mexico, the West Indies, and northern South America. This particular species comes from Brazil (south eastern Bahia State)
Light: The plant like good light, some direct sun is good for their well being, but care should be taken if the sun is too fierce, as the plants tend to burn easily.
Compost: The compost should be extremely free draining as these plants tend to rot if you look at them too hard. To insure optimum growth, it is a good idea to repot them in Spring every 2-3 years.
Water: In summer the plant can be watered and fed as normal. In winter, decrease the watering, but they still need regular water. Deionized water or distilled water is better.
Flower: The flowers are pink and they appear from spring to autumn. They are not the best flower that you will see on a cactus as they sometimes have trouble pushing up through the cephalium. However the plant has attractions to the grower other than the flowers.
Fruit: The fruit is an elongated bright pink. fleshy berry that comes through the cephalium and is quite attractive.
Min. temp: To be on the safe side the temperature should never drop below 60°f (15°C) winter or summer.
Cultivation: My success or should I say failure at growing Melocactus successfully is well documented, but if you keep them around the 60°f. mark and water with care there is no reason why you should not have some success with them. They are not the easiest plants to keep, even for the experts, but as you can see from the photograph they are well worth the effort.
Habitat: Lowland Brazil, Bahia state, not widespread, rocky and gravelly areas in mixed scrubland. High rainfall (in comparison to average cactus habitats) but rocky and sloping substrates mean rapid drainage. Highly threatened, primarily by disturbance of the habitat. The BCSS Conservation Committee has funded a reserve specifically to protect this species. Virtually all commercial plants available will have been grown from seed propagated from stock plants.
Comments: A beautiful genus of plants. I just wish they liked me as much as I like them. A few of the columnar plants produce a cephalous, but there is nothing to compare to the globular (or in some cases slight columnar) Melocactus.