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Melocactus
The genus Melocactus is well distinguished within the family of cacti due to the globular shape of the plants which, when they reach maturity, produce a showy fluffy protuberance, often bristling with thin needle-like spines at the apex, from which small, usually red flowers emerge. A melocactus was perhaps the first of all American cacti to be observed by the handful of men following Christopher Columbus on his landing in the Antilles.
| Etymology | The name derives from the union of the words Melon and Kaktos, a type of Sicilian wild artichoke so defined by Aristotle. |
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| Natural origin | Wide spread in the central-southern area of America, from Mexico to northern Peru. |
The regions from which the Melocactus come are affected by tropical climates with high and frequent summer rainfall and dry winters with mild temperatures, never below zero degrees Celsius.
In the wild they grow in sparse prairie together with grasses and low thorn bushes, but they are also found in deciduous forests. They often colonize more or less steep slopes, in cracks or rocky cavities.
In the wild they grow in sparse prairie together with grasses and low thorn bushes, but they are also found in deciduous forests. They often colonize more or less steep slopes, in cracks or rocky cavities.
Description
All the Melocactus are pollinated by the hummingbirds, with which they entertain a mutualistic symbiosis. For this reason the flowers of these plants always open during the afternoon hours, when in nature their pollinators come out to eat nectar. In their youth they are not very showy plants, apart from some species with thorns that are attractive in shape and color.
Cultivation
These plants have always been considered difficult, but if they are cultivated with care, they are adaptable and able to give a lot of satisfaction.
Here are some general directions:
- use a non-calcareous mineral substrate (eg lapillus, pumice, zeolite) avoiding peat;
- in summer, keep the plants in a very warm and bright place;
- in summer, water frequently and abundantly;
- In winter, keep the plants in a place protected from the cold (min 6-8 ° C).
Illnesses
These plants are sensitive to the scale that occasionally creeps at the base of the cephalium, hidden between the most external bristles.