|
Melocactus diamantinus
Quite variable regarding the length of the spines and
cultivated plants from different provenience will be remarkably
different.
|
|
|
. |
|
|
Advertising
|
|
|
Family:
Cactaceae (Cactus
Family) Melocactus diamantinus
(Sometime labelled "diamantineus" or "diamantinensis")
Scientific name:
Melocactus neglectus var. diamantineus
Origin: Chapado do DIAMANTINA, Minas Gerais
(Brasilia)
Field number: HU 174
Conservation status: Listed in
CITES appendix 2.
Common Name: Turk’s cap, “melon cactus” (or
simply “melon”)
Synonyms:
- Melocactus neglectus hort.
- Melocactus bahiensis v. neglectus
- Melocactus oreas v. bahiensis
- Melocactus oreas ssp. bahiensis
- Melocactus bahiensis (Britton & Rose) Lützelburg,
1923
|
Description: The plants labelled as
Melocactus diamantinus (diamantineus) are
extremely beautiful with very long red spines and large white
woolly areoles.
Stem: Globose, up to 15 cm in diameter with 10 to 12 ribs
and a cephalium with many brown bristles.
Remarks: The most remarkable part of a
Melocactus is its
cephalium a bristle-coated structure on the summit of the plant,
only Melocactus, and the similar genus
Discocactus
possesses this type of permanent, apical, hat-like appendage. It’s only
when a Melocactus reaches maturity that the cephalium begins to
grow. Cylindrical, with a diameter distinctly smaller than that of the
plant body below, the cephalium will keep growing for the rest of the
plant’s life, but the body of the plant stops growing the moment the
cephalium starts to form. . As the plants age the cephalium doesn’t
increase in circumference it will steadily grow taller
|
|
Cultivation: These cacti are not the easiest
things to grow and aren’t plants for beginners.
Melocactus diamantinus 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.
|
|