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Melocactus intortus

(Mill.) Urb.

Cactaceae

+ Synonyms

Cactus antonii Britton

Cactus communis (W.T.Aiton) Steud.

Cactus coronatus Lam.

Cactus intortus Mill.

Cactus lamarkii Colla

Cactus melocactus communis Aiton

Cactus miquelii (Lehm.) Borg

Cactus nobilis Lam.

Echinocactus intortus (Mill.) DC.

Echinocactus rufispinus Bertol.

Echinocactus xanthacanthus Miq.

Melocactus antonii (Britton) F.M.Knuth

Melocactus atrosanguineus Pfeiff.

Melocactus bradleyi Valck.Sur.

Melocactus brongniartii Lem.

Melocactus communis (Aiton) Link & Otto

Melocactus coronatus (Lam.) Backeb.

Melocactus croceus Valck.Sur.

Melocactus dichroacanthus Miq.

Melocactus eustachianus Valck.Sur.

Melocactus grengelii J.Forbes

Melocactus havannensis (Pfeiff.) Miq.

Melocactus hookeri Valck.Sur.

Melocactus lamarckii (Colla) G.Don

Melocactus leucaster Hoffmanns.

Melocactus macracanthoides Miq.

Melocactus meonacanthus Link & Otto

Melocactus miquelii Lehm.

Melocactus pedernalensis M.M.Mejía & R.G.García

Melocactus portoricensis Suringar

Melocactus rubens Pfeiff.

Melocactus schlumbergerianus Lem.

Melocactus wendlandii Miq.

Melocactus xanthacanthus Miq.

Common Name: Melon Cactus

Melocactus intortus
Growing plants
Photograph by: Josh Noseworthy
Creative Commons License
Melocactus intortus Melocactus intortus Melocactus intortus Melocactus intortus

General Information

Melocactus intortus is a spiny, evergreen globose to cylindrical cactus, producing a single stem that can be up to 100cm tall and 15 - 40cm in diameter. Flowers are produced in a cephalium, a perennial structure up to 100cm high that develops atop the adult cactus[
1987
Title
The Cactus Family
Publication
 
Author
Anderson E.F.
Publisher
Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
Year
2001
ISBN
0-88192-498-9
Description
An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
]
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a source of food and drinking liquid.
Melocactus intortus is widely distributed in many of the Caribbean Islands and is locally abundant in many places.The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
1987
Title
The Cactus Family
Publication
 
Author
Anderson E.F.
Publisher
Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
Year
2001
ISBN
0-88192-498-9
Description
An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..

Range

Caribbean - Bahamas to Turks-Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico to Lesser Antilles..

Habitat

In sand or gravel, or on rocks, in arid areas of southern Jamaica; at elevations up to 120 metres[
426
Title
Flowering Plants of Jamaica
Publication
 
Author
Adams. C.D.
Publisher
University of the West Indies; Jamaica.
Year
1972
ISBN
 
Description
A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
]. Coastal limestone areas and cliff formations. In the southernmost portion of the range, it inhabits volcanic rocky areas[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Edibility Rating * *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height0.40 m
Growth RateSlow
PollinatorsHummingbirds, Insects
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Plants can be damaged by temperatures falling below 8°c[
423
Title
Desert Tropicals
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
].
Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil[
423
Title
Desert Tropicals
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
]. Prefers a pH below 6[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[
423
Title
Desert Tropicals
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
].
A slow-growing plant.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
,
1438
Title
Food Plants in the Americas: A Survey of the Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Plants Used for Human Food in North,
Publication
 
Author
Kermath B.M.; Bennett B.C.' Pulsipher L.M.
Publisher
 
Year
2014
ISBN
 
Description
A pre-publication draft of an amazing, on-going work first started in 1985. It contains information on more than 3,900 taxa from the Americas - from Arctic regions to the Tropics
]. The pink, broadly club shaped fruits are 20 - 25mm long[
1987
Title
The Cactus Family
Publication
 
Author
Anderson E.F.
Publisher
Timber Press; Portland, Oregon
Year
2001
ISBN
0-88192-498-9
Description
An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
].

The juice of the plant (sap?) is used to quench thirst[
301
Title
Cornucopia II
Publication
 
Author
Facciola. S.
Publisher
Kampong Publications, California.
Year
1998
ISBN
0-9628087-2-5
Description
The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-11-22. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Melocactus+intortus>

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Last update on 2024-10-13: Now containing 13362 plants.

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