Melocactus oreas
Miq.
Cactaceae
Cactus oreas (Miq.) Britton & Rose
Melocactus alex-bragae P.J.Braun & Esteves
Melocactus rubrisaetosus Buining & Brederoo
Common Name:
General Information
Melocactus oreas is a spiny, evergreen cactus producing a single, depressed-globose to elongate stem around 8 - 15cm tall (exceptionally to 35cm) and 10 - 18cm in diameter. Flowers are produced in a cephalium, a perennial structure up to 12cm high and 4 - 8cm in diameter 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..
,
1997- Title
- The genus Melocactus (Cactaceae) in Central and South America
- Publication
- Bradleya 9, 1991 pp 1-80
- Author
- Taylor N.P.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.
Melocactus oreas has a relatively wide range and has many subpopulations. The part of the range occurring in dry forests is threatened by quarrying, cattle ranching and agriculture and needs conservation attention; otherwise the plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2017)[
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
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..
,
1997- Title
- The genus Melocactus (Cactaceae) in Central and South America
- Publication
- Bradleya 9, 1991 pp 1-80
- Author
- Taylor N.P.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
Range
S. America - eastern Brazil (Bahia)
Habitat
Dry forest and montane savannah, growing on more or less exposed, usually horizontal, crystalline, sandstone and granitic rocks; at elevations from 300 - 1,000 metres[
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 Status | Least Concern |
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Perennial |
| Height | 0.12 m |
| Pollinators | Hummingbirds, Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Not known
Edible Uses
The stems are used to make candy[
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.
]. We have no more information for this species, but in a similar species in Mexico, cubes of the plant's flesh are cooked in a concentrated sugary solution and turned into sweets - the cactus merely acts as a vehicle for the sugary flavour[
1997- Title
- The genus Melocactus (Cactaceae) in Central and South America
- Publication
- Bradleya 9, 1991 pp 1-80
- Author
- Taylor N.P.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
]
Medicinal
The plant is used medicinally[
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.
]. The flesh of the plant is said to have a wide variety of medicinal uses[
1997- Title
- The genus Melocactus (Cactaceae) in Central and South America
- Publication
- Bradleya 9, 1991 pp 1-80
- Author
- Taylor N.P.
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1991
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
]. No more details
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
