Melocactus intortus (Mill.) Urb.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Cactaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Melocactus intortus (Mill.) Urb.

  • Description

    Species Description - Plant usually solitary, globose, depressed-globose or ovoid, to 60 cm tall, crowned by a cylindrical cephalium (sometimes more than one); ribs 10-25; spines in clusters of 10-20, brown to gray, stout, unequal, 1-6 cm long; cephalium nearly globose to longcylindrical, densely covered with whitish, cottony fibers and spirally arranged clusters of reddish spines. Flowers reddish pink, spirally arranged on cephalium, surrounded by a cluster of reddish spines. Floral tube to 2 cm long, hypanthium ca. 1 cm long; stamens of unequal length; style as long as the perianth tube, the stigmas 5, narrowly lanceolate. Fruit club-shaped, juicy, 1.5-2 cm long, reddish pink (usually fading white), with persistent style at apex. Seeds black, minute.

    Distribution and Ecology - Common in dry coastal areas. Along trail to Drunk Bay (A4679). Also on Anegada, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; Puerto Rico, Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles.

  • Discussion

    Melocactus atrosanguineus Pfeiff., Enum. Diagn. Cact. 44. 1837.

    Melocactus communis sensu Eggers, Fl. St. Croix 57. 1879, non Link & Otto, 1827.

    Melocactus portoricensis Suringar, Verslagen Meded. Afd. Natuurk. Kon. Akad. Wetensch. ser. 3, 9: 408. 1891.

    Common names: barrel cactus, pope's head, turk's cap.