cone-like Turk's-head cactus
Melocactus conoideus Buining & Brederoo
Melocactus conoideus is a cactus species in the Cactaceae family, native to the Serra do Periperi in southwestern Bahia, Brazil. It thrives in the transition zone between Caatinga dry shrubland and campo rupestre montane savanna at elevations between 1,000 and 1,200 meters. The plant reproduces via seeds dispersed by ants.
Description
Melocactus conoideus, known as the cone-like Turk's-head cactus, is a succulent subshrub endemic to northeastern Brazil. It is found in the Serra do Periperi region of the municipality of Vitória da Conquista, in the state of Bahia. The species grows in a transitional habitat between the Caatinga dry shrubland and the campo rupestre montane savanna. This cactus reproduces through fruit that contains seeds collected and transported by ants to new locations where the plant can establish. The species was first described in 1973 by Buining and Brederoo.
Other common names
cone-like Turk's-head cactus
Distribution
BR · Global · Brazil Northeast · Brazil Southeast
