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Home → Cacti → Melocactus → Melocactus azureus subsp. ferreophilus
Plant ID
GD-CAC-020-0062
Common Name(s)
- Ferreophilus Turk’s Cap Cactus
- Turk’s Cap Cactus
- Melocactus ferreophilus
Scientific Name
Melocactus azureus subsp. ferreophilus (Buining & Brederoo) N.P.Taylor
Current taxonomic treatment: Kew’s Plants of the World Online currently accepts Melocactus ferreophilus Buining & Brederoo as the species name and lists Melocactus azureus subsp. ferreophilus as its synonym. The subspecific name remains important in horticultural and specialist cactus literature.
Plant Photograph
Figure 1. Melocactus azureus subsp. ferreophilus
Photo Caption: A distinctive Melocactus with a green body, developing cephalium, white wool, and conspicuous reddish bristles characteristic of the ferreophilus form.
Photography: Green Desert Botanical Library
Basic Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Genus | Melocactus |
| Species | Melocactus azureus |
| Subspecies | ferreophilus |
| Current Accepted Name | Melocactus ferreophilus Buining & Brederoo |
| Plant Type | Cactus |
| Growth Form | Solitary, globose to cylindrical |
| Native Range | Bahia, Brazil |
Plant Description
This distinctive Melocactus is recognized by its green to gray-green body, contrasting with the more strongly bluish, glaucous appearance associated with M. azureus sensu stricto. The cephalium is characterized by white wool and conspicuous reddish bristles that extend noticeably beyond the cephalium, giving the plant a particularly striking appearance.
The taxon is narrowly endemic to Bahia, Brazil, where it occurs on exposed limestone outcrops. It is currently treated by Kew as the accepted species Melocactus ferreophilus.
Life’s Whispers
“When the crown finally rises,
the journey of the cactus changes.
Its story moves from growing
to becoming.”
References
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