Melocactus glaucescens
Melocactus glaucescens with clearly pronounced reddish- white cephalium at the top of the gray-green body.
Melocactus glaucescens is a species of the genus Melocactus in the cactus family ( Cactaceae ). The specific epithet means glaucescens, blue gray green anlaufend '.
Description
Melocactus glaucescens grows with depressed spherical to pyramidal bodies that reach heights of growth 13 to 18 centimeters in diameter and 14 to 24 centimeters. The bodies are initially intensive Glauk and bright bluish green. You will later light gray-green. There are 8 to 15 ribs are provided which are very broad at their base. The gray- green drowned brown spines have a blackish tip. The 1-2 rising, upwardly curved central spines, which may be absent, reach a length from 1.1 to 2.5 centimeters. The 5-8 straight to curved spines are 1.1 to 2.5 inches long. The cephalium is up to 10 centimeters high and reaches a diameter from 6 to 7.5 centimeters. Its bristles are hidden under the dense, creamy white wool.
The lilac flowers are up to 2.5 inches long and have a diameter of 1.6 centimeters. The sometimes flattened fruits are deep red and 1 to 1.6 inches long.
Distribution, systematics and hazard
Melocactus glaucescens is widespread in the Brazilian state of Bahia. The first description was in 1972 by Albert Frederik Hendrik Buining and Arnold J. Brederoo.
Melocactus glaucescens is out in Appendix I of the CITES Convention. In the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN 2002 she was described as " Critically Endangered (CR ) ', ie classified threatened with extinction. In 2013, the species is considered " Endangered ( EN ) ', ie performed as endangered.