Cactaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Melocactus zehntneri

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Melocactus zehntneri is a spiny, evergreen globular cactus, producing a single stem that can be highly variable in shape, ranging from hemispherical to cylincrical; it can grow 11 - 48cm tall and 9 - 25cm in diameter. Flowers are produced in a cephalium, a perennial structure usually up to 11cm high (exceptionally to 30cm) and 6 - 10cm in diameter that develops atop the adult cactus The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental. Melocactus zehntneri has a wide range and is abundant. Even though the dry forest habitat is declining fast, the species occurs in several other areas which are not affected and it can grow on several substrates which are not sought after for mining. 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. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - northeast Brazil (Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Maranhao, Tocantins and Bahia)

HabitatDry forest and montane savannah, in a wide varieity of soil types, including sand and rocks of various types, (limestone, gneiss/granite (inselbergs), sandstones, quartzitic and other crystalline formations); at elevations from 200 - 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. ]