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F. T. Palmer, in "Culture des Cactées", recommending the following treatment for M. communis: Take a Cereus peruvianus of about the same diameter as that of the base of the Melocactus, cut off the head of the former, but not so low as to come upon the hard, ligneous axis, and then pare off the hard epidermis and ribs for about 1 in.
Fruit pulpy, smooth, scaly, or spiny, the pulp soft and juicy, sweet or acid, and full of numerous small, usually black, seeds. Tribe I. Calyx tube produced beyond the Ovary. Stem covered with Tubercles, or Ribs, bearing Spines. MELOCACTUS. Stem globose; flowers in a dense cap-like head, composed of layers of bristly wool and slender spines, amongst which the small flowers are developed.
So back to our little beach we went, and walked it all over again, finding, of course, many things which had escaped us the night before. We saw our first Melocactus, and our first night-blowing Cereus creeping over the rocks. We found our first tropic orchid, with white, lilac, and purple flowers on a stalk three feet high.
For the genera Cereus, Echinopsis, Echinocactus, Mamillaria, Opuntia, and Melocactus, a moist tropical house is provided, and in April the plants are freely watered at the root, and syringed overhead both morning and afternoon on all bright days. This treatment is continued till the end of July, when syringing is suspended, and the water supplied to the roots gradually reduced.
It has been called Melocactus latispinus and Echinocactus latispinus. The stem of this is about as large as a Keswick Codlin apple, with the broad end uppermost, and the sides cut up into about a dozen and a half rather prominent sharp ridges, with bunches of stout yellow spines arranged, at intervals of about 1 in., along the edges.
Then take off a slice from the base of the Melocactus, also paring off about 1 in. of the epidermis all round; place the two together, and bind on firmly with strong worsted. In warm weather, a union should take place in about two months, but it will be safest to allow the ligature to remain till growth commences.
The "cap" is cylindrical, 3 in. high by 4 in. in diameter, and composed of layers of snow-white threads, mixed with short reddish bristles. These three are the only species of Melocactus that have become known in English gardens, although various other kinds, named M. Lehmanni, M. Zuccarini, M. Ellemeetii, M. Schlumbergerianus, &c., occur in books.
Young plants grow very slowly, a plant 3 ft. across taking, according to Sir W. Hooker, from 200 to 300 years to reach that size. It has been stated that grafting is a good plan to adopt for the Melocactus, Mr.
After this, the plant appears to have been frequently cultivated in gardens in this country, and it has only been in recent years that this and similar curiosities have almost disappeared from all except botanical collections. The most prominent distinctive characters of Melocactus reside in the cap or cluster of spines, wool, and flowers on the summit of the stem.
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