( 3090 ) 



Melocactus communis. Greater Turk's 

 Cap Melon-Thistle. 



*********************** 



Class and Order. 



ICOSANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



( Nat. Ord. — Cacte^e. ) 



Generic Character. 



Calycis tubus ovario adherens, lobi 5 — 6-petaloidei fruc- 

 tum juniorem coronantes. Petala totidem cum petalis in 

 tubum cyliudraceum longe concreta. Stam. filiformia plu- 

 riserialia. Stylus filiformis. Stigma 5-radiatum. Bacca 

 laevis calycis et corollae lobis marcescentibus coronata. 

 Semina nidulantia. Cotyledones minimae. Plumula sub- 

 globosa maxima. — Suffrutices carnosi reg. caudice aphyllo 

 simplici rotundato, sulcis profundus et costis verticalibus al- 

 ternantibus. Costae tuber cutis confluentibus in apice fasci- 

 culi aculeorum insignitce. Spadix seu Cephalium terminate 

 cylindraceum tuberculis mammaformibus confertissimis to- 

 mentosis et setiferis constans,Jlores in tomento subimmersos 

 sub apice gerens. D C. 



Specific Character and Synonyms. 



Melocactus * communis ; ovatus seu subrotundus atro- 



virens 12— 20-angulatus, costis rectis, spinis fascicu- 



latis fuscis subaequalibus. 

 («.) subrotundus. Link et Otto, Diss, de Cact. 1827. t. 11. 



De Cand. Diss, de Cact. 6. Prodr. v. 3. p. 460. 

 Cactus melocactus. Linn. Sp. PL p. 666. De Cand. PL 



Grass, t. 1 12. Willd. Sp. PL v. 2. p. 938. Haw. Syn. 



PL Succ. p. 173. Diet, des Sc. Nat., cum Ic. Spreng. 



Syst. Veget. v. 2. p. 494. 



W ovatus. (Tab. nostr. 3090. J 



Descr. 



From Melo, a Melon, and Cactus ; signifying Melon-shaped Cactus. 



