CACTUS. 
235 
very common and will doubtless be obtained from other localities. It grows on the tops 
of nearly barren hills and is very different from Cactus zehntneri, from northern Bahia. 
16 . Cactus melocactoides Hoffmannsegg, Verz. Pfl. Nachtr. 3: 24. 1826. 
Melocactus melocactoides De Candolle, Prodr. 3: 461. 1828. 
Melocactus violaceus Pfeiffer, Allg. Gartenz. 3: 313. 1835. 
Melocactus goniodacanthus Lemaire, Cact. Aliq. Nov. 11. 1838. 
Melocactus pentacentrus Lemaire, Cact. Gen. Nov. Sp. 108. 1839. 
Melocactus depressus Hooker in Curtis’s Bot. Mag. 65: pi. 3691. 1839. Not Salm-Dyck, 1828. 
Somewhat depressed, 8 cm. high by 15 cm. broad, light green; ribs usually 10* (rarely 9 or 11), 
broad, obtuse, a little “crenate”; areoles only 5 or 6 on a rib; radial spines 5 to 8, sometimes a little 
curved, angled, usually pale brown, in age grayish; central cephalium (so far as known) small; 
flowers pinkish; perianth-segments with toothed margins; fruit white to very pale rose-color, oblong 
or club-shaped, 1.5 to 2.5 cm. long; seeds black, reticulated. 
Figs. 246 and 247.—Cactus caesius. 
Type locality: Brazil, but no definite locality cited. 
Distribution: Coast of Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, Bahia, and Pernambuco. 
Dr. Rose collected a plant along the coast of Bahia (No. 19691) which he would refer 
here. A somewhat similar plant, but smaller, was collected by him at Cabo Frio (No. 
20698) which we have tentatively referred here. Schumann, however, kept the Bahia and 
Rio de Janeiro plants distinct, referring the plant from Bahia to Melocactus depressus and 
the one from Rio de Janeiro to M. violaceus. 
All the Brazilian species of this genus are called cabega de frade on account of the cepha¬ 
lium; this plant is sold for use in the preparation of some household remedy. 
Melocactus gardenerianus Booth was given by Forster (Handb. Cact. 277. 1846) as a 
synonym of M. depressus Hooker. The name, M. depressus Salm-Dyck, was given by De 
Candolle (Prodr. 3: 463. 1828) as a synonym of Echinocactus depressus. M. parthoni 
(Miquel, Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 18: Suppl. 1. 190. 1841) was given as a synonym of M. 
violaceus. Schumann also refers it here, giving the name to Cels (Cat. et. Hortuh). 
Illustrations: Curtis’s Bot. Mag. 65: pi. 3691; Nov. Act. Nat. Cur. 18: Suppl. 1. pi. 
2, f. 1, c, d; pi. 4, f. 1; Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 32: 39, as Melocactus depressus; Engler and 
Prantl, Pflanzenfam. 3 6a : f. 65, A; Martius, FI. Bras. 4 2 : pi. 48, as Melocactus violaceus. 
*Schumann describes M. goniodacanthus (he spells it goniacanthus) with 16 to 20 ribs. 
