By Nikki Murdick – Having just read the first article in the March 2019 edition of the British Cactus & Succulent Society journal, Cactus World, entitled “Matucana, a Fascinating Genus of Peruvian Cacti,” I was very excited to see one of these for sale at the members sale in April. So, of course, one came home with …
By Chris Deem – In Peru the past is not quiet, it bleeds into the present. The ghosts of the Incas lurk like shadows in the mists. Along the coast, a barren expanse of drifting sand greets the sunrise with indifference. Offshore in the mighty Pacific Ocean, the current of the Humboldt sweeps in erratic fogs along …
By Rey Gonzalez – I remember being a child and visiting my grandmother’s house in Havana, Cuba, and every time I went there, I would spend a good amount of time contemplating her small cactus garden. Some stenocereus and leptocereus were taller than me back then, but two melocactus …
By Nikki Murdick – Melocactus is an unusual cactus that was first brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus. At that time it was called the melon-thistle, as Europeans thought it was the fruit of a giant thistle. It was described in Theodor Tabernaemontanus’ Book of Herbs, published in 1588. …
By Mike Hellmann – I am fascinated and intrigued by most all cacti, yet the Melocactus genus is my favorite. While most of the cacti genera have much to offer, the melocacti have a certain stature and noble character that one only has to see to appreciate. This appeal was noticed by European explorers over 500 years …
By Chris Deem – I was born in February of 2001 in a large greenhouse near the woods. If you include my spines – and I do – I stand almost 2 inches tall. To look at me while I’m still young, you might think I am just any cactus, but I am a melocactus. My family is large and can be found in Mexico, Central and South America, …
By Don Lesmeister – From Peru … land of the Incas and the wondrous accomplishment that is known as Machu Picchu. This great empire and culture was all but eradicated by gold-seeking conquistadors in the 15th century, but if you listen closely, you might hear an ancient Incan scream “ouch!” after stepping on an …
By Eric Driskill – The genus Myrtillocactus was first described by Karl Martius as Cereus geometrizans in 1837. In 1897, Myrtillocactus was described by Michelangelo Console. The name is derived from the Greek “myrtillo,” meaning small, myrtlelike, referring to the fruits, which resemble those of the true myrtle, Myrtus …
By Pat Mahon – The bilberry cactus, Myrtillocactus geometrizans, is a species worth talking about due to its prolific nature and uses beyond cultivation. It gets its common name from the fruits, which resemble those of a bilberry (European blueberry). The stems of this species have a blue sheen caused by the glaucous nature of the stems. These are candelabra-shaped cacti that grow …
By Andrea M. Salazar – The stunning Myrtillocactus geometrizans f. cristatus variegatus certainly stole a few looks and gasps at the 2023 HSCSS picnic. Native to northern central Mexico down to Oaxaca, this cactus mesmerizes with its crested form and, as a variegated cultivar, adds a splash of colorful charm to any cactus collection. In this article, we will explore what makes this cactus so special. …