Stats

Lifespan: 20-50 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Desert
Range: Central and South America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Spines
Status: Rare

About

This cactus grows in rocky tropical regions from southern Mexico to Venezuela. It develops a thick red cap that produces flowers and seeds throughout the year.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Melocactus
Species: Melocactus curvispinus