Species · genus Melocactus · Cactaceae
Turk's Cap
Melocactus intortus (Mill.) Urb.
Also known as: Turk's Cap Cactus · Barrel Cactus · Mother-in-law's Pincushion · Popehead · Toghead
Cultivars of M. intortus
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under M. intortus yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.
Guide
The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.
Melocactus intortus is a globular cactus in the Cactaceae, a family of arid and semi-arid natives adapted to store water in their bodies and endure long dry spells. Grow it in gritty, fast-draining mineral mix and give it as much bright, direct light as you can. Water deeply only once the soil has dried out completely, letting it approach fully dry between drinks; when in doubt, wait longer, since standing moisture rots the roots and base.
Care recipe
The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.
Care notes are early — not yet verified
- Light
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Water
- ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
Direct sun
≈ every 28 days
Low — average room
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Not documented
Not yet documented
This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.
Reference images
Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.
No reference gallery yet
A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.
Add imagesSources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Turk's Cap yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.
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