The Cactus That Wears a Fez скачать в хорошем качестве

The Cactus That Wears a Fez

On the Western edge of the Dominican Republic near the Haitian border we find a very rare species of cactus in a genus known for its fez-like flower structure. Like green spiny barrels dotting the hot coastal sand plain, #Melocactus pedernalensis (synonym : Melocactus intortus domingensis) thrives in the thornscrub only a mile inland from the Carribean sea. The genus Melocactus is one of the most species-rich genera of cacti in the Carribean. It's also one of the most threatened on the Island of Hispaniola. I passed multiple street-side markets where whole plants were being sold for four dollars a piece. These plants are not being sold for horticultural purposes though, they are being sold for some bogus non-existent "medicinal" qualities. Apparently somebody started the myth that these plants cure kydney stones and promote reproductive health, all of which is total horseshit, of course, but the fez-lile cephalium atop each plant's apex looks odd enough so why not? This is #Melocactus intortus domingensis, a synonym of which is M. pedernalensis, as this plant grows on the harsh limestone coast covered with a thin layer of sand (and garbage!). Numerous plants were hacked on the spot and presumably carted off, or just dug up altogether here. The Cephalium on top is a way to maximize efficiency of flowering. Cacti can only produce one flower per axillary bud - in order to produce more flowers they would otherwise have to produce more stem. A way around this is to produce the apical cephalium, which is a condensed, shortened segment of trichomes, spines and axillary buds. With a cephalium these plants are able to flower profusely. Once plants produce a cephalium, however, they can longer elongate the green, photosynthetic part of their stem and vegetative growth ceases. This species is much larger than the other species I saw a few days ago to the East - M. lemairei. Thanks to Eladio Fernández for help and assistance in production. Your contributions enable this content. To support Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't, consider donating a few bucks to the venmo account "societyishell" or the PayPal account email [email protected]... Or consider becoming a patreon supporter @ :   / crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt   Buy some CPBBD merch (shirts, hats, hoodies n' what the shit) available for sale at : https://www.bonfire.com/store/crime-p... To purchase stickers, venmo twelve bucks to "societyishell" and leave your address in the comments. Plants ID questions or reading list suggestions can be sent to [email protected] Thanks, GFY.