Melocactus (melon cactus), also known as the Turk’s cap cactus, is a genus of cactus with about 30–40 species. They are native to the Caribbean, western Mexico through Central America to northern South America, with some species along the Andes down to southern Peru, and a concentration of species in northeastern Brazil. The first species was named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, as Cactus melocactus. The fruits of Melocactus are pink and resemble the shape of pepper fruits. The fruits of this genus are edible, and in the wild they are frequently dispersed by lizards and birds.
Mature plants are easily recognizable by their cephalium, a wool- and bristle-coated structure at the apex of the plant, containing a mass of areoles from which the small flowers grow. The red, wool-coated cephalium, said to resemble the fez worn by Turkish men during the late Ottoman Empire, gives the plant one of its common names, Turk’s cap cactus. It gives its name to the Turks Islands, part of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
A more romantic, origin of the name is a reflection of the Islands’ pirate history, when 17th and 18th century pirates used the islands as hideouts and preyed upon the passing Spanish treasure ships bound for Europe. The term “Turk” for a pirate stemmed two centuries earlier when the Ottoman Empire dominated the Mediterranean and Turkish corsairs harried European Atlantic shipping, thus translated “Turks” Islands becomes “Pirate” Islands!
Megathreads and spaces to hang out:
- ❤️ Come listen to music with your fellow Hexbears in Cy.tube
- 💖 Come talk in the New weekly queer thread
- 🧡 Monthly Neurodiverse Megathread
- 💛 Read about a current topic in the news
- ⭐️ May Movie Schedule ⭐️
reminders:
- 💚 You nerds can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
- 💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes struggle sessions over upbears
- 💜 Sorting by new you nerd
- 🌈 If you ever want to make your own megathread, you can go here nerd
Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):
Aid:
- 💙Comprehensive list of resources for those in need of an abortion – reddit link
- 💙Resources for Palestine
Theory:
CW for dream violence I guess,
Saw another comment about a messed up dream and it’s crazy, in the last month I’ve had a dream where my father chopped my head off with a cleaver, another where my cousins slit their dad’s throat on a murder conspiracy, one where I died in a nuclear explosion after a nearby island was sunk by another nuke, one where my dad turned into Chamber from Valorant and teleported around the house terrorizing me and my mother. It’s crazy.
Certain meds can cause dreams to be more frequent and intense. Just something to keep in mind.
