Melocactus curvispinus
Melocactus curvispinus is a species of Melocactus found from southern Mexico to Venezuela.
Description
Melocactus curvispinus grows solitary with depressed, spherical to short-cylindrical, green to glauco-colored shoots measuring 6–30 cm high and 8–27 cm in diameter. It has 10-16 pointed ribs that may become warty, with sunken areoles in the notches. Some off-white to nearly black spines are curved; 1-4 central spines that are 15–52 mm, may be absent. There are 6–11, sometimes more radial spines thatare 3–42 mm long, with the lowest being the longest. From the small cephalium 3–4 cm high and 7–11 cm wide where reddish-brown bristles emerge. Flowers, which appear from the cephalium and extend over 10 mm above it, open in late afternoon. They are pink-violet, 18–43 mm long, and 10–25 mm wide. Fruits are club-shaped, pink to bright red or magenta, slightly lighter at the base.Subspecies
Six subspecies are recognized:| Image | Name | Description | Distribution |
| Melocactus curvispinus subsp. caesius | as nearly erect or longer radial spines over 28 mm | Caribbean and coastal Colombia and Venezuela up to 700 m. | |
| Melocactus curvispinus subsp. curvispinus | Strongly backward-curved radial spines up to 28 mm | Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and western Venezuela up to 1,500 m elevation. | |
| Melocactus curvispinus subsp. dawsonii | Jalisco, Mexico. | ||
| Melocactus curvispinus subsp. guitartii | Cuba | ||
| Melocactus curvispinus subsp. koolwijkianus | Aruba to Venezuela | ||
| Melocactus curvispinus subsp. lobelii | NE. Colombia to N. Venezuela. |