Origin and Habitat: Cuba (Caribbean, Southern America)

• Melocactus guitartii León

• Melocactus curvispinus Pfeiff.
• Melocactus crassicostatus Lem.
• Melocactus obtusipetalus var. crassicostatus (Lem.) Lem. ex Miq.
• Melocactus curvispinus subs. obtusipetalus (Lem.) Xhonneux & Fern.Alonso
• Cactus obtusipetalus (Lem.) Britton & Rose
• Melocactus obtusipetalus Lem.
• Melocactus delessertianus Lem.
• Melocactus guatemalensis Gürke & Eichlam
• Melocactus guitartii León
• Melocactus holguinensis Areces
• Melocactus humilis Suringar
• Melocactus jakusii Mészáros
• Melocactus maxonii (Rose) Gürke
• Cactus maxonii Rose
• Melocactus ruestii subs. maxonii (Rose) Elizondo
• Melocactus oaxacensis (Britton & Rose) Backeb.
• Cactus oaxacensis Britton & Rose
• Melocactus ruestii subs. oaxacensis (Britton & Rose) Elizondo
• Melocactus ruestii K.Schum.
• Cactus ruestii (K.Schum.) Britton & Rose
• Melocactus brongnartii Hildm. ex Rüst non Lem.
• Melocactus ruestii subs. centalapensis Elizondo
• Melocactus ruestii subs. cintalapensis Elizondo
• Melocactus ruestii subs. sanctae-rosae (L.D.Gómez) Elizondo
• Melocactus maxonii var. sanctae-rosae L.D.Gómez
• Melocactus salvador L.Murillo
• Cactus salvador (L.Murillo) Britton & Rose

• Melocactus curvispinus subs. caesius (H.L.Wendl.) N.P.Taylor
• Cactus caesius (H.L.Wendl.) Britton & Rose
• Melocactus caesius H.L.Wendl. ex Miq.
• Melocactus curvispinus f. caesius (H.L.Wendl.) N.P.Taylor

• Melocactus curvispinus subs. dawsonii (Bravo) N.P.Taylor
• Melocactus dawsonii Bravo

• Melocactus curvispinus subs. koolwijkianus (Suringar) G.Thomson
• Melocactus koolwijkianus Suringar
• Melocactus koolwijkianus var. adustus Suringar

• Melocactus curvispinus subs. lobelii (Suringar) Fern.Alonso & Xhonneux
• Melocactus curvispinus f. lobelii (Suringar) N.P.Taylor
• Melocactus lobelii Suringar
• Melocactus cephalenoplus Lem.
• Melocactus griseus H.L.Wendl. ex Miq.
• Melocactus caesius var. griseus (H.L.Wendl. ex Miq.) Förster

• Melocactus curvispinus subs. loboguerreroi (Cárdenas) Fern.Alonso & Xhonneux
• Melocactus loboguerreroi Cárdenas

Description: Melocactus guitartiiSN|17710]]SN|17721]] is the the rarest of these Cuban species, nowadays considered nothing else than one of the local or morphological form of the very variable Melocactus curvispinusSN|17721]]SN|17710]]. It is about 10 cm broad and 12 cm high, densely armed with long spreading rigid spines. There are no other clear distinguishing features, and they must all be regarded as the same species.
Habit: Usually solitary.
Stem: Depressed globular to short cylindrical, light to dark green, slightly glaucous, 10-16 cm in diameter, 6 to 30 cm tall.
Ribs: 10 to 16 sharp.
Areoles: Slightly sunken in the notches.
Spines: Dirty white to almost black more or less curved.
Central spines: 2 erect or spreading, rigid, up to 35 mm long.
Radial spines: 9 to 10.
Cephalium: Relatively small 3 to 4 cm tall and 7 to 11 cm in diameter with long reddish-brown bristles.
Flowers: From the cephalium, pink, 18 to 43 mm long and 3 to 4 cm long. It is self-fertile!
Blooming season: Spring to summerand opening late in the afternoon.
Fruit: Club-shaped, pink to red-violet slightly lighter at the base.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Stuart Max Walters “The European garden flora. 3.[Angiospermae], Dicotyledons. [Casuarinaceae to Aristolochiaceae]” Cambridge University Press, 1989
2) Edward Anderson “The Cactus family” Timber Press, Incorporated, 2001
3) David R Hunt; Nigel P Taylor; Graham Charles; International Cactaceae Systematics Group. "The New Cactus Lexicon" dh books, 2006
4) Urs Eggli, Leonard E. Newton "Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names" Birkhäuser 2004
5) Clive Innes “Complete Handbook of Cacti and Succulents” Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 01/dic/1981

Cultivation and Propagation: These cacti are not the easiest things to grow and aren’t plants for beginners. Melocactus guitartiiSN|17721]]SN|17721]] grows from April to October, it can’t endure long stretches of total dryness, and also too much water will rot it, as its weak root systems tends to be inefficient at sucking up water from wet soil. Nonetheless, again as a result of their tropical origins, they need a fair amount of water, but allow the soil to dry quite a bit before watering again.
Melocactus rests from October to April but can’t stand cold, or even fairly cool temperatures, so is indispensable to keep it above 8-12°C at all times, severe damage or death occurring at temperatures that the great majority of cacti wouldn’t mind in the least and prefer more frequent water in winter than other cacti, say once a month. Do not feed in winter.
The root system is weak and generally resents being repotted and can take a long time to re-establish. The soil mix should be very quick draining, prefers very bright light, not as much as the most arid growing cacti, but plenty nonetheless.
Propagation: Exclusively by Seeds. Sow in February-march in a light, sandy, porous soil. Cover germinating tray with glass to prevent seed from drying out. Germination is most successful at a temperature of 18 to 22° C.