Melocactus intortus, also known as the Turk's cap cactus, is a species of cactus endemic to the Caribbean.
Melocactus intortus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Caryophyllales |
Family: | Cactaceae |
Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
Genus: | Melocactus |
Species: | M. intortus
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Binomial name | |
Melocactus intortus |
The Turks Islands in the Turks and Caicos are named after this cactus, whose red cephalium resembles the fez worn by Turkish men in the late Ottoman Empire.[2][3] A stylised version of the cactus appears prominently on the coat of arms of the Turks and Caicos Islands.