Aruba: Melocactus

All three of the ABC islands and the northern coast of Venezuela have this cactus species growing on rocky outcrops and hills in the arid landscape – Melocactus. It is also known as Turk’s Cap Cactus for the cephalium it develops on the top – a wooly cone at the apex of the cactus barrel where flowers come out from (it somewhat looks like the red Turkish cap).