MELON-THISTLE

JJelocactus, a cactus of the West Indies, Mexico, and parts of South America—found usually in rocky places—which takes its name from its resemblance to a huge muskmelon—the plant consisting of a deeply ridged, rounded body, one to two feet in height. It is also called the ‘‘Turk’s cap,’’ as in the center of the top ix a crown of spines filled with woolly, fibrous matter. The blo oms show through the upper surface of the cap and are followed by small, generally red fruits, roundish or oval, of agreeable, acid flavor. The body of the plant, the ‘‘melon,’’ is full of succulent matter which is eagerly sought by cattle in times of drought despite its protective thorns.