My Melocactus Conoideus is a recent addition to my collection. This is an incredibly rare variety of melocactus (also known as Turk’s Cap Cactus) – in fact, it is nearly extinct in the wild. We’re lucky here in Tucson – apparently there is a local cactus aficionado who cultivates them from seed and painstakingly cares for the plants for YEARS until they reach this maturity – and then sells them to a few select nurseries around town.