Melocactus glaucescens

{{Short description|Species of cactus}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Melocactus glaucescens1.jpg

|status = EN

|status_system = IUCN3.1

|status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Braun, P. |author2=Machado, M. |author3=Taylor, N.P. |author4=Zappi, D. |date=2013 |title=Melocactus glaucescens |volume=2013 |page=e.T40923A2944067 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T40923A2944067.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}

| status2 = CITES_A1

| status2_system = CITES

| status2_ref = {{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}

|genus = Melocactus

|species = glaucescens

|authority = Buining & Brederoo

}}

Melocactus glaucescens is a species of plant in the family Cactaceae. It is endemic to Brazil. Its natural habitats are rocky areas and hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Melocactus glaucescens is identified by its glaucous appearance and its often whitish-yellow cephalium. The color of its cephalium varies slightly based on population.{{Cite journal|last=Lambert|first=Sabrina M.|last2=Borba|first2=Eduardo L.|last3=Machado|first3=Marlon C.|date=26 Jun 2006|title=Allozyme diversity and morphometrics of the endangered Melocactus glaucescens (Cactaceae), and investigation of the putative hybrid origin of Melocactus x albicephalus (Melocactus ernestii x M. glaucescens) in north-eastern Brazil|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-1984.2006.00155.x|journal=Plant Species Biology|language=en|volume=21|issue=2|pages=93–108|doi=10.1111/j.1442-1984.2006.00155.x|issn=0913-557X|url-access=subscription}}