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| Lophophora | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lophophora williamsii cluster | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cactoideae |
| Tribe: | Cacteae |
| Genus: | Lophophora J.M.Coult. |
| Species | |
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| Lophophora range | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Lophophora (/ləˈfɒfərə/)[citation needed] is agenus of spineless, button-likecacti. Itsnative range coversTexas throughMexico to southwestern Mexico.[1] The species are extremely slow growing, sometimes taking up to thirty years to reach flowering age (at the size of about a golf ball, excluding the root) in the wild.[citation needed] Cultivated specimens grow considerably faster, usually taking between three and ten years to reach from seedling to mature flowering adult.[citation needed] The slow rate of reproduction andover-harvesting by collectors render the species under threat in the wild.[citation needed]
Lophophora means "crest-bearing", referring to the tufts oftrichomes that adorn eachtubercle.Lophophora has been reported to have two species,L. diffusa andL. williamsii. Another three species have been proposed[by whom?]:L. fricii,L. koehresii, andL. alberto-vojtechii.[2] RecentDNA sequencing studies (Butterworth et al. 2002) have shown thatL. diffusa andL. williamsii indeed are distinct species. DNA evidence from the alleged speciesL. fricii andL. koehresii would allow for more accurate classification.[3]
| Image | Scientific Name | Description | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Lophophora alberto-vojtechii Bohata, Myšák & Šnicer | Plants have gray green stems, typically reaching up to 2 cm in diameter | Mexico (San Luis Potosí) |
 | Lophophora diffusa(Croizat) Bravo | The plants are yellow-green, usually lacking well-defined ribs and furrows. Thepodaria are rarely elevated, but are broad and flat. The tufts ofhair are usually spread unequally on the prominent podaria. The flowers are commonly whitish to yellowish-white. This species contains zero to trace amounts ofmescaline;pellotine is the principalalkaloid. | south end of the range of the genus in Querétaro state, Mexico |
| Lophophora fricii Haberm. | Mexico Northeast | ||
 | Lophophora williamsii(Lemaire ex Salm-Dyck)J.M.Coult. | The plants are blue-green, usually with well-definedribs and furrows. The tufts ofhair are usually equally spaced on the ribs. The flowers are pinkish or rarely whitish. Themescaline content in dried "Peyote" can reach almost 7%.[citation needed] | the full range of the genus except in Querétaro state, Mexico |
Lophophora species easily adapt to cultivation, requiring warm conditions and a free-draining substrate, and to be kept dry in winter.[citation needed]
Media related toLophophora at Wikimedia Commons
