Genera

Ariocarpus

Astrophytum

Aztekium

Lophophora

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Family: Cactaceae

Subfamily: Cactoideae

Tribe: Cacteae

Botanical Name: Lophophora fricii Habermann.

Extensions: N/A

English Name(s): Peyote, Peyotl, Devil's Root, Dumpling Cactus, Mescal, Mescal Button, Whiskey Cactus.

Synonyms: N/A

Related Species: Lophophora alberto-vojtechii, Lophophora diffusa, Lophophora koehresii.

Description:

Rib form:

Max. size: With age single heads of 20 cm are possible, but takes many years. Lophophora fricii usually branch a bit and form large clusters of "buttons".

Skin: Often a dull bluish green, sometimes greyish.

Areoles: Spineless and wooly.

Roots: Large tap root, as in all Lophophora. Large Lophophora fricii may have 20+ cm long tap roots.

Reproduction: Self sterile. Needs 2 plants to succesfully fertilize the ovules. We have crossed Lophophora fricii with Lophophora koehresii many times now.

Flower Morphology: Usually located at the areole(s) in the top center of plant, sometimes flowers from the sides (rarely). Flowers are around 2-3cm accross when open (often a little larger than L. williamsii), broad funnel form tube. Stigma lobes 3-6 (what we have seen) often at the same height as the anthers, anthers fold in to the stigma when touched, perhaps a fertilization adaptation. Ovary naked.

Petal colour: White to Pink. Many are a deep pink, but flower colour can be variable at different locations.

Fruits: Fruits are dark shade of pink-a little reddish, naked, about 2-3 cm long. Often take approximately 4-12 weeks to develop after fertilization in cultivation. Fruit may contain 5-60 seeds each, sometimes more on the odd occasion.[Photo]

Seeds: [Photo]

Notes: Note the longer and pointed ends of the flower petals in L. fricii. Similar in shape to L. koehresii, but of differnet colour. Another interesting note is we have been able to give fricii pollen to koehresii flowers and have them set viable seed.

Varieties and Cultivars

Big Tubercle: This is a cultivar that is bred for its enlarged tubercles. This is much the same as Lophophora diffusa "big breast", as it is selectively bred for large tubercles as well.

The photo to the right is a grafted plant about 7 cm.

Variegata: Same shape and flower as regular L. fricii but the skin is mixed green and yellow. Variegated L. fricii are vareigated with yellow, and I am unaware of pink, orange or red variegated Lophophora fricii.

The photos to the right is a seedling grafted to pereskiopsis.

Albiflora: L. fricii forma albiflora is similar to regular L. fricii, but has a white flower instead of a pink one.