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Lophophora koehresii x Lophophora fricii Cross Breeding Hybrids

Lophophora fricii Plant Used Pollen was taken from this plant to pollinate the L. koehresii shown to the right. It also recieved pollen from that plant.

Lophophora koehresii Plant Used Pollen was taken from this plant to pollinate the Lophophora fricii shown to the left. It also recieved pollen from that plant. The fruit in the photo is from this cross.

Materials

1. Flowering Lophophora fricii plant.

2. Flowering Lophophora koehresii plant.

3. 2 clean (no pollen) fine brushes.

4. Isolated spot from other cacti.

Method/Procedure

1. Once the flowers are about to open (1-2 days prior), plants are moved to a new spot without other cacti around and far away as to not allow natural things to pollinate by accident (try as much as we can anyway).

2. Once the flowers are fully open, we loaded one paint brush with Lophophora fricii pollen; the other paint brush with Lophophora koehresii pollen.

3. Once both brushes are loaded with pollen, we procede to very gently rub the pollen over the stigma. We try to cover every lobe as best we can.

4. Brushes are cleaned after use and lids placed on.

5. We continued steps 3 & 4 for 3 days as the flowers were open that long.

6. Once fruits developed we picked them and dried the seeds away from any others as to not mix them up (also labelled)

7. Once dry we sowed seeds. The rest of the procedure can be followed in the journal further down this page.

Results/Outcome

1. Lophophora koehresii readily accepts pollen from Lophophora fricii.

2. Lophophora fricii, thusfar, has not accepted pollen from Lophophora koehresii.

3. Hybrid offspring are self-sterile. They do not produce seeds on thier own, much like both parent species.

4. It appears Lophophora fricii does not accept pollen from this hybrid.

5. Flowers, and skin appearance appear more like the father species, Lophophora fricii, than that of the mother species, Lophophora koehresii.

6. This hybrid visually resembles, both in body and flower form, the father species, Lophophora fricii; whereas it more closely resembles its mother species, Lophophora koehresii, reproductivly speaking. We say this because it readily accepts pollen from Lophophora fricii, but it's own pollen is not accepted by Lophophora fricii, much like Lophophora koehresii.

Timeline.

March, 2008-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar) (FK-005)

34 seeds produced. Sowed all 34 in March, 2008.

April, 2008: 10 seedlings grafted to Pereskiopsis.

July 06, 2008: Grafted plants measure 13-44mm in diameter. Seed grown plants are 1-3mm.

Notes: Father: seed grown, 10 cm. Mother: grafted plant, 12 cm. These 2 plants were crossed with each other on a couple occasions. The pollen from the Lophophora fricii plant was readily accepted by the grafted Lophophora koehresii mother. However, at the same time, the pollen from the Lophophora koehresii was not accepted by the same Lophophora fricii plant.

[Photos Father plant | Fruits on mother | Grafted hybrid ]

September 18, 2008-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar) (FK-005)- UPDATE

These plants, after being grafted to Pereskiopsis, are now from 2-4.5 cm, most being around 3.5cm. Most are offseting a lot, and one had its apical meristem eaten by a caterpillar in July. The seed grown plants are about 4 mm wide.

[Photos Grafted hybrid | Grafted hybrid ]

November 10, 2008-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar) (FK-005)- UPDATE

Growing well, by the looks of things, flowers may be present this coming Spring. Everything is about the same except bigger. I have moved some pups to myrtle stocks, and degrafted one for it to grow on its own roots (starting to root now). The seed grown ones are fewer now due to deaths while I was away, but there are still some around, about 3mm now.

[Photos Grafted hybrid | Grafted hybrid ]

February 10, 2009-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar) (FK-005)- UPDATE

This plant was grafted to Myrtillocactus geometrizans a couple months ago and is now growing quite well. 41mm Diameter.

[Photos Grafted hybrid]

May 29, 2009-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar)- UPDATE

This plant is still grafted to Pereskiopsis spathulata. These are the first flowers of any of them, and they are much like that of Lophophora fricii, the father. Seen as these plants are from a Lophophora koehresii mother and has the flowers of L. fricii it would seems reasonable to presume that these are in fact true hybrids.

[Photos Flower buds | Flower buds | Open Flower. | Open Flowers]

Almost all are now degrafted and rooting or rooted on their own. There are also a few grafts made from the offests. This is probably as far as I am going with this timeline, as everything looks good. Look for additional notes to this page and also information on future breedings with these plants.

August 06, 2010-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar) - UPDATE: It appears this hybrid, like both of it's parent species, is self-sterile. None of these offspring can produce seed, or even fruit, with itself. It can however produce viable seeds from Lophophora fricii pollen. We have not yet tried to give this hybrid any pollen from other species other than L. fricii and itself.

April 29, 2011-Lophophora koehresii (Seed bearer) x Lophophora fricii (Pollen donar) - UPDATE: Flower previously pollinated by its "mother" has produced fruit with 5 seeds. Cross has also produced seed when pollinating L. koehressii plants. Seeds have germinated making this a non-sterile hybrid. The fruit produced by this hybrid resembles that of Lophohpora fricii and not or L. koehresii. The very few quantity of seeds produced may have to do with it being the first fruit produced. We will see when it is older. At this time this plant is 5cm on its own roots.

Related Pages [Pollinating Cacti | Cacti Flower Anatomy | Lophophora koehresii | Lophophora fricii ]