Buying a peyote cactus?

Waltmark · Post by **Waltmark** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 12:00 am

Hello everyone,

I should preface this with saying I am not interested in getting high or tripping or anything.

With that said. I am really interested in getting my hands on and growing a peyote cactus. The more I read about them, the more I want one. There is some strange allure to having such a nice conversation piece that is somewhat endangered. I know that people have posted pictures of them on these message boards before. I’m asking advice on where the best place to buy/trade for one.

I hear that if you buy a peyote from some places they are grafted weird and aren’t true peyote cacti. I’ve also heard there are places that sell fake ones.

I would like to a buy a genuine peyote and I am not opposed to buying out of the country, which I believe is the preferred method but like I said, I’m not sure the best place.

If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate the advice!

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 1:35 am

I'll be interested to hear replies to this. The one I have is seed grown, very old and still relatively small. It has a lot of rough years in there!

Trade in Lophophora williamsii is of course illegal. Beware eBay sellers selling "peyote" that's not. If you find someone out of the US willing to ship into the US, it may get confiscated at customs and there's the possibility of criminal charges.

Ridiculous, I know.

peterb

Post by **daiv** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 2:51 am

This isn't the type of plant you are best to buy on-line, but here is probably the best way to go. Your local cactus club!

http://affiliates.cssainc.org/new-jerse ... ciety.html

This species is popular with many growers and you'll probably be able to get some that way.

Also if you do look on-line, don't search "Lophophora", but just williamsii. If it is a cactus, it is going to be a Loph. even with a whole bunch of other names are used.

Waltmark · Post by **Waltmark** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 3:03 pm

Thanks for the advice so far. I think I will look into the cacti societies. However, doing some searches online I found this site more then once at the top of searches:

peyote51.com

Has anyone ever dealt with this grower before? His website says he is from england and in a quick e-mail to him he has assured me that his plants come into the US fine. He says he grows them strictly for conservation.

Just throwing that site out there to see if anyone has had a positive or negative transaction with this person in the past. Thanks again.

hegar · Post by **hegar** » Sun Oct 26, 2008 5:38 pm

I can tell you, that in order to ship any cactus plant into the U.S. you do have to find a grower that would provide you a Phytosanitary Certificate and CITES documentation. The former would most likely be too cost prohibitive, unless a good number of plants were purchased. The main problem though is, that possession of this specific cactus is prohibited under federal law. Unless, the plant were to be imported with a false name and not recognized by the Plant Inspection Station for its true identity, you would most likely not ever receive said plant. Of course, some plants possibly do slip through, but I would not make a bet on it.

Harald

Post by **daiv** » Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:04 am

Not familiar with that guy, but it is perfectly legal to grow Lophophora in the UK.

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 11:40 am

I got lucky and found a seller about 3 hours from my house here in florida.. This is the site http://cactusplus.ecrater.com/ I have not seen any more on his site for some time now, but again I got it threw pure luck. There is another source for seeds from riversource.com i believe, you can order a mix packet and hope to recive the type you like.

GOOD LUCK in your search!!

greenbaron · Post by **greenbaron** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:55 pm

I would like one too, as they are of my favorite cactus shape: globose

I saw 3 cacti on ebay last week with these descriptions:
"Ariocarpus: this plant grows in TX and Mexico. It is known as Lewenii."
"Ariocarpus fricii: this plant grows in a very small area in the state of Queretaro."
"Ariocarpus koehresii: this plants grows in a very small area in the state of Queretaro."
The pictures were of the actual plants, two of them here:

Are they? What other synonyms are used?

john b · Post by **john b** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:31 pm

Hi,

I saw these in Amsterdam at the big flower market. Was tempted to to put a few in my suitcase.

Good luck on your search.

Best,

JOhn B

peterb · Post by **peterb** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:59 pm

See the detailed Cacti Guide sticky on Lophophora. Anderson years ago reduced the genus to two species, williamsii and diffusa. But many recognize a variety of other forms at the species level. I'm not up on my narcotics law, but I think the entire genus is illegal in the US, in spite of the other forms not having very much mescaline (less than Trichocereus pachanoi).

peterb

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:34 pm

greenbaron wrote: Are they? What other synonyms are used?

They are true Lophophora's.
Lewenii = williamsii

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:41 pm

peterb wrote:See the detailed Cacti Guide sticky on Lophophora. Anderson years ago reduced the genus to two species, williamsii and diffusa. But many recognize a variety of other forms at the species level. I'm not up on my narcotics law, but I think the entire genus is illegal in the US, in spite of the other forms not having very much mescaline (less than Trichocereus pachanoi).

peterb

All speices of Lophophora are technically illegal in CA, but only williamisii is illegal country wide.

It's pretty much a non-issue unless you have a lab set up to extract the mescaline...not something a collector is gonna have!

Personally, i recognize 4. williamsii, diffusa, fricii, koehresii.

iann · Post by **iann** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:30 pm

Possibly the most over-priced thing you will ever buy on eBay

These things are not hard to grow from seed, you could have hundreds of them for a couple of dollars. Seed is much easier to sneak into the country also

Even in Europe, people pay silly prices for these when they can be found gracing any cactus mart for a handful of dollars. Really old ones are justifiably expensive because growth gets slow once it sets up with a taproot.

john b · Post by **john b** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:48 pm

The Cactus and Succulent Journal has been running a series of articles on Lophs.

JOhn B

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:45 am

They are legal in most Australian states, but one has outlawed them and another bans them on grounds of their weed potential. (!)
People think of all manner of creative names by which to sell lophs on ebay. 'Echinocactus rapa' is a particularly commonly used one here. Also button cactus, Matucana sp., Matucana madisoniorum spineless form,even Gymnocalycium horstii 'inermis' once!

iann wrote:Possibly the most over-priced thing you will ever buy on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Large-Button-Cac ... dZViewItem