Cacti Guides' Lophophora Guide

[paulzie32]

[DaveW]

Three just flowered showing variations in flower colour between the so called species:-

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Lophophora williamsii on the left, L. frickii in the centre and L. diffusa on the right.

[majcka]

Three just flowered showing variations in flower colour between the so called species:-

lophophora's.jpg (99.21 KiB) Viewed 5173 times

Lophophora williamsii on the left, L. frickii in the centre and L. diffusa on the right.

Are they ilegal over there too????

[DaveW]

No Lophophora's and all cacti are legal in the UK, as are Opium Poppies in your garden, but you might be in trouble with the narcotics people if you tried purifying alkaloids from them on industrial scale. It is illegal to grow the plant cannabis however unless licenced:-

"Cannabis is illegal to possess, grow, distribute or sell in the UK without the appropriate licences. It is a Class B drug, with penalties for unlicensed dealing, unlicensed production and unlicensed trafficking of up 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both The maximum penalty for unauthorised or sanctioned possession is five years in prison. It is, however, worth noting that a "Cannabis warning" can be issued for small amounts of cannabis (generally less than 1 ounce of herbal cannabis, or a slightly higher quantity of hashish) if it is found to be for personal use. This entails the police keeping a record, albeit one which carries no fine and does not show up on [CRB checks]."

Of course Cannabis is also used for making the fibre hemp, which was used for ropes and weaving sacks and firms are licenced for growing or importing it for this use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_i ... ed_Kingdom" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One or two people however have grown cannabis by mistake from bird seed scattered on the garden, but they only get told to destroy it and no action is usually taken.

[iann]

Here's my version, with L. diffusa not flowering because that's what it does best

lophophora-0610.jpg (77.15 KiB) Viewed 5138 times

L. koehresii, L. williamsii, and L. diffusa.

[Onzuka]

Am I incorrect in thinking that current taxonomy has lumped all Lophophoras into just one species now, that being williamsii? Mine have gone mad this year, I always seem to have some in flower but whilst I'm seeing variation in the bodies, the flowers all seem to be about the same. I've never had a flower on my caespitosa, is this usual?

Steve

[iann]

Still at least two species: L. williamsii and L. diffusa. Although L. williamsii as defined is extremely variable (with some people creating dozens of varieties or even separate species for legal or political reasons), the better known named variations seem to be more closely related to L. diffusa. Further species names beyond the main two haven't really stuck although there are at least a handful of clearly identifiable forms in cultivation. L. williamsii is self-fertile, everything else not.

[Onzuka]

L. williamsii is self-fertile, everything else not.

WOW, Ian, I didn't know that! That's the key then to my Lophos, if they bear seeds (and they do) then they are williamsii. Then again, they are all together in an open greenhouse, so natural pollinators may well be at work causing hybrids. It's not really important to me, I like the look of them all and I'm not going to eat them.

Steve

[Peterthecactusguy]

wait nevermind, Ian answered the question I had. Maybe next year.. I can get my own seeds going. For a self fertile plant, can a single flower produce seeds? Or does it need to be pollinated with another flower?

[Onzuka]

For a self fertile plant, can a single flower produce seeds? Or does it need to be pollinated with another flower?

Just one open flower will produce fertile seeds, providing that it's williamsii that you have. The seed pod can be quite some while appearing after the flower has died. My young plants don't seem to set viable seeds with their first few flowers.

Steve

[Mostly_Harmless]

L. williamsii is self-fertile, everything else not.

WOW, Ian, I didn't know that! That's the key then to my Lophos, if they bear seeds (and they do) then they are williamsii. Then again, they are all together in an open greenhouse, so natural pollinators may well be at work causing hybrids. It's not really important to me, I like the look of them all and I'm not going to eat them.

Steve

The most likely to hybridize are koehresii x fricii (koehresii as the mother). Seems to take fairly easily in that direction.
Give the williamsii a tickle to help self pollenation, the filaments are thigmatropic, or pollenate with another williamsii to increase seed production in the fruits.

[Peterthecactusguy]

For a self fertile plant, can a single flower produce seeds? Or does it need to be pollinated with another flower?

Just one open flower will produce fertile seeds, providing that it's williamsii that you have. The seed pod can be quite some while appearing after the flower has died. My young plants don't seem to set viable seeds with their first few flowers.

Steve

Thanks for the info, I think that I had a seedpods going, but a bird ate them:( however, no despair, there is another flower bud! That makes 4 so far.. I might get one next year as well since this is the first year it has been blooming.

[Aiko]

L. williamsii is self-fertile, everything else not.

WOW, Ian, I didn't know that! That's the key then to my Lophos, if they bear seeds (and they do) then they are williamsii.

New information for me too!

[Peterthecactusguy]

well I had heard that Lophos were self-fertile, but then it might have just been L. williamsii, but then I though maybe it wasn't L. williamsii, ya know. I was confused lol. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle

[adetheproducer]

Bit of a newbie question but as you can see from the photo most of my L.williams have 5 ribs (yellow circles) one has 8 non-regular ribs (red circle). Will the rib number increase with age or is that it?