Lophophora: what kind of cactus is it, transplantation, reproduction, features of care, a review of species of lophophora fricii, diffusa and others

On the slopes of the calcareous mountains spread from Texas to Mexico an amazing plant - Lofofora, in Latin - Lophophora.

This culture has an exotic name and even more unusual appearance. Lofofora belongs to the Cactus family, although it differs in the absence of thorns.

In the article, we will consider in detail how this type of cactus propagates, how to properly care for it, and also learn about the history of occurrence.

Botanical Description

The stem in diameter can be a maximum of 15 cm and is a flattened ball about 3 cm high, which has wide ribs, from 6 to 10, and on them, in turn, are softly defined tubercles. What is noteworthy, the villi of the plant are collected in bunches. Flowers can be white, yellow and pink and after 9-12 months, seeds appear in them. The fruits are pale pink.

The root of the plant has such an amazing property as pulling the stem into the upper layer of the earth in dry weather. A potent narcotic substance was found in the stem of this plant, it is contained for protection purposes.

History of occurrence

The flower has a fairly ancient history. It was known to the Indians and was called "Peyotl." In the scientific literature first found in 1894 under the name Analonium, and only in 1922 acquires its current name.

Habitat

Distributed at an altitude of 200-2000 above sea level in the shade of undersized shrubs from the United States (Texas) to Mexico.

Popular Lophophora species

Spreading (diffusa)

This species is a yellow - green cactus, which lacks a clear division into ribs and grooves. The villi collected in bunches are distributed unevenly on the surface of the cactus. Flowers have white and yellow hues. Grows on the slopes and riverbeds under the shadow of undersized shrubs. The plant is very vulnerable, because its habitat is small, moreover, it is illegally harvested, confusing with another species.

Fricii (Fricii)

Flowers at Lofofora Fritsha have a bright pink color (you can learn more about cacti with pink flowers here). One such plant may contain a lethal dose of poison, but this species is extremely rare. Associated with this is the ban on the ancient Indians of Tarahumar to collect it and somehow use it.

Jourdaniana

It is a hybrid. Flowers can be red and white (about cacti with red flowers read here). Many, but not all seedlings up to 2 cm in size have spikes.

Williams

The most famous species of Lofofora. The color of the stem varies from blue-gray to gray-green. Blossoms several times during the summer, pink flowers. It contains a substance that can cause auditory or visual hallucinations, but at the equator and at room temperature it is practically not produced.

Home Care

Temperature and light. Despite the fact that a temperature of +40 degrees Celsius does not harm the plant, it is still necessary to ensure the optimal temperature regime. With the onset of the winter period, provide coolness - not higher than +10 degrees. The plant needs bright light, but if you go too far with it and allow direct sunlight, the stem will change its color to red, and the plant will begin to grow and develop even more slowly. Therefore, diffused light must be provided.
Watering. The intensity of irrigation depends on factors such as season, soil condition. In summer, water should be watered as soon as the soil is completely dry.
Important! From September to March, it is recommended to stop watering, otherwise the plant will freeze and die!
The soil. The main criteria for preparing the soil are its friability and good water permeability. Suitable acidity is pH 6-6.5. It should be borne in mind that good soil should consist of 1/3 of organic matter, and 2/3 of the draining.
To fill with organic substances, you can use the following: chernozem, leaf humus. For draining filler: coarse sand, marble or brick chips, perlite. Experienced growers recommend adding a little bone meal to the ground.
Pot. When the cactus is still young, the pot is changed every year in the spring, and then as necessary. When choosing a pot, it should be borne in mind that the plant has powerful roots, so you need to pay attention to its height.
Transfer.
1. Before transplanting, it is not necessary to water the plant for seven days, and it is also necessary to remove it from direct sunlight.
2. During the transplant, 1/4 of the root system of the plant must be cut off.
3. For the prevention of decay, the place of the cut is sprinkled with crushed activated or charcoal, dried.
4. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the new pot, and then an organic mixture.
5. After transplantation, you must comply with paragraph 1.
Top dressing. Cactus should be fed only during the period of active growth with a frequency of once a month. Use special fertilizers for cacti.
Wintering. For the winter, Lofofore needs to ensure a temperature of no higher than 10 degrees Celsius, stop watering. Transplantation during this period is prohibited.

Breeding methods

Seeds

Steam the soil specialized for planting flowers and prepare large washed sand in a ratio of 3: 1, respectively.
Take out the seeds from the fruit. By doing this just before planting, you can increase seed germination by 80%.
Spread the seeds across the soil. Press down slightly.
The dishes in which you planted the seeds are immersed in water for 20 minutes to make the soil moist.
Next, the box with seeds must be covered with plastic wrap, creating the effect of a greenhouse.
The temperature should be 20-30 degrees Celsius, bright lighting for at least 12 hours. Do not forget about airing and moistening the soil as it dries.
The first seedlings appear after two weeks, and after 45 days the plants can be transplanted.

Shoots ("kids")

This type of reproduction is not suitable for all species of Lophophora, but is effective.

Cut the escape.
Sprinkle the place of cut with activated carbon.
Lay the cut side shoots on a perlite tray.
To provide coolness to the room, this is an imitation of the winter season, during which the shoots will grow stronger and give good roots.
With the onset of spring, shoots are ready for planting.
We land in the ground.

Flowering period

Lofofora blooms several times during the summer. If your flower does not bloom, do not worry, since flowering begins from 5-6 years of life of this cactus. Depending on the variety, the flowers can be white, red, yellow and pink, as well as with shades of the listed flowers. In diameter they reach 2-3 cm, that is, we can conclude about the small size of the flowers, and the whole plant as a whole.

Possible diseases and pests

Important! Slow flower growth, about 1 cm per year, does not mean the plant is affected by any disease, this is completely normal for this species!

Problems arise due to violation of the rules of plant care. Bacteria and fungi live on the plant, but do not do any harm to it until the environment is favorable for them, for example, with too much watering.

Similar flowers

Astrophytum (Astrophytum). It has the same habitat - from Texas to Mexico. The main difference between the species is the presence of felt specks. It blooms for several days in yellow, then fades.
Gymnocalycium. It has a spherical, slightly flattened shape of the stem, flowers are located at the top. Flowering is long, however, it begins to bloom only with the onset of 2-3 years of age.
Rebucia. The stem has the shape of a flattened ball. The surface is covered with spirally located tubercles. Blossom begins in the second year of life. You can learn more about miniature cacti from the genus Rebucius in this article.
Echinocereus Reichenbach. The stem is cylindrical in shape, has up to 19 ribs and is slightly curved. The flowers are located on the top of the cactus and have a pink color. Here you can learn more about Echinocereus, and in this material with the characteristics of the species of this plant.
Echinofossulocactus. It grows mainly in the shade, under bushes or in the grass. It has a spherical shape and ribs - from 30 to 120 pieces.

Reference! It is forbidden to grow Lofofora Williams on the territory of Russia at the legislative level. For the presence of the flower comes criminal liability.

Thus, after analyzing all the available information, we can conclude that Lofofora is a fairly unpretentious plant. Under certain conditions, the flower will delight you every year with growth and flowering.