PEYOTE IDENTIFICATION

http://www.shaman-australis.com/forum/index.php?/topic/15543-identifying-the-
lophophora-genus/

Here is a basic identification guide for those who are still new to the Lophophora
genus. Enjoy and feel free to comment. Please note, my guide is based upon the
Kaktusy - Lophophora Coulter edition (2005), and contains excerpts from this
handbook. There is much controversy regarding the genus and classifications of
sub species, but I feel this is by far the most efficient and up to date at this point in
time.
OVERVIEW
Firstly, there are four natural species within the Lophophora genus:
- L. williamsii
- L. diffusa
- L. fricii
- L. koehresii
There is also one cultivar, not found in the wild:
- L. jourdaniana
And there is recent speculation (June 2008) about a new, miniature species, found
in the wild and flowers when the crown is around 15mm diameter (see here for
further information):
- L. alberto-vojtechii
SECTIONS
Kaktusy propose that the genus should be broken into the following two sections
(and numerous reasons are given for this proposition, including alkaloid
composition, habitat, hybridisation compatibility and macroscopic appearance):
- Diffusae (containing L. diffusa, L. fricii and L. koehresii)
- Lophophora (containing L. williamsii)
Section Diffusae information excerpted from Kaktusy:

Common features and characteristics of the section Diffusae:

Similar chemical composition of its alkaloid content, among which pellotinoids
prevail. None of the species in the section is autogamous. The flowers have longer
receptacle tubes. The epidermis is thin and vulnerable. The ribs are often diffuse or
indistinct. If ribs are produced, they may reach up to 21 in old plants. No shallow
podaria are formed on the ribs separated by transverse horizontal notches. The
structure and shape of the roots are similar to the smooth and fine epidermis.
Section Lophophora information excerpted from Kaktusy:

Common features and characteristics of the section Lophophora:

Similar composition of alkaloids, with mescaline alkaloids prevailing. With few
exceptions, the various forms of L. williamsii are autogamous. The epidermis is
rather thick and tough, often with a purplish undertone. The ribs are distinct,
straight or spiralled in a maximum number of 13. Typically, horizontal notches form
in the ribs. Sometimes the areollae merge into a nearly unbroken line. The wool is
sticky, solidifying into tough crests and staying on the plant for a long time. The
roots typically have quite a rough texture.
SPECIES
L. williamsii is by far the most common species, stretching across most of the
Lophophora habitat. This is commonly known as peyote, and contains various
psychoactive compounds, the main and most active being mescaline. L. williamsii
is also one of the easiest to identify. The distinctive ribbing in older specimens is
usually vertical or spiralling, with most plants starting with five ribs and developing
up to thirteen with maturity. Flowers are pale pink with shorter petals than the other
sub species. All sub species will clump with age (though some individual plants
tend to stay singular for their lifetimes), but L. williamsii forma caespitosa (seen in
the central photo below) tends to pup at a very young age and can carpet a large
area in its lifetime.
L. williamsii characteristics information excerpted from Kaktusy (page 32):

L. williamsii Characteristics:
Flattened or depressed, spherical plants with solitary to clustering stems; the ribs
are distinct, only occasionally broken into podaria; the greyish green epidermis is of
a firm nature and bears a thick layer of cutin and surface waxes. Flowers rather
small with a short tube in pinkish white to richly pink hues. The pink cylindrical fruit
bears the remnants of the perianth. Seeds black, distinct from those of the other
species.

L. diffusa is a far rarer species named after its rib habit. It has diffuse ribs
(meaning they are not clean-cut ribs as found in the L. williamsii sub species) which
tend to have a somewhat 'pinecone'-like appearance with the rib pattern. The
epidermis (skin) is a lighter green, bordering on a yellowish tinge. Flowers are very
similar to that of L. williamsii, but can have a yellow/green/white colouring. The
main compound found in L. diffusa is pellotine and mescaline levels are very low.
L. diffusa characteristics information excerpted from Kaktusy (page 14):
L. diffusa Characteristics:
A large, appressed, spherical stem; solitary to clustered growth; peculiar yellowish
green soft epidermis; diffuse ribs, often broken into separate low podaria; off-white
flowers with shades of yellow and rarely pink; cylindrical, white to dark pink fruits.

L. fricii has a rib structure very much like that of L. diffusa, but with an epidermis
colour more like that of L. williamsii (darker green than L. diffusa). Flowers are very
bright pink and are the main distinguishing point from L. diffusa.
L. fricii characteristics information excerpted from Kaktusy (page 26):

L. fricii Characteristics:
A flattened spherical species of solitary to markedly clustered growth and an
immense diversity of features; the numerous ribs are conspicuous to absolutely
diffuse; the colour of its thin epidermis varies from yellowish green to greyish green;
flowers vary from nearly white to dark purple-pink; seeds are similar to those of L.
williamsii at first sight, but differ in the shape of the hilium, which is reminiscent of a
shark's maw, and in the texture of the testa.

L. koehresii is supposedly the smallest of the genus (or at least was, until the
recent speculation about L. alberto-vojtechii), with a growth habit very similar to that
of L. diffusa. Flowers are light pink, but have much longer petals with pointed tips.
L. koehresii characteristics information excerpted from Kaktusy (page 20):
L. koehresii Characteristics:
Dwarf, depressed spherical, solitary species with a marked dark green epidermis;
does not sprout spontaneously in the wild; the initially distinct ribs later break down,
sometimes almost disappearing and transforming into low podaria; flowers large
with mostly long and narrow petals, the white to pink colouring supplemented with
brown stripes shading from the outer petals inwards, and making a characteristic
colour combination; unusual spherical fruits with the remnants of the perianth shed
before it ripens; the seeds are largest of all lophophoras with a very characteristic
testa.

L. jourdaniana is thought to have been a cross breed between a Lophophora and

possibly Turbinicarpus. It is only found in human cultivation, and as such is classed
as a cultivar. It is the only sub species to have small spines (others only have tufts
of wool at each areole, but may have very small spines at a young age). Flowers
are a dark magenta-pink. This species is very rare and is not thought to be found in
Australia at this point in time.

CONCLUSION
I guess all in all, the easiest way to ID the Lophophora species is that L. williamsii
has very distinct ribs, while the other species are hard to tell apart without a flower.
It might also be noted that there is visible difference between the sub species in the
seedling stage - the cotyledons (seed leaves) tend to be slightly differently shaped,
though L. diffusa, fricii and koehresii are all very similar (as are the mature plants) -
which can give you a bit of a clue when differentiating between the sub species, but
I wont go into that now.
REFERENCES
All pics were borrowed from here without permission. Please have a look there for
more brilliant photos of the Lophophora genus and almost every other within the
Cactacae.
Information about the Kaktusy 2005/2 Genus Lophophora Coulter. booklet can be
found here.
Cheers,
Ace
Updated (March 2009) to include detailed excerpt from Kaktusy.
Edited March 12, 2009 by Ace
http://lophophora.blogspot.com.br/2010/08/key-to-genus-lophophora-sensu-
snicer-et.html

Key to the genus Lophophora sensu Šnicer et al.

In the article The Littlest Lophophora Šnicer, Bohata and Myšák detail the discovery of
the new species Lophophora alberto-vojtechii and expand on the description originally
given in the June 2008 issue of Cactus & Co.

The article also gives a key to the species of Lophophora which are divided into two
sections Lophophora and Diffusae. These sections were originally introduced by the
same authors in the booklet Genus Lophophora Coulter - Kaktusy special 2, 2005 and
the division was based primarily on chemical composition but also on other factors like
habitat, incompatibility of the species, rib numbers and morphology. Members of
the Lophophora section are characterized by having concentrations of the psychotropic
(mind-altering) alkaloid mescaline ranging from 15–30% of the total alkaloid content,
while members of the Diffusae section contain a maximum of 1.3% mescaline. Šnicer
et al. recognize five species of Lophophora.

SECTION LOPHOPHORA

L. williamsii (SALM-DYCK) COULTER

SECTION DIFFUSAE

L. diffusa (CROIZAT) BRAVO

L. fricii HABERMANN

L. koehresii (J. RÍHA) BOHATA, MYŠÁK & ŠNICER

L. alberto-vojtechii J. BOHATA, V. MYŠÁK & J. ŠNICER

The following key to the species of Lophophora assumes that L. alberto-vojtechii is
allied with the non-mescaline-prevalent species, i.e. it is placed in the Diffusae section.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF LOPHOPHORA

15–30% mescaline in total alkaloids, epidermis Section Lophophora, L.

1
tough and thick williamsii

Maximum 1.3% mescaline in total alkaloids; thin,

1 Section Diffusae, 2
fine epidermis

Seed hilum wide (almost circular), testa not

2 L. koehresii
nodulated but reticulated

Seed hilum V–shaped, testa nodulated (outer

2 cell walls protruding), individual testa cells clearly 3
demarcated

Usually five (rarely eight) ribs, stem solitary in

3 nature, miniature (rarely exceeding 25 mm in L. alberto-vojtechii
diameter)

Up to 21 ribs, stem solitary or branching in

3 4
nature

Flowers dirty white with touch of yellow (rarely

4 pinkish); fruits white to dark pink, usually pale L. diffusa
pink; occurring in Queretaro, Mexico

Flowers usually light pink to dark purple-pink,

also white; fruits pink to dark purple-pink (when
4 L. fricii
flower is white the fruit is always dark purple-
pink); Coahuila, Mexico

Seed morphology is an important factor in the above key. In their original publication
on Lophophora alberto-vojtechii Šnicer et al. included SEM images illustrating the
differences between the seeds of the various Lophophora species, these images along
with their description are included below (Šnicer et al. attribute the SEM images
to Gerhard Köhres; the images below are not scanned from the article but based on the
ones included in the online French version of the article - just to make sure that credit is
given where credit is due ;-)

Lophophora koehresii seed SEM images

L. koehresii has a seed testa structure that is completely different from the other
lophophoras. The hilum is wide open, and is almost circular. The testa is not
nodulated (the outer cell walls do not protrude above the surface of the seed),
but is reticulated [characterized by or having the form of a grid or network], and
the cell walls are flat to even. The individual cells of the testa almost merge
together. The seed in the pictures is from San Francisco in San Luís Potosí.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seed SEM images

L. alberto-vojtechii has round black seeds, 1.15 to 1.45 mm long and 1.0 to 1.45
mm wide. The hilum is compressed into a broad V shape. The perimeter of the
hilum consists of a pronounced edge. The testa is nodulated with the outer cell
walls protruding. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The
seed in the pictures is from the type location in San Luís Potosí.

Lophophora fricii seed SEM images

L. fricii has oval seeds, 1.5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide with the hilum
compressed into a V shape. The testa is black, relatively coarsely nodulated,
with an oval tubercle structure; the tubercles get smaller near the hilum. The
individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The seed in the pictures is
from El Amparo in Coahuila.

Lophophora diffusa seed SEM images

L. diffusa has seeds which vary greatly in terms of shape and size. The hilum is
compressed into a broad V shape. The testa is coarsely nodulated with the
outer cell walls protruding. The individual cells of the testa are clearly
demarcated. The seed in the pictures is from Niñas Las Palmas in Querétaro.

Lophophora williamsii seed SEM images

L. williamsii has seeds that are 1-1.5 mm long and black. The hilum is
compressed into a broad V shape. The testa is nodulated with the outer cell
walls protruding. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The
seed in the pictures is from Mazapil in Zacatecas.
You might also like:

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii, a new miniature species in ...

An expanded description of Lophophora alberto-vojtechii

The genus Lophophora – Kaktusy Special 2, 2005: A Review

Linkwithin

POSTED BY LOPHOPHORA AT 8:07 PM

LABELS: LOPHOPHORA (GENUS), SEEDS, SEM IMAGES
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