Quick facts
| Family | Cactaceae |
|---|---|
| Subfamily | Cactoideae |
| Tribe | Cacteae (subtribe Cactinae) |
| Genus | Lophophora J.M.Coult. |
| Accepted name | Lophophora alberto-vojtechii Bohata, Myšák & Šnicer (2008) |
| Synonyms | None recorded |
| Common names | No widely documented common name |
| Native range | Mexico (San Luis Potosí), about 1,700 m elevation |
| Conservation status | Not evaluated (IUCN); CITES Appendix II (family-wide) |
Description
By a wide margin the smallest species in the genus. Mature stems typically reach only about 2–2.5 cm across — the stem portion measures roughly 10–50 mm, usually under 18 mm wide — and are greyish-green, often tinged mauve. The plant is mostly subterranean, with only the apex visible at soil level, and pulls itself under dried mud or soil during dry periods; this strongly geophytic habit makes mature plants hard to spot in the field. Below ground is a turnip-shaped, succulent taproot roughly 30 mm long and about 16 mm wide where it meets the stem.
Flowers
Flowers are disproportionately large for the plant's size, 15–35 mm across. Tepals are white to light pink with a darker brownish, salmon or violet-pink midstripe, and are distinctly more rounded at the tip than in L. koehresii. Anthers are yellowish-orange on white filaments.
Seeds
Seeds are small and black, roughly 1.15–1.45 mm long.
llifle Encyclopedia of Cacti · Lophophora alberto-vojtechii ↗
Distribution and habitat
Native to Mexico, in the state of San Luis Potosí, at roughly 1,700 m elevation. It grows on dry, flat terrain subject to seasonal flooding at the edge of desert and dry shrubland, reported alongside Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus, Ferocactus pilosus and Echinocereus enneacanthus in the same region.
Similar species
Compared with L. koehresii, flower tepals are more rounded at the tip in L. alberto-vojtechii. Compared with a small L. williamsii, its extreme dwarfism and strongly geophytic habit — the stem retracts under soil in dry periods — set it apart; see the genus comparison table for the wider genus.
Cultivation
Grown like the rest of the genus, adjusted for its small mature size. See the soil-mix guide and the seasonal-care calendar for the reasoning behind each line below.
| Light | Bright light with some relief from the harshest midday sun; more direct sun once acclimated in a mineral mix |
|---|---|
| Soil | A fast-draining, mostly mineral mix — see the soil-mix guide for a tested recipe |
| Watering | Water and let the mix dry fully through the growing season; keep dry and frost-free over winter — see the seasonal-care calendar |
| Temperature | Protect from hard frost; the taproot and geophytic crown are vulnerable to cold, wet conditions |
| Propagation | From seed — see the seed-growing guide; very slow, consistent with its small mature size |
Taxonomy and names
Discovered in 2007 and described in 2008 by Bohata, Myšák and Šnicer in Cactus & Co. 12(2): 108. Kew accepts it as one of the genus's four current species, with no recorded synonyms. The epithet honors the Czech traveler and cactus collector Alberto Vojtěch Frič (1882–1944).
Conservation and legal status
Not yet evaluated by IUCN. Like the rest of Cactaceae, the species falls under the family's CITES Appendix II listing, which regulates international trade in wild-sourced specimens. Check current local law before acquiring or moving plant material; see the sourcing guide.