Quick facts
| Rank | Genus |
|---|---|
| Author | Lophophora J.M.Coult., Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 3: 131 (1894) |
| Parent taxa | Family Cactaceae; subfamily Cactoideae; tribe Cacteae, subtribe Cactinae |
| Accepted species | 4, per Kew: L. alberto-vojtechii, L. diffusa, L. fricii, L. williamsii |
| Type species | Lophophora williamsii (Lem. ex J.F.Cels) J.M.Coult. |
| Genus-level synonym | Peyotl F.Hern. (invalid under ICBN Art. 42.1) |
| Native range | Texas to northern and western Mexico |
Description
Low, fleshy, spineless stems with rounded ribs or shallow tubercles — on some plants the ribs resolve into broad, flat podaria rather than distinct ridges. Ribs are usually 5, 8 or 13, sometimes spiralling with age. Areoles carry tufts of wool instead of spines. A substantial taproot lies beneath the small, often nearly flush, visible crown. Flowers are diurnal, opening near the centre of the crown.
Accepted species
| Species | Author | Native range |
|---|---|---|
| L. alberto-vojtechii | Bohata, Myšák & Šnicer (2008) | Mexico (San Luis Potosí, ~1,700 m) |
| L. diffusa | (Croizat) Bravo (1967) | Mexico (Querétaro to Hidalgo) |
| L. fricii | Haberm. (1975) | Mexico (Coahuila) |
| L. williamsii | (Lem. ex J.F.Cels) J.M.Coult. | SW. and S. Texas to NE. Mexico, to Jalisco |
Synonyms and horticultural names
Older two-, three- or five-species treatments of the genus used different, non-equivalent boundaries and should not be combined with the current four-species Kew treatment below.
| Name | Status | Treated as |
|---|---|---|
| L. koehresii (Říha) Bohata, Myšák & Šnicer | Kew synonym; kept as a species by Lophophora specialists | L. diffusa |
| L. williamsii var. decipiens Croizat | Synonym | L. williamsii |
| L. jourdaniana Haberm. | Synonym | L. williamsii |
| L. echinata Croizat | Synonym | L. williamsii |
| L. lutea Backeb. (Echinocactus williamsii var. luteus Rouhier) | Synonym | L. williamsii |
| L. williamsii var. texana Frič ex Kreuz. | Synonym | L. williamsii |
| L. williamsii subsp. grymii Halda, Kupčák & Sladk. | Synonym | L. williamsii |
| L. viridescens Halda (incl. subsp. viridescens) | Synonym | L. diffusa |
| L. diffusa subsp. kubesae Halda, Kupčák & Malina | Synonym | L. diffusa |
| L. diffusa var. swobodaiana Halda, Kupčák & Malina | Synonym | L. diffusa |
| L. diffusa subsp./var. fricii (Haberm.) Halda / Grym | Synonym (homotypic) | L. fricii |
A few additional names circulate in the trade — "ziegleri" and "caespitosa" among them — with no corresponding IPNI or POWO record.
Similar genera
Two unrelated genera cause most of the confusion with Lophophora in the field. Ariocarpus fissuratus (living rock cactus) has flattened, overlapping, warty tubercles with a furrowed, almost fissured surface, rather than the more regular ribs or podaria of a Lophophora. Astrophytum asterias (star cactus) keeps a constant eight ribs for its whole life, shows small whitish scales across the body and a central line of woolly areoles on each rib, and has a fibrous, largely non-regenerating root system in place of a Lophophora's substantial taproot. The two grow in overlapping habitat and are sometimes mistaken for Lophophora in the field.
Cactus Conservation Institute · Astrophytum and Lophophora — so similar, yet so different ↗
Distribution
The genus ranges from Texas south into northern and western Mexico. Individual species occupy narrower ranges within that area: see the Accepted species table above, and each species page's Distribution and habitat section, for specifics.