Stem Morphology

Growth Habit: Clumper, usually grows offsets fairly early, rarely solitary when large.

Skin Colour: Often green, older plants can become more greyish-green much like L. fricii and L. williamsii always are.

Rib Form: Wavy and often "random" looking in appearance.

Number of ribs5,8,13 & 21 ribs.

Areoles Very far apart, relative to other Lophophora sp.

Flower/Fruit Morphology & Reproduction

Petal Colour: White.

Petal Shape: Pointed at tip, often long compared to L. williamsii.

Style colour: White.

Filament colour: White.

Fruit Colour: White.

# of seeds per fruit (averages): 10-50

Reproduction: Self sterile. Needs 2 genetically unique plants to produce seeds.

Readily Hybridizes with: No other Lophophora sp.

Key characteristics that define this species from others.

White pointed flower petals, L. willaismii are rounded. L. fricii and L. willaismii have pink flowers, and L. koehresii is often pink striped or very light pink.

Areoles are very far apart, all other Lophophora are much closer together.

Fruit is white, other species are pink to varying degrees..

Self sterile, as are L. fricii and L. koehresii. L. williamsii can readily fertilize itself.

Lacks mescaline; pellotine is the principle alkaloid in these plants which is the same for L. koehresii adn L. fricii. L. williamsii has little pellotine and much mescaline.

L. diffusa will not readily breed with the other 3 species of Lophophora, making it impossible to be the same species as them.

Stem Morphology:

Growth Habit: Often solitary. This one stays smaller than other Lophophora, rarely getting more than 12cm diameter (That is a very large specimen). This species can also severely dehydrate and sink into the soil in some areas.

Skin Colour: Green.

Rib Form: Tends not to have very well defined ribs when older, looks more like small tubercles checkered over the stem. When young, L. koehresii ribs look similar to L. diffusa ribs as far as pattern and areole spacing go.

Number of ribs5,8 & 13 ribs.

Areoles: Spaced further apart than L. fricii and L. williamsii usually, but sometimes can be quite close togethe.

Flower/Fruit Morphology & Reproduction

Petal Colour: Usually white with a pink stripe. Can range from almost white to pink, but often has a light pink stripe in the middle of the petal.

Petal Shape: Long and pointed, much like L. fricii and L. diffusa.

Style colour: White

Filament colour: White

Fruit Colour: Light pink, sometimes a white turning to pink.

# of seeds per fruit (averages): 10-50

Reproduction: Self Sterile, needs 2 genetically unique plants to produce viable seed.

Readily Hybridizes with: L. fricii as the pollen donor. L. fricii doesn't seem to accept L. koehresii pollen.

Key characteristics that define this species from others.

Self sterile. Will not cross with L. diffusa or L. williamsii making it impossible to be the same species as either one of them.

Small, solitary nature.

Unique rib form/pattern different than other Lophophra.