Lophophora flowers vary from white to deep pink Onzuka according to species. L. williamsii is the most commonly grown having pink flowers, which is what you probably have:-
- lophophora's.jpg (99.21 KiB) Viewed 12039 times
Plants above left to right, L. williamsii, L. frickii, L. diffusa
The species also vary in the potency of the alkaloids they contain, but as regulatory authorities in countries where they are illegal cannot tell the visual difference they ban the genus as a whole. Luckily their consumption is not a problem in the UK so they are not banned here. A strange ban really since many quite legal Trichocerei and other cacti contain just as powerful alkaloids. Really if sense prevailed authorities would simply prosecute those who misused drugs rather than people who simply grow attractive and interesting plants for a hobby.
This series of articles will fill you in on the different species:-
http://www.lophophora.info/Stalking%20t ... rt%201.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.lophophora.info/Stalking%20t ... rt%202.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.lophophora.info/Stalking%20t ... rt%203.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And one discovered since the above articles:-
http://www.cactusconservation.org/CCI/l ... ophora.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There is also L. jourdaniana, but this is believed to be a hybrid that has arisen in cultivation since it has never been found again in the wild:-
- Lophophora jourdaniana.jpg (99.04 KiB) Viewed 12039 times
Interesting in one of the above links the table reproduced below shows only L. williamsii has significant mescaline (15-30%) whereas all the other species only have 1.3% maximum, so why ban the whole genus for one species?
KEY TO THE SPECIES OF LOPHOPHORA
1 15–30% mescaline in total alkaloids, epidermis tough and thick .................................................Section Lophophora, L. williamsii
1 Maximum 1.3% mescaline in total alkaloids; thin, fine epidermis ...............................................................................Section Diffusae, 2
2 Seed hilum wide (almost circular), testa not nodulated but reticulated ................................................................................. L. koehresii
2 Seed hilum V–shaped, testa nodulated (outer cell walls protruding), individual testa cells clearly demarcated ......................... 3
3 Usually five (rarely eight) ribs, stem solitary in nature, miniature (rarely exceeding 25 mm in diameter) .... L. alberto-vojtechii
3 Up to 21 ribs, stem solitary or branching in nature .............................................................................................................................................. 4
4 Flowers dirty white with touch of yellow (rarely pinkish); fruits white to dark pink, usually pale pink; occurring in
Queretaro, Mexico .............................................................................................................................................................................................L. diffusa
4 Flowers usually light pink to dark purple-pink, also white; fruits pink to dark purple-pink (when flower is white the fruit is
always dark purple-pink); Coahuila, Mexico .................................................................................................................................................L. fricii
. Some day i'm gonna move to a place where they're legal and propagate a whole bunch!