Lophophora

Morphological Summary

Lophophora is a small genus of spineless cacti from northern and central Mexico and southern Texas, world-famous for containing psychoactive alkaloids, primarily mescaline in L. williamsii (peyote). They are globose to flattened, extremely slow-growing cacti with a soft grayish-green to yellowish body, poorly defined ribs, and areoles bearing tufts of white or cream hairs instead of spines. Flowers are small, pink or white, emerging from the apex. The taproot can be several times longer than the visible body. Peyote (L. williamsii) holds millennia-old spiritual and ceremonial importance for the Wixáritari (Huichol), Tepehuan, Navajo, Comanche, and the Native American Church of the United States. It is one of the most important plants in the history of ethnobotany and anthropology. All members of the genus are protected under CITES Appendix II. Cultivation and trade are regulated or prohibited in most countries, though indigenous ceremonial use enjoys legal protection in Mexico and the USA.