Xerophyte

Seeds

Small and black up to1 mm in diameter, with broad basal hilum, tuberculate-roughened.

Description

Lophophora williamsiiSN|1117]]SN|1117]] is a solitary or (rarely) caespitose, spineless cactus, normally unicephalous but becoming polycephalous with age or injury,

Roots

Napiform, usually 8-11 cm long

Flowers

Solitary, campanulate, 1.5-2.5 cm across when open usually pink (rarely whitish) outer perianth segments and scales ventrally greenish. They emerge from the mass of hairs at umbilicate centre of crown each surrounded by a mass of long hairs. Stigma-lobes 5-7, linear, pink.

Blooming Season

Flowers sporadically throughout summer.

Ribs

(5 when young) 7 to 13 (very rarely 4 or 14 ) broad, rounded, straight, or spiralled, often tuberculate, sometimes irregular and indistinct, with transverse furrows forming more or less regular, polyhedral tubercles;

Stem

Glaucous green, dull bluish or greyish green, very succulent, globular, top-shaped, or somewhat flattened up to 6 cm tall, 12 cm diameter, with a woolly top; The subterranean portion of the stem, which is as wide as the aerial portion, extends several cm below the surface of the ground and transitions smoothly (through a thin hypocotyl) into a large taproot which may extend over 25 cm below ground level.

Fruits

Club-shaped, red to pinkish, 2 cm long or shorter which can be very delectable and sweet-tasting when eaten.

Areoles

Round spineless, bearing flowers only when young with some bunches of long erect, matted, wooly greyish hairs, up to 1 cm long.