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Description: Solitary or (rarely) caespitose spineless cactus, normally unicephalous but becoming polycephalous with age or injury,
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.
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;
Roots: Napiform, usually 8-11 cm long
Areoles: Round spineless, bearing flowers only when young with some bunches of long erect, matted, wooly greyish hairs, up to 1 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.
Fruit: Club-shaped, red to pinkish, 2 cm long or shorter which can be very delectable and sweet-tasting when eaten.
Seeds: Small and black up to1 mm in diameter, with broad basal hilum, tuberculate-roughened.

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Whole plant out of soil showing exposed taproot and the fine feeding roots that take up water and nutrients:

   





Development of the flower:

Emerging bud:




Flower about to open:

 


Flower open:

 



Development of fruit and resulting seed:

The start of two fruits:

   


Seeds from one fruit next to a matchstick for size comparison:







Cultivation and other information:

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Cultivation:  All Lophophora species are extremely slow growing, often taking up to thirty years to reach flowering age in the wild (about the size of a golf ball, not including its root). Human cultivated specimens grow considerably faster, usually taking from six to ten years to go from seedling to mature flowering adult.
Because of the tap root they are very rot prone, so use highly gritty compost with much drainage. Requires half shade to part sun. Waterings should be rather infrequent  to keep the plant compact and not to become excessively elongated and unnatural in appearance, watering it properly is often difficult because this plant tends to crack open or rot if over-watered. The fact that the plant retracts into the soil and assume a grey-green colouring between watering, is perfectly natural and doesn’t cause any damage.

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Overwintering: Keep completely dry and cool in winter (An unheated greenhouse would be perfect) or when night temperatures remain below 10° C,  it can survive low temperatures (appr. -7°C)  for a short period. Assure a good ventilation.

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Propagation: Easy to propagate from seeds. The seeds require warm and humid conditions to germinate. 20°C+ (70°F+). Propagation by vegetative means is possible by removing the top of the plant and grafting or re-rooting on its own, but to ensure the rootstock survives some areoles must be left on the rootstock to let new emerging "pups" somewhere to grow from.

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karode13 said:
   

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karode13 said:
What's a loph?

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Ieponumos said:
What does a completely mature loph fruit look like?

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Pretty much looks like this. From here it start to dry out and shrivel up until dry. Most people wait until the fruit has dried before harvesting the seed but I find you can harvest the seed as soon as the fruit is mature and just before it starts to shrivel.

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Big L said:

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karode13 said:
What's a loph?

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I had to goose you before you goosed me, I know how this works.....I look forward to your pics.

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ninja cat 09 said:
Has anybody tried tasting the fruit?

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