LOPHOPHORA - a cacti growing blog

Mongolian wildflowers

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:36:00 +0000

I’m recently back from a journey that took me through Russia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, and Nepal (and I’m aware that China considers Tibet an “autonomous region” of China and not a nation in its own right; that China “liberated” Tibet 60 years ago. But nobody - absolutely nobody in their right mind and not brainwashed by the chinese dictatorship - can see the ruthless chinese oppression of Tibet as anything else than a blatant occupation! More on that in an upcoming post).

I visited Russia (Siberia) during very early spring and my photos from that part of the trip mainly boils down to those of leafless birch trees; so I’ll skip Russia and jump straight to Mongolia in this floristic travelogue ;-) I’m in the unfortunate situation that I don’t know the names of most of the plants featured in this post so any help is appreciated ;-)

Cream flowers

Yellow flowers

Light blue / lilac flowers

After spending some days in Ulan Bator (Ulaanbaatar), the capital and largest city of Mongolia, we set out for Gorkhi-Terelj National Park. It was still early spring but a few plants were flowering, including the cream, yellow, and light blue/lilac flowered plants pictured above. Especially the latter was abundant, in many places almost covering the grassy slopes with its beautiful flowers.

My expectations to Gorkhi-Terelj involved imagery of serene, unperturbed nature allowing for days of pure trekking bliss ;-) However the “developed” part of the park we visited is on the verge of being destroyed by golf courts, tourist ger camps, ubiquitous signs and posters, road construction, housing development, and the like. In their eagerness to attract more visitors the very soul of what people are coming to see are being destroyed. It’s a big shame.

That being said it’s still possible to find undisturbed spots among the rolling, grassy hills and beautiful rock formations (in many ways reminding of the monzogranite formations at Joshua Tree National Park) where you can get a sense of being in the wilderness. If you are of an imaginative temperament it’s not even hard to envision Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khaan) galloping across the steppes; otherwise you can go see the (quite clumsy and ugly, yet colossal) Genghis Khan monument ;-)

A few of the ubiquitous signs and posters

Road construction near Turtle Rock

Another plant that is abundant in Terelj is (what I take to be) Orostachys spinosa, a cold-tolerant alpine native to Siberia and Mongolia. Its fleshy leaves are arranged in a rosette, growing to 10 cm (4'') in diameter at maturity. The plant is said to be able to survive extreme freezing temperatures down to -40°C. I collected a few of these plants in the hope to grow them on my balcony here in Copenhagen, but unfortunately most of them died off in a storage room in Kathmandu - one small plant is still alive though, so I keep my hopes high ;-)

A cluster of Orostachys spinosa

Back in Ulan Bator the only plants we could find were made of plastic. At first I found it a bit strange to have outdoor plastic flower arrangements in a park, but it seemed like a common practice.

Red plastic flowers

Yellow plastic flowers

Peyote flowers - fisheye/tilt-shift photography

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:12:00 +0000

Flowering Lophophora williamsii - tilt-shift

I just got me a Lensbaby Composer lens and of course had to experiment taking pictures of some of my flowering peyote plants. Even though the subject line mentions “tilt-shift” the Composer technically only qualifies for the “tilt” part (a rotation of the lens plane relative to the image plane) and actually doesn’t “shift” (i.e. doesn’t allow for movement of the lens parallel to the image plane) but I’ll stick to the “tilt-shift” label as it is often used to specifically refer to the use of tilt for selective focus as illustrated in the photo above.

Flowering Lophophora jourdaniana - fisheye/tilt-shift

Adding the Lensbaby fisheye optic to the Composer allows for an even more distorted and warped view on reality.

Warped peyote flower - fisheye/tilt-shift

Non-cactus flora of Joshua Tree National Park

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Unknown blue flower

Unfortunately I’m not that well versed in the non-cactus flora of the Mojave and Colorado deserts so I’m afraid I don’t know the names of most of the plants featured in this post. If you have more details I would appreciate a comment.

Unknown blue flower in habitat

I was especially fascinated by this small plant growing in the lower Colorado portion of the Joshua Tree National Park. I visited too early in the spring to experience a full blooming desert but this guy was flashing its bright blue flower, standing out among all the earth tones amidst a wash crossing the trail from Cottonwood Spring to Lost Palm Oasis. I studied the plant and its surroundings for a while, intrigued by the habitat it had chosen to grow in - it would for certain be washed away by torrents of water during the next flash flood.

Unknown yellow flower

Another interesting plant displayed this beautiful yellow flower that looks like it might belong to the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family but I’m not certain.

Unknown yellow flower in habitat

The yellow flowered plant had found a much more secure habitat, growing safely among the boulders in the rock-enclosed Hidden Valley (rumored to have been used by cattle rustlers in the past).

Nolina parryii in habitat

One species I’m pretty sure of is Nolina parrayii (Parry's Nolina or Giant Nolina) that has long thin leaves (and is sometimes called beargrass). It seems to be especially abundant in the lower Colorado portion of the park but also grows in some of the higher Mojave parts like e.g. the aforementioned Hidden Valley.

Nolina parryii seeds

Its tall flower stalk is said to be edible after being baked, with a somewhat bitter taste. Alas, no fresh flower stalks were to be found at the end of February and I didn’t want to try the old dry ones out for taste ;-)

In order to be better prepared I plan to buy the following desert flora books before my next visit to Joshua Tree National Park: Sonoran Desert Wildflowersand Mojave Desert Wildflowers;-)

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) in Joshua Tree National Park

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:19:00 +0000

Flowering Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

Near the closing of February I spent a weekend in Joshua Tree National Park. It was my third visit to the park and this time I targeted in on teddy-bear cholla (and of course cacti in general), Yucca brevifolia (one could argue they are hard to miss in the park;-), and another of my favorites that is covered in this post: the ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) with its sprawling canes soaring for the sky.

Ocotillo flower, close-up

Fortunately my visit followed a period of heavy rains so the ocotillos were both draped in leaves and flowering. On the downside a strong gale was blowing making it extremely difficult to get a clear shot of the flowers (but as the pictures show I finally managed to snap a few;-)

Ocotillo in the Colorado Desert

The ocotillo, characteristic of the Colorado Desert, prefers to root in gravelly slopes of alluvial fans. Flash floods flush sand, gravel, and rock out of the canyons and onto the valley floor creating these fans.

Ocotillo displaying new growth

Fouquieria splendens is sometimes confused for a cacti, but is not. The thorny multi-stem shrub is in fact a woody deciduous plant. Unlike other deciduous shrubs, which normally grow leaves in the spring and drop them in the fall, the ocotillo may grow and drop leaves as often as five times during the year. Its leaves aren’t season dependent but rain dependent.

Fouquieria splendens leaves

Following a sufficient rain, the ocotillo puts forth a cluster of leaves above each torn, adorning the otherwise dead-looking canes with a flourish of green. At the same time red blossoms may appear at the tip of the canes. The leaves go about the business of photosynthesis until the next drought; then they turn red or brown and drop.

Sprawling ocotillo canes reaching for the sky

The above picture was taken standing on the ground looking up into the sprawling canes of an ocotillo. It gives an impression of the height of the plant as I stand 190 cm (6 feet 3 inches) tall and these plants tower above me.

You can find more information on Fouquieria splendens in the book Sonoran Desert Wildflowers: A Field Guide to the Common Wildflowers of the Sonoran Desert.

Balboa Park, San Diego - The Desert Garden

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:03:00 +0000

As mentioned in the previous post I recently visited southern California. During a day off I and a couple of colleagues decided to visit the San Diego Zoo - I have to confess that I also had a cunning plan to lure my not-so-cacti-interested colleagues into visiting the Desert Garden located in Balboa Park just next to the Zoo.

My plan succeeded and after enjoying the fabulous Zoo we spent some quality time among the cacti and succulents growing on the slopes of the Desert Garden. Unfortunately the visit was improvised and rather badly planned so I missed the Old Cactus Garden, the Botanical Building, and several other interesting gardens in Balboa Park, places that I in hindsight would have liked to visit. Then again, now I have a good excuse for going back to San Diego ;-)

According to their website “the Desert Garden contains more than 1,300 plants, including succulents and drought-resistant plants from around the world, within its 2.5 acres. The peak blooming period is January through March”. I guess my visit in very early January was a tad too early to experience the full-throttle flower fest as only a few of the plants were blooming (several of the cacti were budding, though - again a good reason for revisiting Balboa Park ;-)

Yet another reason for coming back is that several of the pathways in the Desert Garden were closed during my visit due to heavy rains just a few days prior.

Cacti in Crystal Cove State Park

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 16:27:00 +0000

During a recent visit to Orange County I had a weekend to kill. I neither had the energy nor the time to head for the open desert so instead I decided for a stroll at Laguna Beach.

Cylindropuntia prolifera (coastal cholla) overlooking the Pacific Ocean

I never made it to Laguna Beach though. Cruising south on the Pacific Coast Highway I noticed a sign advertising Crystal Cove State Park and decided to check it out.

Opuntia littoralis (coastal prickly-pear)

And I’m glad I did - the park turned out to comprise a secluded and pristine stretch of beach, almost completely deserted in spite of its location smack in the middle of the SoCal urban sprawl. And best of all cacti were abundant ;-)

I have to admit I was a bit surprised to see cactus growing that close to the sea - they even grow on the dramatic slopes of the coastal bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It just goes to show how diverse environments cacti are capable of coping with.

I’m not well versed in opuntioids but according to this Flora of Crystal Cove State Park the Cactaceae growing in the park are Opuntia littoralis (coastal prickly-pear) and Cylindropuntia prolifera (coastal cholla).

The beach at Crystal Cove State Park

Entering the park I was greeted by a friendly ranger who recommended a hike that takes you down the coastal bluffs and onto the beach - I followed her advice and spent a couple of hours walking the beautiful trails and enjoying the peaceful beach (and of course the cacti ;-)

It was quite magical walking the beach where the only sounds were the rumble of the breaking waves and the squeaking of seagulls, knowing that only a few hundred meters inland you would be engulfed in the ubiquitous noise of cars hissing by.

Tide pool at Crystal Cove State Park

I love the rock formations along California’s beaches, savor the fascinating sea cliffs that have been sculpted by winds and the relentless battering by waves through the ages.

Rock “hoof”

Unfortunately I didn’t bring my Nikon SLR for this trip and my phone is a less than ideal camera, but the pictures will have to suffice.

You can find more information on hiking Crystal Cove State Park in the book California's Coastal Parks: A Day Hiker's Guide.

Intermission

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:48:00 +0000

I’ve been a bit lax updating the blog lately as a new beautiful flower has entered my life - she is more wonderful than even the most stunning peyote so my priorities have shifted slightly ;-)

That being said, I’ll be back with new posts soon, so stay tuned. In the meantime enjoy the music ;-)

It seems like the movie couldn't be embedded - you can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/v/EHOBw6XwqRo?fs=1&hl=en_US

Peyote plants for sale

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:17:00 +0000

Peyote plant with flower and fruit

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Kevin who has lost the time for his collection of peyote plants and now would like to sell them on. Kevin lives in the UK and has around 40 peyote plants for sale, mostly between 4 and 6 cm wide and many flowering every year. I asked Kevin for photos of the plants and as you can see from the handful of pictures accompanying this post his plants look healthy and well tended to.

If you are interested in buying some of the plants you will need to contact Kevin directly to agree on a price and arrange for shipping.

As always when you are looking to buy peyote plants or seeds, please check your local laws before doing so. All parts of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) plants and the seeds thereof are classified as Schedule I substances in the United States. Also, peyote is illegal to posses in France, Russia, and possibly more countries (if you have information on other countries where peyote has been illegalized please let me know; preferably with references)

Update, October 4, 2010
Kevin just informed me that all plants are sold.

Peyote with seeds scattered in the tufts of trichomes

Mature peyote plant

List of cactus vendors

Pavlovsk Experimental Station, world's first seed bank, faces destruction – part two

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:06:00 +0000

As mentioned in the previous post the Pavlovsk Experimental Station (part of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry), one of the biggest and most important seed banks in the world, is at risk of being replaced by a private housing development. Fortunately international attention has started to focus on the looming disaster. Al Jazeera’s Neave Barker reports from Pavlovsk in the St Petersburg Region:

“[The Pavlovsk seed bank] is one of the biggest and oldest of its kind anywhere in the world. It has one of the largest collections of fruit – a thousand different types of strawberry from 40 different nations, 900 different types of blackcurrant and 300 different strains of cherry; and most of them are unique to Pavlovsk […] Scientists warn that if important genotypes are destroyed the world’s food security will be weakened. A case in point: Russian food supplies for example are already under serious strain following the worst drought in living memory.”

You can watch Neave Barker’s video reportage below.

It seems like the movie couldn’t be embedded - you can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7rVT7Bf2Ek&feature=player_embedded

The National Public Radio also reports on the importance of the Pavlovsk collection:

The collection is rare, scientists say, one in a handful of places around the world where scientists carefully study fruit that could sustain through future generations even if temperatures warm and the world’s food supply is threatened […] the research station has collected fruit and berry varieties from around the world, stayed in touch with scientists abroad and cataloged everything.

"Like [what is] winter-resistant, resistant to different kind of fungi, diseases or bacteria," Burmistrov says. "What is the quality? What is the taste? And so, so on."

Russian plum (Prunus rossica) growing at Pavlovsk (photo by Global Crop Diversity Trust via Flickr)

The Farming Futures blog also has a say on this topic:

Both seed banks and wild populations are crucial resources to maintain genetic variety and traits that could be crucial to maintaining robust and productive harvests. Examples from history support this: grassy stunt virus decimated the Indian rice crop in the 1970s, and genetic resistance was found in just one of 6200 species. Again in the 1970s, when corn blight destroyed 15% of the US maize crop, resistance was found in the last remaining wildtype in an endangered Mexican habitat.

The loss of biodiversity therefore represents not only a significant business risk to the agricultural industry but a genuine threat to future food security – how will we create new varieties for our changing climate if we have only a handful of types to work with? Whilst stopping the loss of biodiversity in the wild is the ideal option, seed banks represent an important resource or ‘back-up plan’. Pavlovsk contains specimens of over 5,000 varieties of seeds and berries from a multitude of countries, and more than 90% of them cannot be found in any other research collection.

On an even more sinister note RIA Novosti recently reported that scientists were denied access to the Pavlovsk Experimental Station by the housing construction development fund.

A few days ago the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry wrote on their website that the Pavlovsk Experimental Station had had an unscheduled inspection on 31st of August 2010 – the station was visited by representatives of the government as well as representatives of the development fund. After visiting two plots the commission was convinced that, indeed, the disputed plots harbor plants that must be considered valuable genetic resources and the auctioning off of the land was postponed (this is definitely a step in the right direction, but saving Pavlovsk is far from a done deal – so it’s still too early to celebrate).

There is a certain irony in the fact that this is happening in 2010, the year the United Nations declared to be the International Year of Biodiversity!

Help save the Pavlovsk Experiment Station: Sign the Global Crop Diversity Trust’s petition to tell President Medvedev to stop the closure of Pavlovsk.

Or tweet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on behalf of Pavlovsk Station:

@KremlinRussia_E Mr. President, protect the future of food - save #Pavlovsk Station! http://bit.ly/d2H96s

Pavlovsk Experimental Station, world's first seed bank, faces destruction

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:52:00 +0000

The Guardian recently wrote: “Twelve Russian scientists famously chose to starve to death rather than eat the unique collection of seeds and plants they were protecting for humanity during the 900-day siege of Leningrad in the second world war. But the world’s first global seed bank now faces destruction once more, to make way for a private housing estate.”

Sadly, a few days ago a court in Moscow ruled in favor of the Russian Federal Fund of Residential Real Estate Development, recognizing the legitimate transfer of the land housing the Pavlovsk Station for the construction of residential properties. That being said, President Medvedev has announced on Twitter that this issue needs to be “scrutinised” so the valuable field genebank is not lost yet. You can help save the Pavlovsk Station by signing the Global Crop Diversity Trust’s petition to the President of Russia to stop the destruction of the future of food or you can tweet Dmitry Medvedev on behalf of Pavlovsk Station:

@KremlinRussia_E Mr. President, protect the future of food - save #Pavlovsk Station! http://bit.ly/d2H96s

Redcurrant berries (Ribes rubrum)

The Pavlovsk Experimental Station was established in 1926 by Nikolai Vavilov, the botanist who conceived the idea of creating seed banks as repositories of plant diversity that could be used to breed new improved varieties of food crops.

You might ask why it is important to save the Pavlovsk genebank – the Guardian article puts it this way: “At stake, say Russian and British campaigners for the station, is not just scientific history but one of the world’s largest collection of strawberries, blackcurrants, apples and cherries. Pavlovsk contains more than 5,000 varieties of seeds and berries from dozens of countries, including more than 100 varieties each of gooseberries and raspberries.

More than 90% of the plants are found in no other research collection or seed bank. Its seeds and berries are thought to possess traits that could be crucial to maintaining productive fruit harvests in many parts of the world as climate change and a rising tide of disease, pests and drought weaken the varieties farmers now grow. As it is predominantly a field collection, Pavlovsk cannot be moved. Experts estimate that even if another site were available nearby, it would take many years to relocate the plants.”

In a weirdly twisted, almost tragicomical, logic the property developers have argued that the collection at the Pavlovsk Station is “priceless” and since no monetary value can be assigned to it the collection must consequently be worthless! The Russian Federal Fund of Residential Real Estate Development has applied a similar distorted “logic” by saying that the collection doesn’t really exist as it was never officially registered. Let’s hope that the ongoing campaigns can convince the Russian authorities that this important genebank needs to be preserved.

Half a strawberry

The strawberry and redcurrant photos are taken from Wikipedia and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license and the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 respectively.

Read more on the Pavlovsk situation in this post.

An expanded description of Lophophora alberto-vojtechii

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Šnicer, Bohata and Myšák recently expanded on their original description of the miniature peyote, Lophophora alberto-vojtechii, in the article The Littlest Lophophora – an article that also proposes a new key to the classification of Lophophora.

The hallmark of the new peyote species is its minuscule size, rarely exceeding 2.5 cm (~ 1'') in diameter. The Lilliputian stature is eminently illustrated by the following picture of Vojtěch Myšák (one of the persons for whom the plant is named) photographing a specimen in northern Zacatecas.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii being photographed by Vojtěch Myšák

The expanded description of Lophophora alberto-vojtechii reads:

The stem is grayish green with a touch of mauve and is for the most part concealed below ground. The aboveground part (the crown) is flat to slightly convex and 10–50 mm wide in adult plants (average 18 mm, well under an inch). The subterranean part of the stem is cylindrical, extending 25 mm down from the base of the crown (the depth in adult plants increasing with age). The stem is distinctively small and divided into five ribs, or eight in exceptional cases. Trichomes (fine epidermal outgrowths which might be called fuzz or hair) are visible only near the growing point and drop off early, leaving the areoles inconspicuous.

The root is thick and bulbous, up to 30 mm long, and typically 16 mm in diameter where it joins the subterranean stem. It is smooth and a dirty white to creamy yellow color.

The flower is 15–35 mm (average 23 mm) wide. The style is longer than anthers and overtops them, and the petals are long relative to their width, both traits in accord with other members of the Diffusae. Filaments are white, anthers a yellowish orange. The style is white and topped by a white to yellowish or pinkish stigma. Tepals are white to dirty pink, rarely creamy yellowish, and bear a lengthwise stripe in a brownish, salmon, or darker pink shade.

The fruit, dirty white, yellowish, or pinkish, is round to slightly claviform and dries out over time.

Seeds are black, round, 1.15–1.45 mm long × 1.0–1.45 mm wide with the hilum compressed into a broad V–shape. The perimeter of the hilum consists of a pronounced edge. The testa is nodulated, and individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated.

Type locality: northern San Luis Potosí, Mexico, 1700 meters above sea level. The type specimen was collected by GS Hinton on 1 August 2007 and is kept at the GB Hinton herbarium filed under number 28642.

We have named the plant Lophophora alberto-vojtechii in honor of two people: the late prominent Czech traveler and cactus-hunter Alberto Vojtěch Frič and the living lophophora enthusiast Vojtěch Myšák.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii flower visited by an unidentified diptera

Three insects (two kinds of bees, one large and one small, and an unidentified diptera) have been observed visiting flowers of Lophophora alberto-vojtechii. The plant being visited by a fly in the above picture is from the second known locality in San Luis Potosí and has exceptionally numerous tepals.

The mini-peyote grows in flat, alluvial sediments that transform into greasy mud flats during rain periods. L. alberto-vojtechii has a distinctively geophytic lifestyle, in dry periods it withers and withdraws into small cavities below ground where it is covered with dust and dry leaves by the wind, effectively protecting the plant from the harsh environment. When rains arrive, the plants absorb water and swell, pushing the photosynthetic crown back up above ground level.

Zacatecan Lophophora alberto-vojtechii plant hidden by its flower

In Zacatecas L. alberto-vojtechii flowers can on rare occasions reach over 3 cm in diameter, totally obscuring the plant below - specimens of L. alberto-vojtechii from the plains of northern Zacatecas are lighter flowered than those at the type locality.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii growing in mud flat

All pictures are taken from the article The Littlest Lophophora.

Key to the genus Lophophora sensu Šnicer et al.

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:07:00 +0000

In the article The Littlest Lophophora Šnicer, Bohata and Myšák detail the discovery of the new species Lophophora alberto-vojtechii and expand on the description originally given in the June 2008 issue of Cactus & Co.

The article also gives a key to the species of Lophophora which are divided into two sections Lophophora and Diffusae. These sections were originally introduced by the same authors in the booklet Genus Lophophora Coulter - Kaktusy special 2, 2005 and the division was based primarily on chemical composition but also on other factors like habitat, incompatibility of the species, rib numbers and morphology. Members of the Lophophora section are characterized by having concentrations of the psychotropic (mind-altering) alkaloid mescaline ranging from 15–30% of the total alkaloid content, while members of the Diffusae section contain a maximum of 1.3% mescaline. Šnicer et al. recognize five species of Lophophora.

SECTION LOPHOPHORA
L. williamsii (Salm-Dyck) Coulter

SECTION DIFFUSAE
L. diffusa (Croizat) Bravo
L. fricii Habermann
L. koehresii (J. Ríha) Bohata, Myšák & Šnicer
L. alberto-vojtechii J. Bohata, V. Myšák & J. Šnicer

The following key to the species of Lophophora assumes that L. alberto-vojtechii is allied with the non-mescaline-prevalent species, i.e. it is placed in the Diffusae section.

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

Seed morphology is an important factor in the above key. In their original publication on Lophophora alberto-vojtechii Šnicer et al. included SEM images illustrating the differences between the seeds of the various Lophophora species, these images along with their description are included below (Šnicer et al. attribute the SEM images to Gerhard Köhres; the images below are not scanned from the article but based on the ones included in the online French version of the article - just to make sure that credit is given where credit is due ;-)

Lophophora koehresii seed SEM images


L. koehresii has a seed testa structure that is completely different from the other lophophoras. The hilum is wide open, and is almost circular. The testa is not nodulated (the outer cell walls do not protrude above the surface of the seed), but is reticulated [characterized by or having the form of a grid or network], and the cell walls are flat to even. The individual cells of the testa almost merge together. The seed in the pictures is from San Francisco in San Luís Potosí.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seed SEM images


L. alberto-vojtechii has round black seeds, 1.15 to 1.45 mm long and 1.0 to 1.45 mm wide. The hilum is compressed into a broad V shape. The perimeter of the hilum consists of a pronounced edge. The testa is nodulated with the outer cell walls protruding. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The seed in the pictures is from the type location in San Luís Potosí.

Lophophora fricii seed SEM images


L. fricii has oval seeds, 1.5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide with the hilum compressed into a V shape. The testa is black, relatively coarsely nodulated, with an oval tubercle structure; the tubercles get smaller near the hilum. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The seed in the pictures is from El Amparo in Coahuila.

Lophophora diffusa seed SEM images


L. diffusa has seeds which vary greatly in terms of shape and size. The hilum is compressed into a broad V shape. The testa is coarsely nodulated with the outer cell walls protruding. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The seed in the pictures is from Niñas Las Palmas in Querétaro.

Lophophora williamsii seed SEM images


L. williamsii has seeds that are 1-1.5 mm long and black. The hilum is compressed into a broad V shape. The testa is nodulated with the outer cell walls protruding. The individual cells of the testa are clearly demarcated. The seed in the pictures is from Mazapil in Zacatecas.

Trans-Pecos peyote with fruit – it’s an echinata!

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:57:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again. Most of my peyote plants have flowered freely all through summer and now the eagerly awaited results, the fruits, are appearing (many of my plants are still flowering so I’m hoping for a good seed harvest this year ;-)

Fortunately the majority of my coldhouse grown Trans-Pecos peyote plants (Lophophora williamsii var. echinata) survived this winter’s harsh frost (contrary to my “regular” Lophophora williamsii growing in the same unheated greenhouse – most of these plants succumbed to the frost).

Trans-Pecos peyote with fruit

The first fruit appeared on one of the surviving Trans-Pecos peyote plants only a few days ago. I’m looking forward to growing these seeds as the parent has a proven record of frost hardiness and I expect this trait to be inherited by its offspring (I’m using the singular “parent” as I assume this fruit to be the result of selfing; it only contained two seeds). Hopefully many of the cold grown Lophophora williamsii var. echinata plants will set fruit during the next couple of months ;-)

Trans-Pecos peyote with fruit, top view

I’ve been made aware that my use of the echinata epithet is not entirely clear. To clarify, I’m using it in the sense of Del Weniger – others, e.g. Backeberg, are incorrectly (IMHO) using echinata to describe what seems to be diffusa.

In his book Cacti of the Southwest Del Weniger describes L. williamsii var. echinata as being a larger, tougher form of the species, having heavier and larger stems and not clustering to any marked degree (possibly with a higher mescaline content also). Furthermore the echinata variety is described as being much more tolerant to extreme temperatures, both hot and cold (Weniger writes: “This form is found growing on dry, exposed hillsides of the Big Bend where the lower Rio Grande Valley form would be burned to a crisp. It can also survive the much more severe cold of the Big Bend. I have several times had the smaller form from south Texas freeze in San Antonio, while this form growing in the same bed showed no ill effects”). The range of the echinata variety is given as “Northern Mexico, extending from Chihuahua and Coahuila into the Texas Big Bend in lower Brewster County”.

Trans-Pecos peyote fruit, close-up

I have to admit that I find it rather difficult to clearly distinguish the echinata and regular williamsii forms based on morphology alone, especially young cultivated plants. So I rely heavily on locality information when buying seeds and to play it safe I prefer material originating from the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, the northernmost extreme of the Lophophora genus’ range.

But as my horrible experience this winter showed the echinata variety (in this case Lophophora williamsii var. echinata JJH 8608293; Pecos River area, Val Verde County, Texas) definitely seems to be more frost hardy than the regular williamsii variety.

Echinocactus horizonthalonius seedling pictures

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:24:00 +0000

Late May I started 20 Echinocactus horizonthalonius seeds (SB 409; Shafter, Texas) and for several weeks nothing happened. But lately it has been extremely hot in Denmark and these weather conditions seem conducive to the germination of E. horizonthalonius.

Echinocactus horizonthalonius seedling, close-up

Two days ago 5 Echinocactus horizonthalonius seedlings had germinated – 25% is not an impressive germination rate, I know, but still I'm quite satisfied as these seeds seem notoriously difficult to germinate (in my meager experience with Echinocactus anyway ;-)

Echinocactus horizonthalonius seedling

I look forward to growing these plants and hope they with time will grow to look like the beautiful Echinocactus horizonthalonius specimen pictured below ;-)

Echinocactus horizonthalonius, San Luis Potosí

The above habitat photo is by Kauderwelsch and is licensed under the “Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike” license. The original picture can be found at the Wikimedia Commons.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii grafted on Selenicereus grandiflorus stock

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:51:00 +0000

Shortly after posting on my lone Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling I was contacted by Jacopo who is also growing L. alberto-vojtechii. Jacopo started his seeds in three different batches and had germination rates ranging from 10% (like mine) to 45%; several plants were lost to fungal infections and algae, including a variegated L. alberto-vojtechii seedling, so Jacopo decided to graft some of the plants on Selenicereus grandiflorus stock for safekeeping. Below you can find a few pictures of his plants – all photos in this post are courtesy of Jacopo Simonetto, Valencia, Spain.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii grafted on Selenicereus grandiflorus

Jacopo has five L. alberto-vojtechii plants in total – 3 grafted on Selenicereus grandiflorus stock plants and 2 on their own roots. He hopes that his two largest plants reach flowering size this summer (they are already 1 and 1.5 cm in diameter) so he can test the germination rate of verifiable fresh seeds ;-)

Two Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedlings grafted on Selenicereus grandiflorus stock plants

As an aside, I really like the carnivorous plants in the pictures – especially the Dionaea muscipula (Venus Flytrap) in the first photo that seems just about ready to gulp down the defenseless Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling ;-) Also, the Drosera (Sundew) in the second image reminded me that I need to get a few of these plants to help me control the fungus gnats that are having a feast in some of my (non-cactus) plants.

Grafted Lophophora alberto-vojtechii, top view

Jacopo’s plants were started from seed 4-5 months ago and the grafts are 3 months old at the time of writing. I hope to be able to follow the plants as they (with a bit of luck ;-) flower and set fruits in the near future.

For comparison a picture is included below showing one of the seedlings still growing on its own roots – it’s relatively small but Jacopo told me that he grafted the biggest seedlings.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling pictures

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 17:54:00 +0000

This spring I started my “virgin batch” of Lophophora alberto-vojtechii (San Luis Potosí) seeds. L. alberto-vojtechii is a recently recognized species that is not yet commonly cultivated, consequently the seeds are sold at rather steep prices – I bought my 10 seeds for 16 euro (~20 USD) from Köhres-Kakteen.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling

Unfortunately the germination rate of the L. alberto-vojtechii seeds was rather bad - only one seed in ten germinated. The seeds were sown at the same time and have been growing under exactly the same conditions as the peyote seedlings described in the previous post (which had a good germination rate by the way). So either the quality of the Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seeds were not optimal or they have different germination requirements than L. williamsii (I have to say that in general my experience with Köhres’s seed is good)

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling, top view

The seedling looks exactly like a regular peyote seedling except that it is lacking the tiny, plumose spines, but given the fact that I only have one seedling it’s too early to say if this is a general trait or not.

As mentioned above the species was only recently described and there are some doubts if it’s a good species or not - it’s going to be interesting to see more plants appear in cultivation. That being said, several authorities are vouching for Lophophora alberto-vojtechii as the fifth species of Lophophora: George Hinton collected the type specimen (and keeps it in the G. B. Hinton herbarium filed under number 28642) and in a recent presentation on Lophophora population genetics Martin Terry also treats L. alberto-vojtechii separately from the other species.

Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seedling with spent seed

In the above picture the spent seed can be seen at the foot of the seedling (which is also at the very limit of my macro lens’s capacity ;-)

The plant was started from seed April 5, 2010 and the pictures were taken June 14, 2010 – exactly 10 weeks later (approximately two months after the lone seed had germinated).

Expecting more seedlings to have germinated, I had planned to graft some of them but now I’m having second thoughts, not wanting to risk my sole L. alberto-vojtechii seedling.

Peyote seedlings – Big Bend, Texas and Camargo, Chihuahua varieties

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 19:21:00 +0000

Late last year I ordered my first seed ever from Köhres-Kakteen (coinciding with ordering my first ever Lophophora alberto-vojtechii seeds ;-)

Dichotomous peyote seedling (var. Big Bend, Texas)

After this winter’s freezing disaster I’m glad I decided to order seeds of the northernmost form of peyote as this “strain” (a.k.a. Lophophora williamsii var. echinata) is known to be more frost tolerant than other varieties of peyote. For growing in my coldhouse I ordered Lophophora williamsii v Big Bend, Texas and Lophophora williamsii v Camargo, Chihuahua seeds from Köhres’s list – I’m not entirely sure if the Camargo variety classifies as echinata but it originates from the western extremity of peyote’s range, pretty far to the north, so I expect it to be able to “rough it out” in my unheated greenhouse.

Dichotomous peyote seedling (var. Big Bend, Texas), close-up

One of the “Big Bend” peyote seedlings turned out as dichotomous (branching, two-headed). The first time I experienced a dichotomous seedling I was really excited and expected it to continue branching and develop into a crest. Today I know that in a few years I will probably not be able to distinguish it from the other seedlings in the (by then) crowded seedling pot ;-)

Peyote seedling (var. Camargo, Chihuahua) with spent seed husk

The small, feathery spines are typical for Lophophora williamsii seedlings – according to Boke and Anderson seedling tubercles bear three to six plumose spines, numbers that correspond well with what I observe in my seedlings (the odd areole having seven spines). With age these spines are gone, replaced by tufts of trichomes.

The plants pictured above were started from seed April 5, 2010 and the pictures were taken June 14, 2010 – exactly 10 weeks later (approximately two months after most of the seed had germinated).

Sharkwater - Stop Shark Finning

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:04:00 +0000

What is Shark Finning?

Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish.

Shark specialists estimate that 100 million sharks are killed for their fins, annually.

The above quotes are taken from the website of Sharkwater, a documentary that was aired yesterday on Danish television. I sat down watching it not really knowing what to expect, but were soon shocked and outraged by what I saw.

Sharkwater is a documentary by the Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart who is driven by a lifelong fascination with sharks. Stewart uses the first part of the documentary to debunk the reputation of sharks as bloodthirsty, man-eating monsters and documents how few fatal incidents sharks are actually involved in (or as Wikipedia puts it: "when the facts are examined it can be seen that a shark attack is one of the rarest ways for humans to die. On average, there are a minuscule 5 fatal shark attacks per year worldwide"). Stewart also argues how sharks as apex predators have had a vital influence on the evolution of the seas; sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, before the times of the dinosaurs. Then the documentary segue into a sinister account of how a horrendous number of sharks are killed each year, bringing many species to the brink of extinction. Only a minor part of the shark, the fins, is actually used, reminding me of the cruel mindless waste of the wholesale slaughter of the North American bison (nothing to do with Lophophora, I know, but I felt it important to help spreading the word about this disaster).

A whale shark fin on display outside of a shark fin restaurant, with shark fin soup preparation in the background. Bangkok, Thailand. Photo by Rob Stewart

It seems like the movie (A whale shark had its fins cut off while still alive, then left to die) couldn't be embedded - you can watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2P90_bJ3wc
A whale shark had its fins cut off while still alive, then left to die

Shark fin is a popular delicacy in Asia - especially China, where it is typically served in shark fin soup at weddings, business dinners, etc. Shark fins are big business, allegedly a bowl of shark fin soup can fetch up to $120! Consequently sharks are killed in the millions (as mentioned above some experts estimate 100 million sharks are killed each year), diminishing the populations alarmingly fast - some to the point of extinction. On top of that the sharks are killed in an extremely cruel way, the fins are usually sliced off as the shark is still alive and the finless body is dumped back into the ocean left to a slow death.

Concerned voices are also raised regarding how the ecosystems of the ocean will be affected by removing massive numbers of top-level predators. The IUCN Shark Specialist Group Finning Statement says: "shark finning [...] threatens many shark stocks, the stability of marine ecosystems, sustainable traditional fisheries, food security and socioeconomically important recreational fisheries" and concludes that "a ban on shark finning is justified throughout the world’s oceans and high seas".

Not to mention the tremendous waste: the IUCN Information Paper on Shark Finning states that "The most widely used fin:carcass ratio was developed by the US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in the early 1990s. NMFS adopted a ratio of 5% fin weight to 95% dressed (gutted and beheaded) carcass weight based on samples of sharks dressed at sea under commercial fishing conditions in the Northwest Atlantic, and using the ratio appropriate for species with the largest fins", meaning that less than 5% of the killed animal is actually used.

Dusky shark attacking school of sardines in South Africa. Photo by Peter Lamberti

The screening of Sharkwater was followed by an analysis by a shark biologist from my old university. Asked if Sharkwater should be considered a sober or exaggerated "eco documentary" she replied that the situation as described by Rob Stewart is very much for real - millions of sharks are killed each year for their fins and many species will become extinct if action is not taken now!

It's sad to see how these magnificent creatures have gone from predator to prey, and how despite surviving the earth's history of mass extinctions, they could easily be wiped out within a few years due to human greed.

The stupidity and shortsightedness of mankind can be dumbfounding.

References
Sharkwater - The Truth Will Surface
IUCN Information Paper on Shark Finning
IUCN Shark Specialist Group Finning Statement
SavingSharks.com
The photos are taken from the Sharkwater Press Kit

Scalloped hammerhead shark, Cocos Island, Costa Rica. Photo by Rob Stewart

Flowering Normanbokea valdeziana (Turbinicarpus valdezianus)

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:42:00 +0000

My coldhouse grown Normanbokea valdeziana plants (SB 1468; Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, Mexico) have flowered before but I’ve never had the chance to actually experience the bloom until a few weeks ago.

Flowering Normanbokea valdeziana

The petals are a pinkish white with a darker magenta midstripe, giving me strange associations to candy canes ;-) The filament and stigma are pure white while the anthers are a bright yellow. The flower is huge compared to the body of the plant, completely hiding it when seen from above.

Normanbokea valdeziana flower hiding plant

Normanbokea valdeziana is slow growing and its tiny feathery spines almost completely obscure the body of the plant – it is said to sometimes form clusters but all of my plants are solitary.

Normanbokea valdeziana flower

This species is capable of surviving hard, extended frost – all of my plants even made it through last winter’s extremely cold conditions without any damage.

Sukkulentarium Muthandi recently featured five flowering Normanbokea valdeziana plants, all displaying fairly different flowers.

Cactus bug

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:03:00 +0000

Yesterday I found a metallic blue beetle crawling on one of my Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina plants.

Metallic blue beetle maneuvering an Opuntia

I’m by no means a coleopterist and don’t know if this beetle is a potential “cactus eater” but I liked its metallic blue exoskeleton and the agility with which it was maneuvering the spines so I let it be.

Cactus bug – beetle crawling on an Opuntia

The Opuntia polyacantha var. hystricina plants the beetle was crawling on are grown from seeds collected at the Tonto Platform, Grand Canyon. I had planned to grow the plants in an outside bed but unfortunately they are not winter hardy in Denmark so now they stay in my unheated greenhouse and are developing into a rather uncontrollable, sprawling, space consuming mass – so it wouldn’t harm much if the beetle actually decided to take a bite or two ;-)

Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:10:00 +0000

The History Channel has released its feature-length documentary Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey on DVD. The documentary is written by Peter von Puttkamer and botanist Wade Davis and follows Davis as he reconstructs the travels and discoveries of his renowned mentor and fellow botanist Richard Evans Schultes, the father of modern ethnobotany. Or as von Puttkamer puts it:

Plant Explorer Richard Evans Schultes was a real life Indiana Jones whose discoveries of hallucinogenic plants laid the foundation for the psychedelic sixties. Now in this two hour History Channel TV Special, his former student Wade Davis, follows in his footsteps to experience the discoveries that Schultes brought to the western world. Shot around the planet, from Canada to the Amazon, we experience rarely seen native hallucinogenic ceremonies and find out the true events leading up to the Psychedelic Sixties. Featuring author/adventurer Wade Davis (“Serpent and the Rainbow”), Dr. Andrew Weil, the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and many others, this program tells the story of the discovery of peyote, magic mushrooms and beyond: one man’s little known quest to classify the Plants of the Gods. Richard Evans Schultes revolutionized science and spawned another revolution he never imagined.

I haven’t watched the documentary yet but can’t quite see how LSD relates directly to Richard Evans Schultes. Of course he worked with Albert Hofmann, the discoverer of LSD, on several occasions but to the best of my knowledge all of Schultes’ work were based on botany and dealt with botanical compounds (some of which have properties similar to LSD, granted). I hope this angle is not “forced” upon the documentary in an attempt to draw in more viewers (I’m imagining arguments like “botany? arrrr that’s too boring - let’s throw in some LSD” ;-) ... but I guess I better watch the documentary before jumping to conclusions ;-) I’m also wondering about the wording: “the discovery of peyote” - peyote (Lophophora williamsii) use is documented back to prehistoric times so it doesn’t really make sense to award the honor of “discovering” peyote to anyone.

Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey is available from Amazon.

Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey

References
The History Channel.
IMDb on Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey.
The images used in this post are taken from here and here.

The power of grafting – 6th anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:29:00 +0000

A week ago my grafted Lophophora williamsii (SB 854; Starr Co, Texas) celebrated its 6th anniversary sitting on top a sturdy Trichocereus pachanoi stock. The plant was grafted as a tiny seedling and in 6 years the main head has grown to a width of approximately 8 cm (~3.2'') – the 3 largest offshoots are 6 cm (~2.4'') wide each. The main head seems to have stabilized at 8 ribs while the largest pups are in transition from 5 to 8 ribs.

Lophophora williamsii graft, top view

The last couple of weeks the plant has “popped out” fruits resulting from last years late flowers. This season’s first flower appeared a couple of days ago and was promptly (self-)pollinated – according to previous experience this should result in another fruit in 7-8 weeks time.

Grafted Lophophora williamsii, first flower of the season

Lophophora williamsii flower and fruit

I’ve already harvested more than 120 seeds from this plant alone this season. As this variety of Lophophora williamsii is not particularly frost hardy I’m not sure if I’ll start all these seeds as the seedlings will have to go to my coldhouse – maybe I should set up a “swap shop” instead ;-)

Lophophora williamsii fruits

I’m wondering for how long the Trichocereus pachanoi stock will be able to support the rather large Lophophora williamsii scion. This is my oldest graft so I have no experience to rely on regarding the actual longevity of Trichocereus stock plants; I guess time will tell.

Lophophora williamsii grafted on Trichocereus pachanoi stock

For comparison you can check the posts on the same graft as one, two, three, four, and five years old.

Flowering Lophophora koehresii, spring 2010

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:06:00 +0000

Flowering Lophophora koehresii

My grafted Lophophora koehresii (RS 1182; El Sabino, San Luis Potosí) just flowered for the first time this growing season.

The light pink flower with unusually thin petals having a darker midstripe is true to the species. What appears to be a “double-flowered” variety with extra petals in the picture above is in reality just three flowers unfolding at the same time.

Lophophora koehresii flowers, top view

The Lophophora koehresii scion was badly disfigured by spider mites but managed to outgrow some of the scarring after I started showering my plants regularly and treating them with neem oil – a treatment I intend to continue this year as it seems to be an effective means of controlling the spider mites (and with a bit of luck the plant will outgrow its defacing completely in a couple of years).

Lophophora koehresii disfigured by spider mites

The Trichocereus pachanoi stock plant hosts two different Lophophora koehresii clones (RS 1182; El Sabino, San Luis Potosí), both started from seed March 3, 2007. The first scion was grafted June 7, 2007 and when the Trichocereus pachanoi stock plant grew an offset I grafted another seedling on it May 5, 2008 (the second scion is visible in the foreground of the above picture). I intend to get seeds off this self-sterile species and just need to wait for the second Lophophora koehresii clone to flower before this “all inclusive” graft starts to produce seed ;-)

The killing frost – life goes on

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:47:00 +0000

As mentioned in two previous posts (available here and here) this winter was extremely cold and killed off large parts of the collection I grow in an unheated greenhouse. Now spring is comming and the surviving plants are getting ready to move on.

Lophophora williamsii var. echinata with fruit

Most of my Trans-Pecos peyote plants (Pecos River area, Val Verde County, Texas; JJH 8608293) made it through the winter and is now setting fruit as if to herald the beginning of the comming growing season. If you look closely you’ll even notice a few flower buds.

Trans-Pecos peyote with budding flower

The Trans-Pecos peyote is also known as Lophophora williamsii var. echinata and is more cold-hardy than other varieties of L. williamsii

My Epithelantha micromeris plants (near Belen, New Mexico; SB1327) are also busy securing the next generation.

Epithelantha micromeris with fruit, top view

I’m getting increasingly infatuated with Epithelantha - you can’t but love the complex spination and the almost shocking pink fruits ;-) As Epithelantha has also proven to be an extremely cold hardy genus I’ll probably add more of these plants to my collection in the future.

Epithelantha micromeris with fruit

I am growing these plants at my summerhouse and not seeing them as often as I could wish. Unfortunately this also means that I miss a lot of the flowers including those of the Normanbokea valdeziana and Acharagma roseana pictured below.

Normanbokea valdeziana about to flower

Acharagma roseana about to flower

Fortunately fruits are more persistent than flowers giving me the opportunity to enjoy sights like the orange-red berries of Escobaria missouriensis (Mesa County, Colorado; SB204)

Escobaria missouriensis with fruit

My Maihuenia patagonica are thriving after the winter but not exactly flowering or setting fruit. I don’t have much experience growing Maihuenia - I originally fell for Maihuenia poeppigii but being a completist I ordered M. patagonica seeds as well. All the M. poeppigii plants succumbed to the frost this winter while the M. patagonica plants only suffered a few casualties. I'm not sure I’m treating the plants right, though, as they are growing strangely lanky, far from the dense, clustering habit I have seen in pictures (and the plants are getting plenty of light).

Maihuenia patagonica

And now for something completely different.

My summerhouse is located on the west coast of Denmark overlooking the North Sea. This weekend the Sun set in a sky looking much more orange than usual, and slightly diffused as by a thin haze.

The Sun setting in a haze of ashes from the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions

I take this to be caused by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruptions that have been sending a vast, invisible plume of grit drifting over Europe and kept most of European airspace shut down for several days. Of course one could imagine that a sunset like this was caused by a thin layer of clouds, but I have enjoyed hundreds of sunsets from my terrace and never seen anything like this before.

Sunset with a diffuse halo of refracted light – probably caused by Eyjafjallajökull ashes

On a different note, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruptions almost got me stuck in Amsterdam (not the worst place to be stuck in, by any means ;-) I and a colleague were supposed to have flown home in the late evening of April 15, 2010 – but as we watched more and more flights getting canceled and increasing parts of the north-western European airspace being closed down we agreed to rent a car. So in the early afternoon we set out on a long drive home – which in hindsight was an extremely wise decision as Danish airspace is only opening again today ;-)

The killing frost – casualties and survivors

noreply@blogger.com (lophophora) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:45:00 +0000

First a bit of background information so that you guys won’t believe that I am completely stupid growing Lophophora and the likes in an unheated greenhouse in Denmark: 1) Most of these plants are “surplus”, i.e. I don’t have room for them anywhere else – lately several plants have been bought specifically for the cold house, though. 2) The greenhouse is located at my summerhouse, left mostly desolate throughout winter, making it difficult to keep it reliably heated. 3) Many cactus species tolerate more frost than is generally assumed; I’m curious which. 4) The winters in Denmark have been rather mild lately, inviting experiments like this.

With this in place I’m ready to recount how the harsh winter, that has just released its cold grip of Denmark, helped me separate the wheat from the chaff (a blatant euphemism for “killing off alarmingly large parts of my collection”). Just to give an understanding of the severity of the winter, the plants saw almost constant frost for more than 10 weeks, with temperatures measured as low as -15 C (5 F) in the area where the plants grow.

Lophophora williamsii var. echinata coming out of winter

Let’s start with one of the success stories. My Trans-Pecos peyote plants are doing quite well, approximately one in eight died and the surviving plants are not too marked by the frost. The plants I'm growing are descending from material originally collected in the Pecos River area, Val Verde County, Texas (JJH 8608293). The Trans-Pecos peyote is the northernmost form of Lophophora williamsii and is also known as Lophophora williamsii var. echinata.

Trans-Pecos peyote surviving the frost

My regular (Mexican and south Texan) Lophophora williamsii plants fared much worse, less than one in ten of the larger plants survived the winter.

One of the few surviving Lophophora williamsii var. williamsii

This corresponds well with Del Weniger’s observations:

[Lophophora williamsii var. echinata] can also survive the much more severe cold of the Big Bend. I have several times had the smaller form from south Texas [L. williamsii var. williamsii] freeze in San Antonio, while this form [L. williamsii var. echinata] growing in the same bed showed no ill effects.

In the future I'll focus more on the extreme northern forms of peyote, i.e. plants grown from material originating from Shafter, Val Verde, Big Bend and other Trans-Pecos, Texas locations. The Cactus Conservation Institute has an informative page on the differences in traits between Lophophora williamsii var. echinata and var. williamsii.

Frost killed Lophophora williamsii, Starr County, Texas

As mentioned the majority of my large “regular” Lophophora williamsii were killed by the frost. But many medium sized seedling plants actually survived while the larger plants (of the same variety) and yearling seedlings succumbed. As this pattern seems to be rather consistent for plants of the same variety, I guess I can’t write all “regular” Lophophora williamsii casualties off to genetics. My theory is that this “size-conditioned” difference in survival must be related to how well the plants were prepared for the winter, which again may be closely related to the surface-area-to-volume ratio of the plant.

The surface-area-to-volume ratio (SA:V) decreases with size, i.e. a large plant will have less surface per unit of volume than a smaller plant. If we use a half sphere as a model for a globular cactus we get a SA:V of 3/r, where r is the radius. Consequently a large plant will need relatively longer time (per unit of volume) to go flaccid and prepare properly for the winter (as all excess water needs to be evaporated through the surface (the epidermis)). Similarly seedlings are more prone to die of drought as an increased SA:V means increased exposure to the environment in general.

To play it safe the coming growing seasons I'll stop watering my large plants well before I let seedlings go drought dormant in preparation for the winter, and in general start winter preparations earlier than I have used to in the past.

I might consider crossing the surviving mature (non Trans-Pecos) plants and name the cultivar Lophophora williamsii 'Borealis' ;-)

Frost killed Leuchtenbergia principis – outside the rain is weeping

My largest Leuchtenbergia principis is dead (pictured above next to a surviving saguaro) while 3 out of 4 of my smaller Leuchtenbergia principis plants (GL 770; Sierra de la Paila) are looking happy.

Ariocarpus has turned out to be an unconditional coldhouse success. I expected my Ariocarpus fissuratus plants to make it safely through the winter as they originate from locations like Fort Stockton, Texas (JM 122) and Crockett County, Texas (SB 403), but I had doubts about my Ariocarpus kotschoubeyanus var. macdowellii plants (SB 100; El Pilar, Coahuila), and had accepted that I would probably loose my Ariocarpus retusus (SB 310; Cuesta la Muralla, Coahuila). Amazingly they all survived the winter in great style almost looking lush and vigorous, like a winter swimmer surfacing with renewed energy after a cold plunge.

Surviving Ariocarpus, Epithelantha, and Leuchtenbergia plants

Epithelantha is another seriously cold tolerant genus. My Epithelantha micromeris var. greggii plants (Cuesta la Muralla, Coahuila, Mexico) all made it; one is seriously damaged, though – it looks like the root is dead while the crown looks fine, so I hope to be able to re-root it. The Epithelantha bokei plants (SB 416; Brewster Co, Texas) also look fine, but due to the extremely dense spination it is hard to say for sure if they are completely undamaged. Strangely the cold has taken the hardest toll on my regular Epithelantha micromeris (SB1327; near Belen, New Mexico) – this variety of E. micromeris is from the northernmost known locality of the species so I had expected the plants to cope better with the frost.

Surviving Obregonia denegrii plants

Last summer I moved a handful of Obregonia denegrii seedlings (VVZ 163; San Vicente, Tamaulipas) to the coldhouse. I really didn’t expect these plants to be cold hardy, but didn’t have room for them anywhere else. Surprisingly approximately two thirds of the plants survived as illustrated in the above picture (the surrounding pots are not empty, each contain a rather large L. williamsii killed by the cold).

Other success stories are Normanbokea valdeziana, Homalocephala texensis, and Mammillaria meiacantha which all made it through the winter without casualties – the Normanbokea plants are even budding. Acharagma roseana is another species that’s shaking off the winter blues and getting ready to bloom – in general Acharagma seems to handle the cold pretty well, even most of my yearling Acharagma aguirreana seedlings survived. Most Escobaria and Echinocereus obviously had minimal problems with the frost.

Frost killed Lophophora williamsii turning to mush

As mentioned above the majority of my larger, regular Lophophora williamsii plants were killed by the frost, but the more tender Lophophora species like Lophophora diffusa and L. fricii are completely eradicated – I’ll probably not experiment further with these species in the coldhouse, the exception maybe being montane varieties of Lophophora fricii.

Dead Lophophora diffusa

Other species that are completely wiped out include Matucana madisoniorum, an unknown Echinopsis hybrid, Ferocactus glucescens (PP 1354), Lithops lesliei (not exactly a cactus, I know ;-), and Harrisia jusbertii. Surprisingly all my Mammillaria grahamii also died – I had expected this species to be more cold hardy.

Most of my saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) also succumbed to the frost – 4 plants look like they might survive, most of them badly damaged, but it is too early to say.

I need to start building a new collection of grafting stock – all Trichocereus plants that I grew in the coldhouse are dead, including Trichocereus pachanoi, T. peruvianus, Trichocereus 'Tom Juul’s Giant', and a Penis Cactus… they are all gone. Even plants that were well prepared for the winter died, so Trichocereus is definitely not as tolerant to frost as I had expected.

Decomposing Trichocereus plants

To put the death toll into perspective this is the coldest winter in 14 years in Denmark (followed by March, a month with the most extreme temperature fluctuations in 14 years, which were not very becoming to my struggling plants either). The frost set in just before Christmas and only lifted again in the beginning of March. The lowest temperatures measured in the area were as low as -15 C (5 F).

Outdoor temperature in late January

Once in a while short bursts of thaw set in quickly followed by frost (as indicated by the above graph), making the conditions even harder for the plants.

Outdoor temperature in mid February

The temperature measurements come from a semi-professional weather station located approximately 1.5 km (~ one mile) from where I grow my plants, so these temperatures are representative for those that my plants where exposed to.

To end on a positive note I expect the frost to have killed off many pests also (including red spider mites). Also, I got an affirmative confirmation that it is actually possible for peyote to survive rather extreme conditions in an unheated greenhouse in Denmark... and I got plenty of room for new plants ;-)