Xerophyte

Seeds

Black, round, 1.15-1.45 mm long and 1.0-1.45 mm wide.

Description

Lophophora alberto-vojtechiiSN|1766]]SN|1766]] is a fascinating very cryptic, geophytic plant with a swollen subterranean root, characterized by its distinctively small size. It is by far the littlest lophophora, adult plants typically reaching just about 2 cm in diameter.

Roots

Turnip-shaped, succulent, smooth, off-white to creamy yellow, solitary (or few branched) approximatively 30 mm long and 16 mm in diameter where it merges the subterranean stem.Stem Greyish green often blushed of mauve, for the most part buried in the soil, apex barely emerging from the ground flat to somewhat convex, 10 to 50 mm in diameter (but usually less than 18 mm wide); the underground portion of the stem is cylindrical 25 or more mm long.

Flowers

Several in the centre of the stem 15-35 mm wide, often larger than the diameter of the plant, tepals and style long, filaments white with yellowish orange anthers; style white; stigma yellowish (occasionally white to yellowish or pinkish). The tepals are unusually rounded at the ends, white to light pink with a distinctive darker stripe (brownish, salmon or darker violet pink) on the adaxial surface, but also visible in the outer side.

Blooming Season

It produces several buds at the same time but they do not all open at once. Many plants start flowering when they are only 10 mm in diameter.

Ribs

Typically 5 often indistinct (occasionally up to 8)

Fruits

Dry at maturity, round to more or less claviform, whitish, yellowish or pinkish.

Areoles

Not easily seen, with few wool only in new growth near apex, but wool drops off easily, so plants may appear bare.