Lophophora

A miniature cactus with a crown often little more than a centimetre wide. In the dry season, it withdraws into a depression in the substrate, and after rain the hydrated stem reappears above ground. Its small size can persist in mature, abundantly flowering plants.

A yellowish-green cactus with softly outlined tubercles and low, wavy ribs. In Querétaro populations, its clumps often lie beneath shrub canopies. Shelter changes light and temperature conditions, and the significance of these changes for photosystems depends on the season.

A species from Coahuila with exceptionally variable appearance. Stems can retain regular ribs or have a surface divided into soft, broad areas. Pink flowers, seed-coat sculpture and documented provenance supplement identification of plants that bore various names in older collections.

Lophophora williamsii

A low-growing cactus with broad ribs, soft epidermis and woolly areoles. Its large underground portion includes both stem and root. This structure allows aboveground branches to regenerate after damage, while long-term field studies show the rate and biological cost of that regeneration.