Lophophora williamsii 'Cuatro Cienegas'
Lophophora williamsii 'Cuatro Cienegas is a provenance (locality) form of peyote originating from the Cuatro Ciénegas basin of Coahuila, in northern Mexico. It is not a bred cultivar so much as a regional strain, kept and traded by collectors for the particular body traits that plants from this isolated desert valley tend to show. Its care follows that of the parent species, Lophophora williamsii.
Description
Plants of the 'Cuatro Cienegas' provenance share the general form of Lophophora williamsii: a soft, spineless, blue-green to grey-green button with a wool-tufted crown and small pink flowers. What collectors prize is the regional look. Compared with peyote from other parts of its range, Cuatro Ciénegas plants are often noted for a firmer, more rounded body, a somewhat glaucous skin, and rib and areole patterning characteristic of that population.
Because this is a wild provenance rather than a stabilised selection, individual seedlings vary and not every plant will show the traits strongly. The name records where the original stock came from, not a guarantee of a fixed appearance.
Cultivation
Grow this form exactly as for the parent species — see Lophophora williamsii for full detail. In short, it wants a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix, bright light with a little shade from the fiercest afternoon sun, and careful watering: soak only once the soil has dried completely, and keep the plant dry and cool through winter. Like all Lophophora, it is slow and resents overwatering, which is by far the most common cause of loss.
Provenance plants are usually raised from seed (Propagation — seed) so that the wild-collected genetics are preserved. Vigorous specimens can also be propagated from offsets or by grafting to speed growth, though grafted plants may lose some of the compact, slow-grown character that collectors value in this strain. See Repotting for general technique.
Legal status
Peyote, including this and all locality provenances of Lophophora williamsii, contains controlled alkaloids (notably mescaline) and is regulated in many countries. In the United States it is listed as a Schedule I substance under federal law, with a long-standing exemption for bona fide religious use by the Native American Church. The whole cactus family is listed under CITES, and Lophophora williamsii specifically is on Appendix II, which regulates international trade. Wild populations are additionally protected in Mexico, and collection from habitat is illegal.
Legal status varies widely by country and by state or province, and it can change; growers are responsible for checking the rules that apply where they live. This entry is horticultural and ethnobotanical reference only.
See also
- Lophophora williamsii — the parent species
- Lophophora — the genus overview
- Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — seed · Repotting